More than 70% of the companies inspected in 2025 received penalties or corrective orders from the Labor Inspectorate. In the construction sector, the percentage is even higher: construction accounts for less than 10% of employment in Spain but accounts for more than 25% of fatal workplace accidents, making it one of the sectors subject to the most intense inspection scrutiny. The Labor Inspectorate doesn't give advance notice of its visits. And when it arrives, the documentation has to be ready.
This article explains what auditors and inspectors actually look for at construction and engineering firms, what the most common mistakes are that lead to penalties, and how to keep your documentation ready at all times without having to scramble to find it at the last minute.
What is a compliance audit, and why has it become more important in the industry?
A compliance audit is a systematic verification process that assesses whether a company complies with its legal obligations regarding labor matters, risk prevention, equality, and data protection, among others. In the construction and engineering sector, Compliance isn't just a best practice—it's a prerequisite for doing business, since clients, government agencies, and certifying bodies are increasingly requiring formal proof of compliance before awarding contracts or authorizing the start of construction.
Inspection activities have steadily increased. The Labor and Social Security Inspectorate (ITSS) has the authority to enter any workplace without prior notice, and refusing to allow an inspection is in itself a serious violation. During construction, inspections are particularly frequent both because of the high accident rate in the sector and because of the complexity of the subcontracting chains, which Royal Decree-Law 32/2006 specifically regulates.
What documentation do these audits typically require?
Accredited Occupational Safety and Health Training per Employee
This is the area where the most violations occur. Inspectors verify that Every active employee has valid, certified occupational risk prevention (PRL) training that is specific to their position and the risks to which they are exposed. In the construction industry, this includes, at a minimum, the TPC (Professional Construction Card), a valid annual medical certificate, training required under Article 19 of the Occupational Risk Prevention Act, and the document required under Article 18 (risk information) signed by the worker. For health and safety coordinators, specific certification is mandatory. And for machinery operators, the corresponding license is required.
The Inspectorate may request this documentation on an individual basis: it is not enough to have a general list of courses taken, It must be possible to demonstrate who did what, when, for how long, and with what credentials.
Equality Records and Harassment Protocol
Starting in 2022, all companies with more than 50 employees are required to have a A negotiated Equality Plan, registered with REGCON, and with evidence of its actual implementation. In 2025, the ITSS stepped up its inspection campaigns regarding equality plans, shifting from a focus on formal compliance to requiring effective compliance. Inspectors request the current plan, the minutes of the monitoring committee, the updated compensation registry, the salary audit, and evidence that the workforce has received specific training on equality, including attendance records.
The policy on sexual and workplace harassment is also a document that the Inspectorate may request, along with evidence that it has been communicated to the entire workforce.
Traceability of Mandatory Training (dates, certificates, renewals)
Beyond occupational safety and health and equality, the auditors verify that the company has a system in place that ensures full traceability of training: Who has completed each required training course, on what date, what certificate attests to completion, and when the certification expires. In industries such as construction, where many formations Since these certifications have expiration dates (PRL, machinery operation, safety coordination), the lack of an expiration alert system is one of the most common causes of noncompliance.
Most Common Errors Detected by Auditors
The first is the Training completed but not documented: The employee took the course, but there is no certificate, no attendance record, or the document is not available when needed. The second one is Undetected expired training: A PRL that was renewed six years ago, even though it is required to be renewed every five years, or a TPC that has not been updated following a change in professional category. The third is the existing but unenforced equality plan: The document exists, but there are no follow-up reports, no up-to-date compensation audit, and no evidence of equality training for the staff. The fourth is the scattered documentation: certificates stored in emails, in physical folders, and on unstructured drives, making it impossible to present them promptly during an inspection.
How to Keep Your Documentation Ready at All Times with a Training Platform
A well-configured training management platform systematically eliminates the four errors listed above. Automatically records each completed training session, It generates personalized certificates, alerts users when a training course is about to expire, and allows users to export a comprehensive report—by employee, by department, or by training type—in just minutes for submission during any audit.
For construction and engineering firms, this means being able to demonstrate to the Labor Inspectorate, a client, or a certifying body that All employees are up to date on their mandatory training, without having to search through emails or manually reconstruct their training records.
