Legislation

There is no specific European health and safety legislation for older workers as there is for younger workers.

The most important directive is Directive 89/391/EEC (12 June 1989), which sets out the general principles for good safety and health prevention at work. This directive, transposed into all Member States requires the employer to carry out a suitable risk assessment for the protection of workers.

Other legislation deriving from directives may also be relevant, for example that dealing with the manual handling of loads.

There may exist specific national legislation relating to the protection of older workers; consult the relevant authority.