INAIL – the Italian Workers Compensation Authority – pursues several objectives: the reduction of accidents at work, the insurance of workers involved in risky activities; the re-integration in the labour market and in social life of work accident victims.

This type of insurance, compulsory for all employers hiring workers in activities which the law defines as risky, protects workers from any kind of damage resulting from work related accidents and occupational diseases freeing employers from any civil liability.

The safeguard of workers is now more than ever an integrated protection system – as a result also of recent innovative provisions of law-ranging from prevention on the workplace to health and economic benefits, medical treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration in the social and working life of victims of physical damage consequent to a work related accident or professional disease.

With a view to contributing to the reduction of accidents, INAIL has also implemented a number of important tools to continually monitor employment and accident trends, it provides small and medium size enterprises with training and advice in the field of prevention and funds companies that decide to invest in the improvement of safety.

Since 1 June 2010, in addition to carrying out its mandate, INAIL is also charged with all the tasks carried out by the former Italian National Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention (ISPESL) tasks, incorporated into INAIL. Therefore the continuity of OSH research activities, both at a national and at an international level, is guaranteed by a new statutory organisation that is being defined.