Specific scope and framework
Royal Decree 893/2024 regulates the protection of safety and health in the special employment relationship of domestic service. It refers to domestic employment within its specific scope. It should not be automatically applied as if it were the same regime as that of a company providing professional home care services.
The difference lies in the preventive organization and the specific obligations, even though some tasks may seem similar. Before using a guide or form, it’s advisable to identify who employs the person and in what capacity they provide services. The information sheet on home care details the specific preventive aspects of services organized by companies.
Evaluate household chores
The employer must conduct an initial assessment considering the work activity and the people employed. This assessment should include the tasks actually performed: cleaning, meal preparation, caregiving, driving, gardening, or other relevant duties. Assessing only one room or product leaves out part of the work.
Stairs, access points, electrical equipment, sharp tools, products, loads, and time management are all relevant. The conditions of those performing the activity and situations requiring specific protection must also be considered. The assessment is updated periodically and whenever conditions change or damage occurs, in accordance with the Royal Decree.
Convert the assessment into measures
The identified risks must lead to measures to eliminate, reduce, or control them. Regulations require that these measures be documented in writing, including the date of adoption, and that a copy be given to the employee. The cost of protection should not be borne by the employee. Having the document but not implementing the measures does not complete the prevention process.
Solutions may include appropriate tools, equipment repair, product replacement, task reorganization, or mobility aids . Workers should not be allowed to improvise using chairs as access devices or undertake tasks that the environment does not allow them to perform safely. These measures should be verified during actual work.
Public organization and tool
The Royal Decree outlines various ways to organize preventive activities, each with its corresponding requirements. Employers may assume responsibility for these activities if they possess the necessary capacity, including the capacity to properly utilize the provided public tool. They may also employ other regulated methods, without thereby absolving their duty of care.
The Prevencion10 service offers specific resources for domestic employment. The tool helps identify risks and prepare documentation, but it requires accurate responses specific to the home and subsequent follow-up. Automatically selecting options or reusing an assessment from another property prevents the result from reflecting the situation that needs protection.
Information and preventive training
Workers need to be aware of the risks and applicable safety measures and be able to participate in matters that affect their safety. Information must be understandable and tailored to their tasks. Instructions on products, equipment, and procedures must allow workers to recognize when an activity cannot be performed safely.
The SEPE Resolution of May 8, 2026, regulates preventive training, self-assessment, and certification activities through eFundae. This general training must be distinguished from any supplementary training that may be required due to exceptional risks in a home. Training does not replace the provision of safety equipment, nor does it make conditions that remain dangerous acceptable.
Violence, health and guarantees
Protection includes violence and harassment, not just physical accidents. The INSST published a specific protocol for domestic service in 2026. The organization must ensure that workers are aware of their rights and the procedures for addressing them, avoiding the normalization of offensive behavior as an inevitable part of domestic work.
Health surveillance has specific requirements regarding consent and respect for privacy. Article 8.2 on medical examinations is subject to the implementing rules set forth in the fifth final provision and to the regulations concerning the National Health System. Its provisions should not be presented as a uniform procedure already required without verifying these regulations and the corresponding procedures.
Practical example
In a fictitious home, the tasks include cleaning and assisting a person with reduced mobility. The assessment identifies unidentified items, a high access point that is resolved with a chair, and a transfer that requires additional equipment. Substitutions are agreed upon, and the tasks are reorganized, with measurements and dates documented.
The employer provides suitable access and seeks advice on relocation before continuing the task under the same conditions. The worker receives information and can report difficulties. A subsequent review verifies that the solutions are being used and that no new tasks have been added that would change the risk.
Monitoring a useful prevention
Prevention measures should be reviewed whenever there are changes in housing, equipment, the functional status of the person being cared for, or the distribution of tasks. It is also advisable to pay attention to signs such as skin discomfort, excessive exertion, or repeated incidents. Contact dermatitis serves as a reminder that frequent exposure can cause damage without any visible accident.
The goal is to maintain safe conditions in a daily and variable activity. This requires concrete decisions, available resources, and respectful communication. The INSST’s 2026 technical guide provides criteria for interpreting the framework, while the responsibility for implementing and verifying the measures remains linked to the existing employment relationship.
