Here is the ergonomics legislation from
Portugal
The information here was collated from official online sources by Ergo Global ergonomists. All information is for general purposes and cannot be considered 1-to-1 legal advice. Ergo Global disclaim any liability relating to the information provided on this page.
To Note
Portugal does not have a single “ergonomics act,” but ergonomics regulation is integrated into its Occupational Safety and Health Law.
Page last updated: 22/01/2026
The Duties of
The Employer
- Assessment - Assess the health and safety conditions in the workplace, particularly those relating to risks to vision, physical conditions and mental stress.
- Risk reduction - Take, based on the assessment referred to in the previous number, the necessary measures to eliminate those risks.
- Information - Inform workers about everything related to their safety and health issues at the workplace.
- Work organization - Organize the worker's activity so that daily work with a display is periodically interrupted by breaks or changes in activity that reduce the pressure of working with equipment equipped with a display.
- Vision examination - Before occupying a workstation equipped with a visor for the first time, periodically and whenever they experience visual disturbances, workers must undergo an appropriate medical examination of their eyes and vision.
- Ophthalmalogical examination - If the results of the examination referred to in the previous paragraph demonstrate its necessity, workers benefit from an ophthalmological examination.
- Correction devices - Whenever the results of medical examinations require it and normal correction devices cannot be used, workers must be provided with special correction devices designed for the type of work performed.
- Display screen information - Workers, as well as their representatives, must be informed of all measures taken concerning their safety and health when using equipment equipped with a display.
- Workstation training - Before starting the activity, or when changes occur at the workstation, workers must receive adequate training on the use of equipment equipped with a display.
The Duties of
The Employer
🏠 for Remote Work
The Portuguese Labor Code states that teleworkers have the same rights and duties as other workers in the company with the same category or identical function, namely as regards to:
- training
- career promotion
- limits on working hours
- rest periods (including paid holidays)
- protection of health and safety at work
- compensation for accidents at work and occupational illnesses
- access to information from employees' representative structures
The employer should ensure that health examinations are carried out prior to the implementation of teleworking, and annual examinations thereafter, to assess the physical and mental fitness of the employee to perform the activity and the impact which the activity and the conditions in which it is performed have on the latter’s health, as well as for the purpose of adopting any preventive measures that may be appropriate.
The Duties of
The Employee
- Protect own safety and health - It is the duty of all workers to take care of their own safety and health and to meet the requirements of safety and health at work established by the legal provisions and instruments of collective labour regulation, as well as the specific instructions given by the employer.
- Protect others' safety and health - It is the responsibility of all workers to take care of their own safety and health and that of other persons affected by their acts or omissions at work in accordance with training and the instructions given by the employer.
- Comply with OSH-related requirements - Workers must receive adequate training on safety and health at work, taking into account the job and high risk activities.
-
Remote obligations - Employees are to:
1) Follow the employer's instructions in regards to health and safety in the home office
2) Respect the limits of the standard working hours
3) Employees must observe the rules for using and operation of the work tools made available to them by the employer
4) Unless otherwise agreed, employees may not use the company's work tools for personal use
What's next?
Step 1
Run an ergonomics audit following these regulations.
Step 2
List out the gaps in your ergonomics policy.
Step 4
Contact Ergo Global for more support where needed.
