Since May 16, 2026, domestic workers in Spain have had access to a free online course designed to certify their knowledge of occupational risk prevention. Developed by the Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE) and managed through the eFundae platform, the initiative formalizes safety training in a sector employing more than 351,000 people, the vast majority of them women. SEPE also offers a broad catalogue of free training through the Experiencia Fundae platform.
The course addresses a long-standing need for safety education tailored to domestic work. The official resolution published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on May 15 says the training covers risks specific to private households. Depending on their performance in the assessments, participants can earn a certificate of participation or a diploma of achievement.
Course Structure and Content
The basic-level course is fully online and lasts five hours. It covers seven basic activities identified as risk areas in domestic work: cleaning, meal preparation and service, driving, caregiving, night or live-in work, handling pets, and gardening. The first five are considered especially relevant because workers face greater exposure to accidents, overexertion, falls, cuts, muscle injuries, and caregiving-related risks.
Drawing on the risk map from the Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (INSST), the course includes modules on general household hazards, electrical and gas installations, emergency procedures, and risks specific to each task. Videos, images, and practical activities support learning and retention. The INSST also identifies domestic employment as a sector that needs attention to psychosocial risks, alongside hospital and social-care work.
Certification Process
To receive official recognition, participants must complete a self-assessment and periodic progress checks throughout the course. Those who complete at least 75% of the progress checks can download a certificate of participation. Participants who also pass at least 75% of these checks qualify for a diploma of achievement. Both documents, available through eFundae, detail the course title, content covered, duration, and date of issue.
Impact on Domestic Work Safety
The new training structure follows the rights established under Real Decreto 893/2024, which guarantees domestic workers effective protection in occupational health and safety. The May 2026 resolution clarifies how preventive training should be accredited and adapts safety standards to the distinctive environment of private homes. In its 2026 occupational-health programme, the INSST says employers must manage workplace prevention while considering factors that may affect workers’ mental health.
Fundae reports that 96% of registered domestic workers in Spain are women, highlighting the sector’s gender profile and the importance of accessible, official training. The course offers a clear route to certification, with the stated aim of empowering workers, raising safety awareness, and supporting compliance with developing legal standards. The INSST’s 2026 programme, coordinated with the Red Española de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo, includes more than 20 initiatives across Spain, such as courses, workshops, webinars, and technical sessions. Running from October 3 to November 26, the programme addresses psychosocial-risk management, workplace harassment and violence, and links between physical and mental health.
The INSST’s mental-health campaign identifies employment insecurity, excessive workload, and inadequate disconnection from work as factors that can contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression. Its approach calls for identifying organizational causes of psychosocial risks and tackling them at their source. As the domestic sector continues to professionalize, the initiative may also raise the profile of household employment and encourage wider recognition of the skills and responsibilities involved. For many workers, the course offers a credential and a practical tool for safer, better-informed daily work.
