Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of May 27, 2026, from the General Directorate of Public Health and Health Equity — Agreement with the Foundation Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | June 8, 2026 |
| Entry into force | May 26, 2026 |
| Affected parties | Workers, companies, prevention services, mutual insurance companies and healthcare and labor administrations |
| Category | Labor Legislation |
| Regulatory framework | RD 568/2024 (Public Health Surveillance Network) — Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, component 18 — Public Health Surveillance Strategy 2022 |
| Coordination | Ministries of Labor and Social Security |
Spanish companies will see occupational health surveillance take a qualitative leap forward. The Ministry of Healthcare has signed an agreement with the Foundation Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas to review, analyze and systematically monitor occupational health in Spain. The agreement, published in the BOE on June 8, 2026 and in force since May 26, is not an administrative formality: it is the technical basis on which the next standards for occupational risk prevention at the national level will be built.
The agreement is framed within the Public Health Surveillance Network created by Royal Decree 568/2024, in component 18 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and in the Public Health Surveillance Strategy approved in 2022. Three frameworks that together indicate that this is not a one-off initiative, but a structural commitment by the State.
What does this regulation establish?
The agreement assigns the Foundation Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas the following specific functions:
- Review and analysis of the state of occupational health in Spain.
- Development of indicators and health information on occupational risks, exposures and effects on worker health.
- Continuous monitoring of occupational health integrated into the National Health System.
- Coordination with the Ministries of Labor and Social Security to complement existing information systems.
The ultimate objective is to integrate occupational health surveillance within the National Health System, so that data on occupational diseases and labor risks cease to be dispersed among mutual insurance companies, prevention services and administrations, and become part of a unified and comparable system.
This agreement does not directly modify any previous regulation, but it does operationally expand the scope of RD 568/2024, which created the Public Health Surveillance Network. The novelty is that this network now explicitly incorporates the labor dimension with a dedicated scientific reference center.
Economic and operational impact
The direct and immediate impact for companies is not economic in the form of new fees or sanctions provided for in this agreement. The impact is strategic and operational: the data generated by this system will be the basis on which the Ministry of Healthcare, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security will design the next occupational risk prevention policies.
In practice, this means:
- Greater precision in the detection and recognition of occupational diseases, which may affect the contingencies covered by mutual insurance companies and associated costs.
- Possible revision of health surveillance protocols in sectors with high exposure to specific risks (chemicals, noise, ergonomics, etc.).
- Increased scrutiny of prevention services, both internal and external, as the Administration has more precise and comparable indicators.
- Potential impact on occupational risk assessments if new indicators reveal exposures not sufficiently controlled in certain sectors.
Mutual insurance companies collaborating with Social Security are the entities with the greatest immediate operational exposure: their accident and occupational disease data will be part of the information system being built.
Who does it affect?
- Companies with staff — especially in sectors with high accident rates (construction, industry, logistics, healthcare, agriculture).
- External prevention services (SPA) — must adapt their protocols to the new indicators that are developed.
- Internal prevention services (SPP) — greater requirement in the registration and monitoring of occupational health data.
- Mutual insurance companies collaborating with Social Security — their information systems will be integrated or complemented by the new system.
- Regional healthcare administrations — must coordinate with the new national surveillance system.
- Workers — will benefit from better detection of occupational diseases and labor risks.
- CFOs and HR managers — must anticipate possible changes in occupational contingency costs and health surveillance requirements.
Practical example
An industrial company with 80 workers exposed to chemical agents currently has a health surveillance protocol designed by its external prevention service. Until now, the data from that surveillance remained in the internal file and with the mutual insurance company.
With the new national surveillance system promoted by this agreement, that exposure data and its effects on health will become part of a system of indicators comparable at the national level. If Hospital del Mar detects, when analyzing aggregated data, that a certain chemical agent generates an occupational disease rate higher than officially recorded, the Ministry of Labor may update the mandatory prevention protocols for that sector.
The practical result for that company: its prevention service must update the risk assessment and potentially strengthen preventive measures, with the operational cost that entails. Anticipating that scenario by reviewing risk assessments now is the smartest decision.
What should companies do now?
- Review current occupational risk assessments — especially in sectors with exposure to chemical, physical or biological agents. The new system will generate indicators that could reveal gaps in current assessments.
- Audit health surveillance records — ensure that data from medical examinations and exposures are properly documented. They will be the raw material for the new information system.
- Coordinate with the prevention service (internal or external) to anticipate possible changes in protocols resulting from new national indicators.
- Monitor the evolution of the indicator system that Hospital del Mar will develop in coordination with the Ministry of Healthcare. The first results will guide the next regulatory updates in occupational risk prevention.
- Consult with the mutual insurance company the impact that the integration of its data into the new national surveillance system may have, especially regarding the recognition of occupational diseases.
Frequently asked questions
What is the agreement between the Ministry of Healthcare and Hospital del Mar?
It is an agreement by which the Foundation Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas is responsible for reviewing, analyzing and monitoring occupational health in Spain. Its objective is to develop indicators and health information on occupational risks, exposures and effects on worker health, integrating this surveillance into the National Health System.
When does this agreement enter into force and what regulatory framework supports it?
The agreement entered into force on May 26, 2026 and was published in the BOE on June 8, 2026. It is supported by RD 568/2024 (Public Health Surveillance Network), component 18 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the Public Health Surveillance Strategy approved in 2022.
What impact does this agreement have on companies and their prevention obligations?
It does not create new direct obligations immediately, but the indicators that are developed will guide the next occupational risk prevention policies. Companies should anticipate possible updates to health surveillance protocols and risk assessments, especially in sectors with high exposure.
How does this agreement affect mutual insurance companies collaborating with Social Security?
Mutual insurance companies are one of the actors with the greatest immediate operational exposure: their accident and occupational disease data will be part of the information system being built. Coordination will be carried out with the Ministries of Labor and Social Security to complement existing information systems.
What should prevention services do in light of this new surveillance system?
They must prepare to adapt their protocols to the new national indicators that will be developed. It is advisable to review current risk assessments now and ensure that health surveillance records are properly documented, as they will be the basis of the new national information system.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-12408
