Switzerland · Overview
Workplace safety in Switzerland: employer guide
Find the safety regulator, employer duties and training topics for Switzerland, with government and legal sources.
English
Short answer
In Switzerland, use the Cantonal labour inspectorates and Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (VUV/OPA) to plan workplace safety and instruction.
Who oversees safety at work?
Start with the tasks and hazards at your site. This page points to the regulator and legal framework; check their current guidance before making a workplace decision. The relevant public body is Cantonal labour inspectorates. Also see Suva employer guidance.
What should an employer do first?
Employers must identify workplace hazards, take suitable safety measures and instruct workers about risks and safe procedures. Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (VUV/OPA) For each task, write down the hazard, the control and the instruction workers need. Find the canton and relevant enforcement body before relying on a national overview for a specific workplace.
Check that the instruction matches the work and its risks; a course title cannot describe every site's controls. Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (VUV/OPA)
Five training topics to check
Choose from these topics using the job's risks; this is not a universal course list. Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (VUV/OPA)
1. Site induction — explain local hazards and the reporting route. 2. Lifting — demonstrate the safe method for this task. 3. Falls — show the fall-prevention method for this task. 4. Machinery — check equipment, exclusion zones and supervision. 5. Protective equipment — check selection, fit and correct use.
Who checks workplace safety?
Start with the regulator's site for inspection information.
How should we choose instruction?
Match the topic to the task and the risk assessment under the linked rules.
Does a course replace site controls?
No. Apply the employer's prevention duties at the workplace. Read the source.
Where can workers read the rules?
Open the Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (VUV/OPA) and Cantonal labour inspectorates; ask how they apply to the job.
Useful official links
Official sources
- Cantonal labour inspectoratesseco.admin.ch · Checked 2026-10-13
- Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (VUV/OPA)fedlex.admin.ch · Checked 2026-10-13
- Suva employer guidancesuva.ch · Checked 2026-10-13