What is SESST
SESST is the acronym for the Spanish Society for Occupational Health and Safety, a scientific and professional society dedicated to the dissemination and improvement of all aspects of occupational health. It is a scientific and professional entity, not a public body or professional association: it has no regulatory or sanctioning authority over preventive or health-related activities in the workplace.
Its activity is aimed at occupational safety and health professionals and occupational medicine and nursing professionals, with a Spanish scope of action and an Ibero-American projection that is reflected in the international character of its reference congress.
Purpose and scope of action
SESST is organized around a board of directors, collaborating members, and associated companies and entities, and holds regular general assemblies. Its purpose is twofold: firstly, to disseminate technical and scientific knowledge about occupational health through publications and meetings; and secondly, to improve professional practice in the sector, with special attention to the health aspects of prevention.
Functions and main lines of work
SESST’s activity is structured around several stable lines of action.
- International Congress. Organizes the International Congress on Occupational Health and Risk Prevention, whose 13th edition was held from June 23 to 25, 2026 in Madrid, in person and in Spanish, with a program structured by thematic areas of occupational health and risk prevention.
- Publications. It publishes the digital journal Health and Safety at Work, whose first edition was published in December 2023 with scientific works on workplace well-being, mental health and biomechanical risks, among other subjects, and distributes newsletters to its members and subscribers.
- Job Bank. It maintains an active job bank with offers mainly geared towards healthcare and occupational health profiles.
- Compilation of legislation and reports. It gathers and makes available to its members regulations and technical reports related to health and safety at work.
Contribution to safety and health at work
SESST’s contribution is that of a professional scientific society: it creates a regular forum for meetings and technical exchange, with an international reach through its congress, and facilitates its members’ access to documentation, legislation, and job opportunities in the sector. It does not provide occupational health and safety services to companies or workers; its activities are directed toward professionals within the field.
Relationship with the ORP International Foundation
SESST is among the scientific and professional societies that form the institutional advisory committee of the ORP International Foundation. Its own activity, the organization of an international congress on occupational health and risk prevention, is consistent with the knowledge dissemination profile that unites this committee, even though both institutions organize their respective congresses independently.
Practical application
For occupational health professionals, SESST offers a regular meeting point through its international congress, access to its journal and repository of legislation and reports, and a specialized job board. For those seeking to update their knowledge of occupational health from an Ibero-American perspective, the congress and the society’s publications are a key resource within the sector’s annual calendar.
