A new employee starts on Monday. She gets a badge, a laptop and a binder with house rules, fire safety and safety regulations. Whether she reads the binder, nobody knows. A year later there is an accident, and the first question is: was she instructed?
This guide shows what Swiss law requires of employers when it comes to instruction, what makes a usable record and how to manage policies so that it is always clear who knows which version.
What the law requires
The duty to instruct is set out in the Swiss Ordinance on Accident Prevention (Art. 6 VUV/OPA). In essence it requires:
- All employees in the business are adequately and appropriately informed about the hazards of their work and instructed in the protective measures — including people from other companies, such as temporary staff.
- This happens when they start and with every significant change in working conditions, and it is repeated where necessary.
- Information and instruction take place during working hours and are not at the employees' expense.
- The employer ensures that the measures are actually followed.
The same principle applies to health protection under the Employment Act (Art. 5 ArGV 3). And independently of safety, employers may issue general instructions that employees must follow in good faith (Art. 321d of the Swiss Code of Obligations): house rules, IT policies, expense rules.
The law does not prescribe a particular form of proof. In practice, however, after an accident or in a dispute what counts is what can be shown. "We told her on her first day" is hard to prove; a signed or confirmed document with a date is not.
Instruction is more than a document
A common misunderstanding: whoever sends out a PDF has instructed. That is rarely enough. Good instruction has two parts:
| Part | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Show and practise | Handling, protective equipment, behaviour in an emergency | Safely stopping a machine, using a fire extinguisher |
| Written policy | Record the rules, look them up, confirm them | Workshop safety rules, staff regulations |
The written policy does not replace showing, but it makes it verifiable: what was explained, in which version, and who confirmed they know it?
A confirmation of "read and understood" proves that someone confirmed their knowledge, not that they understood everything. For hazardous work, practical instruction therefore always belongs with it, ideally with a short check: the person demonstrates it once.
What a usable record contains
- Who: the person's name, not just "the team".
- What: which document, in which version. Without the version it is unclear whether the person knows today's rule or the one from three years ago.
- When: date of the confirmation.
- Approved by whom: who put the policy into force in this version.
- Who is missing: a record is only complete when it also shows who has not yet confirmed.
Keep confirmations even when someone leaves the business. In a later dispute, it is precisely former employees who are asked about.
When people need to confirm again
Not every policy needs the same rhythm. This has proven useful:
| Occasion | Example |
|---|---|
| On joining | all policies that apply to the role |
| With a new version | changed safety rule, new IT policy |
| Yearly | fire safety, code of behaviour, data protection |
| With a new task | moving into the workshop, a new machine |
| After an incident | near miss, security incident |
The second point matters most: if a policy changes, the old confirmation no longer applies to the new version. Anyone who does not keep up ends up with lots of signatures under a text that no longer applies.
A managed record in 6 steps
- Collect the policies. Which rules apply in the business, and to whom? They are often scattered: in the HR binder, on the noticeboard, in an email from 2021.
- One document per policy. Short, clearly structured, with safety notes before the steps. How to do that is explained in How to write work instructions.
- Approve it. The person responsible approves the version, with name and date. Only from then on does it apply.
- Define the recipients. Who needs to know this policy: everyone, one department, certain roles? Do not forget temporary staff and apprentices.
- Have it confirmed, with a deadline. Everyone confirms that they have read the version. Whoever is missing after the deadline gets a reminder.
- Keep it up to date. New version, new round. Note yearly policies in the calendar or in the system.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Consequence | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Signature on a group sheet without version | Unclear which rule was confirmed | Version and date on the record |
| Policy changed, old confirmations kept | Nobody has confirmed the new version | New version, new round |
| Only permanent staff recorded | Temps and apprentices are missing | Recipients by task, not by contract |
| Record in the email folder | Cannot be found when needed | One place, sorted by policy and person |
| Only the PDF sent out | Knowledge is not documented | Confirmation per person |
| Confirmations deleted when people leave | Record missing in a dispute | Keep them, even after people leave |
Summary
The law requires all employees to be instructed when they start, when things change and repeatedly where necessary — it does not prescribe a form. A good record shows who confirmed which version when, and who is still missing. When the policy changes, confirmation starts again. And for hazardous work, showing always belongs with the confirmation.
This guide is not legal advice. For industry-specific duties, contact Suva, your industry association or an occupational safety specialist.