On 24 May 2026, the transitional period for the new State-Regions Agreement on workplace safety training came to an end. Many companies are now asking themselves the same question: “Do I have to retake all the courses?”.
The answer is no, but a systematic review is needed: which certificates remain valid, which roles require updating, and under what rules. In this guide, you’ll find out what has actually changed, the two deadlines that almost everyone gets confused about, and a practical checklist to assess your company’s situation without wasting time.
What will actually change from 24 May 2026 (and what won’t)
The new State-Regions Agreement (Rep. Acts No. 59/CSR of 17 April 2025, published in the Official Gazette No. 119 of 24 May 2025) consolidates the training programmes set out in Legislative Decree 81/08 into a single text and replaces the previous agreements of 2011, 2012 and 2016. The twelve-month transitional period ended on 24 May 2026.
The end of the transitional period mainly concerns the start of courses: from 24 May 2026, it is no longer possible to deliver training under the previous rules, but only in accordance with the new Agreement. Workplace safety certificates already obtained, however, do not lose their value: they remain valid until their natural expiry date for renewal. In practice, nothing needs to be redone ‘the day after’; it is simply verified.
24 May 2026 and 24 May 2027: two deadlines not to be confused
There is a second deadline that causes a great deal of confusion. 24 May 2026 marks the end of the transitional period for training courses, whilst 24 May 2027 is the deadline by which a completely new requirement must be met: compulsory training for employers.
The new Agreement introduces a specific training programme for employers (a basic course of the duration specified in the new tables, approximately 16 hours), to be completed within 24 months of the Agreement coming into force. This is a separate obligation from the training for employers acting as Health and Safety Managers (RSPP), which applies to those who directly assume the role of Health and Safety Manager. The most common risk is rushing to train business owners by 2026 whilst neglecting more urgent requirements, such as the refresher training for supervisors. If you are unsure which course you need, you can start with the RSPP training course for employers.
Safety Officers: biennial refresher training and an end to e-learning
Safety officers face the most significant change from an organisational perspective. Refresher training for safety officers is changing from every five years to every two years and can no longer be delivered via e-learning: only classroom-based training or synchronous videoconferencing is permitted.
The duration of initial training is also changing, having been revised in line with the new schedules. Those who were trained more than two years prior to the Agreement coming into force are a priority and must be retrained immediately. Please take care not to confuse synchronous video conferencing with asynchronous e-learning: the former is equivalent to classroom-based training, whilst the latter is not permitted for supervisors. To schedule sessions, please refer to the supervisor training and refresher course.
Role by role: workers, managers, RSPPs and RLS
Each role has its own set of rules, and this is where the most common errors lie. For workers, the familiar framework remains in place (general worker training plus a specific module linked to the risk category, with periodic refresher training), but the training must be completed before the worker is assigned to the role, not ‘within a few weeks’ of being taken on.
For managers, the duration of the basic course has been revised in the new tables, with periodic refresher training confirmed. Health and Safety Managers (RSPP) and Assistant Health and Safety Managers (ASPP) retain their five-yearly refresher training, with the required number of hours for each role. Refresher training for Health and Safety Representatives (RLS) also follows its own specific schedule, linked to the size of the company. The golden rule is not to apply the same deadline to everyone: each role has its own timetable.
Assessment of learning, records and permitted delivery methods
The new Agreement raises the bar for the traceability of training programmes. A compulsory final assessment of learning is required for courses, and it is no longer sufficient to simply retain the certificate: in the event of an inspection, the complete documentation of the programme is required.
In practical terms, for each course the following must be kept: the training programme, the attendance register, the assessment results, the individual certificate and details of the delivery method. Regarding delivery methods, the rule of thumb is as follows: e-learning is permitted only for certain roles and modules; synchronous video conferencing is equivalent to classroom-based learning for the theoretical part; whilst practical training and tests must still be conducted in person. Before choosing a provider, check that they deliver training in accordance with the new Agreement.
The checklist to go through immediately within the company
The transition to the new Agreement must be managed systematically. Start with the people and their roles, not the course catalogue, and check the following in order:
• Map of positions and roles: workers, supervisors, managers, employer, RSPP/ASPP, RLS.
• Existing certificates: position, course date, training provider, method and status of refresher training.
• Supervisors: biennial refresher training planned and delivered in person or via videoconference; never via e-learning.
• Employer: new course to be completed by 24 May 2027.
• Documentation ready for inspection: training programme, attendance records, assessment results, certificates.
With regard to penalties, failure to provide training or providing inadequate training exposes the employer to criminal liability (Articles 37 and 55 of Legislative Decree 81/08); the amounts involved should be checked with your consultant. If you wish to get your affairs in order without repeating training that is still valid, our specialists can help you assess the situation and choose the right courses: write to us or call us for a review
Frequently Asked Questions from Customers
Here are the most common questions we receive from our customers.
- Will all certificates become invalid after 24 May 2026? No. Certificates issued under the previous regulations remain valid until their natural expiry date for renewal. The end of the transitional period relates to the start of new courses, not to training that has already been completed. However, the status of each individual renewal should be checked, as different roles have different renewal frequencies and priorities.
- Is the expiry date 19 or 24 May 2026? The sources are not entirely consistent: the Agreement links the deadline to the publication in the Official Gazette on 24 May 2025, whilst some ministerial FAQs calculate the twelve-month period from 19 May 2025. If you have obligations due around those dates, check the exact start date with your adviser.
- Can the designated person still undertake refresher training via e-learning? No. For designated persons, initial training and refresher training cannot be delivered via asynchronous e-learning. Only face-to-face classroom sessions or synchronous videoconferencing – which involves real-time interaction and attendance tracking – are permitted. Furthermore, refresher training is now required every two years, so it must be planned more frequently than in the past.
- By when must the employer complete the course? The new training requirement for employers must be completed within 24 months of the Agreement coming into force, i.e. by 24 May 2027. This deadline is different from the end of the transitional period on 24 May 2026: it is advisable not to confuse the two and to prioritise the most urgent task, which is usually the refresher training for supervisors.
