What does Supreme Decree 594 regulate?
Supreme Decree 594, enacted in 1999 and published in 2000, establishes basic health and environmental conditions for workplaces in Chile. It includes sanitation, general safety conditions, and exposure limits for hazardous agents. It must be applied in conjunction with any specific regulations applicable to the activity, and no single regulation fulfills all obligations.
Its content relates to Law 16.744 and the protection of workers. The current version is important because the text has been amended. An older copy can serve as background information, but it should not be the sole basis for a compliance review or a current preventive investment decision.
Sanitation and basic conditions
The regulations cover aspects such as drinking water, restrooms, changing rooms, dining areas, order, and cleanliness. Their review must take into account the actual use of the facilities and the nature of the tasks. Simply having a facility physically available does not guarantee that it is in adequate condition or accessible during different shifts or work arrangements.
In practice, it is advisable to verify functionality, maintenance, and supply availability. Temporary situations, expansions, and locations where equipment is deployed should also be considered. An evaluation limited to headquarters may overlook relevant working conditions or facilities. Specific requirements should be taken from the relevant articles and scenarios, avoiding the application of quantities or exceptions out of context.
Ventilation and pollutant control
Ventilation must contribute to suitable environmental conditions. When harmful pollutants are generated, regulations stipulate their capture at the source and compliance with applicable limits. Industrial hygiene provides methods for characterizing exposure and selecting controls, taking into account substances, processes, duration, and potentially affected individuals.
Simply opening a window does not guarantee that extraction will be sufficient. The solution must be studied and tested under representative conditions. It is also important to maintain filters, ducts, and collectors, and to check whether changes in product or production volume affect their effectiveness. Documentation should allow for linking the installed control system to the contaminant it is intended to reduce.
Exposure limits and assessment
DS 594 contains criteria for chemical and physical agents that require technical interpretation. The comparison must use the appropriate magnitude, reference period, and conditions. A result cannot be considered compliant simply because it is lower than a number found in a table, without verifying what it represents and whether there are any applicable adjustments or additional rules.
For noise, PREXOR occupational noise protocol (Chile) complements management through action and monitoring criteria. This relationship illustrates the need to distinguish between regulatory limits, preventive criteria, and monitoring programs. Maintaining complete reports helps review decisions when conditions change and allows for understanding the uncertainty and scope of what was actually measured.
High temperatures and a 2026 update
Decree 40 of the Ministry of Health, published on January 16, 2026, added Article 98 bis to Decree 594. This amendment addresses protection against high and extreme temperatures, taking into account meteorological information and alerts. The official text should be consulted to define the measures and responsibilities applicable to the workplace.
Managing heat stress requires considering physical activity, environment, clothing, and organization. It’s advisable to plan ahead for periods of peak exposure and define who will monitor conditions and implement measures. Ambient temperature alone doesn’t fully describe the heat load, especially when heat sources or physically demanding tasks are present.
Relationship with preventive management
Supreme Decree 44 organizes management tools, while Supreme Decree 594 establishes health and environmental conditions that must be incorporated into that management. The evaluation identifies discrepancies with respect to the requirements; the program assigns actions; and the monitoring verifies results. Keeping both levels connected facilitates decisions that have visible consequences in the workplace.
A compliance matrix can be organized by facility and requirement, indicating evidence, responsible party, and status. It should distinguish between a verified situation and one pending evaluation. Marking all boxes as compliant based on a general statement prevents the identification of real needs and hinders the prioritization of actions that protect exposed individuals.
Practical example
In a hypothetical scenario, a company opens a temporary area for preparing orders during the summer. Before using it, it reviews available services, cleanliness, traffic flow, and environmental conditions. It identifies that heat exposure and effective access to the facilities require specific measures, in addition to organizing the activity and informing those who will be working there.
The actions are integrated into the preventive program and verified during operation. When the schedule changes, it is checked again that the measures remain accessible. This example illustrates the importance of evaluating the actual use and variations of a facility, without assuming that compliance from one area of the company automatically transfers to the new space.
How to maintain a helpful review
The review should be updated whenever relevant premises, processes, substances, or conditions change. It is advisable to keep the regulatory source and date of consultation, along with the technical reports that support each conclusion. This allows for the identification of subsequent changes and helps to reconstruct why a particular measure was chosen or why further assessment was deemed necessary.
The goal is to maintain suitable conditions during daily operations. Internal inspections, maintenance, and employee participation provide early warning signs when something malfunctions. Linking these observations to responsible parties and deadlines transforms regulatory compliance into a preventive tool, preventing it from becoming merely a file reviewed only during an audit.
