What is a joint service?
A joint occupational health and safety service organizes specialized resources shared by several companies. Although it serves different companies, it is considered a service belonging to the participating companies, regardless of whether they have separate legal status. Its preventive activity is limited to these companies and must respond to the specific needs of each one, not to an open portfolio of clients.
This approach seeks to leverage proximity, organizational ties, or shared characteristics without compromising preventive effectiveness. Sharing professionals can improve the availability of knowledge and resources, but it also introduces coordination needs. Each company retains its duty of care, its decision-making capacity, and the obligation to integrate prevention into its work practices. The shared service does not eliminate these individual responsibilities.
Which companies can form it
Article 21 of the Prevention Services Regulations covers companies that simultaneously carry out activities in the same workplace, building, or shopping center, provided that the operability and effectiveness of the service are guaranteed. It also includes cases related to collective bargaining, agreements, or business decisions for companies in the same production sector or group, or located in an industrial park or limited geographical area.
These assumptions must be analyzed specifically before establishing the service. It is not enough for several companies to find it convenient to share costs. The relationship between them and the proposed organization must comply with the regulatory framework and allow for effective service. The distance between centers, working hours, and the diversity of risks can affect the adequacy of the model.
Relationship with the requirement for an in-house prevention service
Companies required to have their own occupational health and safety service cannot join a joint service established for companies in a specific sector. However, the regulations allow their participation in joint services within the same corporate group. The distinction between sector and group is relevant and should not be resolved simply based on commercial similarity or sharing a brand.
Therefore, before choosing this option, it is advisable to review the business structure, staffing levels, activities included in Annex I, and any applicable administrative resolutions. A change of ownership or a corporate reorganization may alter the conditions initially considered. The option must be based on verifiable circumstances and remain suitable throughout its use, not just on the date of the agreement.
Constitution and worker participation
The agreement establishing the service must be adopted after consulting with the legal representatives of the workers in each affected company. It must include the minimum conditions under which the service will be provided. These conditions are discussed and, where appropriate, agreed upon in the health and safety committees, in accordance with the regulations.
When its establishment has not been decided within the framework of collective bargaining, the agreement must be communicated beforehand to the labor authority in the territory where the service’s main facilities are located. The documentation must explain who participates, what is shared, and how service will be guaranteed. A list of companies without a defined operating model does not allow for an assessment of its sufficiency.
Specialties, people and resources
The joint service must have at least three preventive specialties or disciplines. The regulations establish human resource requirements equivalent to those required for external services, in accordance with their regulatory development, and use these as a reference for material resources, adapted to the activities of the companies. The labor authority may require adjustments as stipulated.
The number of specialties does not replace capacity analysis. Visits, assessments, measurements, monitoring, travel, and response to changes or incidents must all be considered. If a necessary preventive activity is not covered, its coverage must be provided using the appropriate resources. Peak activity periods for several companies should not leave the centers that need it most without simultaneous service.
Practical example
Several companies within the same industrial group are considering sharing an occupational risk prevention service. Before establishing it, they identify facilities, processes, staffing levels, and risks, consult with employee representatives, and define the disciplines they will cover. They assign professionals by area of expertise and establish a schedule that combines on-site presence at the facilities with specialized support for more complex tasks.
One company is introducing a new production line while another is preparing for a maintenance shutdown. The service adjusts its planning to address both needs, and each company’s management allocates the necessary resources to implement its measures. The shared organizational structure facilitates learning from similar problems, but assessments and decisions are tailored to each specific facility. A single evaluation is not simply copied as if all positions were equivalent.
Coordination and monitoring of results
Service management must allow for an understanding of the activities performed for each company and how each contributes resources. The regulations require that information regarding the participating companies and their level of participation be made available to the labor authority. It is also essential that management receives useful information to address pending issues and resource needs.
Coordination of business activities remains necessary when multiple companies operate within the same facility. Sharing occupational health and safety services does not eliminate the risks arising from the interaction between different jobs, nor the corresponding obligations. It is important to distinguish between internal coordination of the shared service and the coordination of simultaneous operations, even though both may rely on the same professionals and tools.
Mistakes to avoid
A shared service is not a separate service provided to third parties under a different name, nor is it an automatic way to reduce resources by sharing costs. It is also incorrect to assume that a generic group assessment can replace the specific conditions of each company. Risks, shifts, and the actual organizational structure must remain visible in the planning process.
Effectiveness depends on sufficient capacity, clear decisions, and follow-up on measures. If the group’s composition changes, a new company joins, or remote centers are added, the agreement and resources must be reviewed. A model that was initially suitable may cease to be so if its scope expands without adjusting professionals, resources, or time commitments to the new needs.
