Resolution 2400 of 1979: hygiene and safety in Colombia

Resolution 2400 of 1979 brings together Colombian provisions on accommodation, hygiene and safety in workplaces. It is a broad historical reference that remains partially applicable. It should not be used as a complete, unchanged list of obligations: certain subjects and articles are covered by later regulations.

In brief

Resolution 2400 brings together hygiene and safety conditions for Colombian workplaces and remains partially in force. Using it requires checking current requirements and specific rules. A useful legal register connects each applicable obligation with controls, responsibilities and evidence within the SG-SST.

Contents
  1. Which subjects it helps locate
  2. Why checking partial validity matters
  3. How to review a requirement before applying it
  4. Connect it with the current SG-SST
  5. Document changes without losing traceability
  6. Hypothetical example: reviewing a boiler checklist
  7. Related concepts
  8. References

A–Z dictionary →

Which subjects it helps locate

The resolution covers premises, amenities, the working environment, protection, equipment and operations. Its opening article provides for application in workplaces without prejudice to special regulations.

It can be a starting point for locating preventive matters, but its breadth does not make every chapter applicable to every company. Review actual processes and equipment. An office, workshop and facility with boilers need to identify different obligations even when they share general safety requirements.

Why checking partial validity matters

The old date does not establish that the entire resolution has been repealed, or that all its content remains enforceable in its original terms. Review must consider amendments, repeals and later specific rules.

One explicit example is Resolution 1857 of 2024, which repealed Articles 500 to 504 of Resolution 2400 when regulating work with boilers. Keeping those articles as a current reference in a checklist would produce an incorrect regulatory conclusion.

How to review a requirement before applying it

Identify the article, the activity it concerns and the circumstance triggering its application. Consult an official source and relevant later provisions. Record the date and conclusion of that review.

Avoid copying technical values from a historical version without checking their current framework. Uncertainty about concurrent rules or the scope of a repeal needs technical or legal resolution before becoming an acceptance criterion. The age of a downloaded file does not establish that it is up to date either.

Connect it with the current SG-SST

Decree 1072 of 2015 requires current legislation, hazard identification, assessment and controls to be integrated into the SG-SST. Resolution 2400 provides substantive requirements where applicable; it does not replace systematic management of the whole.

Connect each selected obligation with a specific condition at the site. Check facilities, maintenance and working practices. The file must show both the regulatory reference and the measure enabling compliance. A large register without owners or verification provides little information about actual conditions.

Document changes without losing traceability

As a management practice, preserve the old reference in the history and mark the superseded requirement, together with the rule changing it and the decision taken. Do not keep it active for convenience or erase the explanation of the change.

Then review the procedures, purchasing, inspections and training that depended on that requirement. A legal update that only changes a cell can leave operational instructions outdated. Prioritise changes directly affecting exposure, equipment or maintenance decisions.

Hypothetical example: reviewing a boiler checklist

A team discovers that its inspection uses a checklist based exclusively on the 1979 text. It checks the articles against Resolution 1857 of 2024 and identifies those explicitly repealed.

It updates the applicable criteria with competent support and reviews linked documents. It preserves traceability of the replacement and verifies actual operating conditions. The outcome is not to declare all of Resolution 2400 obsolete, but to use each requirement within its current framework.

References

  1. Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Resolution 2400 of 1979, regulatory compilation. Official source
  2. Bogotá District Legal Secretariat: Resolution 1857 of 2024, Article 18. Official source
  3. Public Service Department: Decree 1072 of 2015, SG-SST. Official source

Editorial information

Publication date: 19 October 2026.

Editorial responsibility: Sabentis Editorial Team.

Author: Pablo RodríguezLinkedIn

Executive Vice President of the ORP International Foundation and Chief Financial Officer of Sabentis.

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