Italy AI workplace safety mandate takes effect October 23, with no transition period

Italy's Legislative Decree 179/2026, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on October 8, 2026, takes effect on October 23, 2026 with no transition period. Article 42 requires every Italian employer to assess, in its mandatory DVR workplace risk document, any AI system that affects work organisation, production pace, how tasks are performed, or safety relevant decisions. The functional test covers scheduling, task routing and monitoring tools even if the vendor does not call them AI, and employers must document the risks, the prevention and protection measures, and worker training. Existing DVR penalties under the Consolidated Safety Act apply immediately, and enforcement runs through the National Labour Inspectorate.

Article 41 separately reserves decisions on hiring, changes to an employment relationship, dismissal, discipline and performance evaluation to a human with effective decision making power. Worker consent does not override the requirement, and decisions taken in violation are void. Reporting on the decree describes Italy as the first EU member state to embed an AI assessment duty inside occupational safety documentation enforceable by labour inspectors, ahead of the EU AI Act's deferred December 2027 high risk employment deadline.

Sources: TechTimes; Ad Hoc News