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Occupational health and safety in Brazil: NR-1 risk management, CIPA, medical exams and hazard pay

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Changing

Employers must comply with the labor ministry's regulatory standards (NRs), keep a risk management program that since 26 May 2026 must also cover work related psychosocial risks, run hiring, periodic and dismissal medical exams, and set up an accident and harassment prevention committee (CIPA). Unhealthy work earns a premium of 10, 20 or 40 percent of the minimum wage and dangerous work 30 percent of base salary, not both, as classified by an expert report. Companies with a CIPA must adopt anti harassment rules, a complaint channel and training at least every 12 months, and accidents caused by neglect of safety rules let social security sue the employer to recover benefits.

USD figures use the Banco Central do Brasil PTAX selling rate of R$5.5007 per US dollar for 26 October 2026, the last business day before verification. The real moved sharply that day (R$5.0377 on 23 October), so conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

NR-1 risk management must cover psychosocial risks	Yes, from 26 May 2026 Portaria MTE nº 1.419/2024; Portaria MTE nº 765/2025, as of 2026-05-26 · in force
Unhealthy work premium, minimum grade	10 % of minimum wageCLT art. 192, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Unhealthy work premium, medium grade	20 % of minimum wageCLT art. 192, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Unhealthy work premium, maximum grade	40 % of minimum wageCLT art. 192, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Dangerous work premium	30 % of base salaryCLT art. 193 § 1, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Unhealthy and dangerous premiums cumulative	No, employee chooses one CLT art. 193 § 2, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
CIPA member term	1 yearsCLT art. 164 § 3, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Maximum interval between anti harassment trainings in CIPA companies	12 monthsLei nº 14.457/2022 art. 23, IV, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. Companies must comply with and enforce occupational safety and health standards, instruct employees through service orders on preventing accidents and occupational disease, adopt measures ordered by the authority and facilitate inspection. Employees must follow the instructions and use the protective equipment provided; unjustified refusal is misconduct.
Cost to do it: Cost of protective equipment, training and service orders.CLT arts. 157 and 158 as worded by Lei nº 6.514 of 22 December 1977, CLT arts. 157 and 158, 1977-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. The labor authority may embargo works or close an establishment, sector or machine on a technical report showing serious and imminent risk; employees keep receiving pay during the stoppage. Companies must maintain specialized occupational safety and medicine services (SESMT) sized by headcount and risk of the activity under ministry rules.
Cost to do it: Salaries during an embargo; SESMT staff cost according to the applicable NR.CLT arts. 161 and 162 as worded by Lei nº 6.514 of 22 December 1977, CLT art. 161 caput and § 6; art. 162, 1977-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. The occupational risk management chapter of Regulatory Standard NR-1 requires the organization to identify hazards, assess and classify risks and implement prevention measures covering physical, chemical, biological, accident and ergonomic risks, including work related psychosocial risk factors, with worker participation and consultation. The new wording was approved on 27 August 2024 and its start was postponed to after 25 May 2026, so it applies from 26 May 2026.
Cost to do it: Cost of an updated risk inventory and action plan (consultancy or internal team) that includes psychosocial factors.Portaria MTE nº 1.419 of 27 August 2024 (new NR-1 chapter 1.5); Portaria MTE nº 765 of 15 May 2025 (start postponed to 25 May 2026), NR-1 items 1.5.3.1.4, 1.5.3.2, 1.5.3.2.1 and 1.5.3.3; Portaria nº 765 art. 1, 2025-05-15 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Since 26 May 2026 the NR-1 risk management program must cover work related psychosocial risk factors (Portaria MTE nº 1.419 of 27 August 2024, start postponed by Portaria MTE nº 765 of 15 May 2025).

4. Establishments must form an internal committee for the prevention of accidents and harassment (CIPA) under ministry rules, with employer appointed members and employee members elected by secret ballot for 1 year terms with one re election. Employee members may not be dismissed except for disciplinary, technical, economic or financial reasons, which the employer must prove.
Cost to do it: Election, training and meeting time; dismissal protection for elected members.CLT arts. 163 to 165 as worded by Lei nº 6.514 of 22 December 1977 and Lei nº 14.457 of 21 September 2022, CLT arts. 163, 164 §§ 1 to 5 and 165, 2022-09-21 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. Companies required to have a CIPA must include rules of conduct on sexual harassment and other violence in their internal rules and publicize them, set up procedures to receive, follow up and investigate complaints with anonymity and apply sanctions, include harassment prevention in CIPA activities, and run training on violence, harassment, equality and diversity for all levels at least every 12 months.
Cost to do it: Annual training and a complaint channel; cost varies by provider.Lei nº 14.457 of 21 September 2022, Art. 23, I to IV and §§ 1 and 2, 2022-09-21 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. The employer pays for medical exams at hiring, at dismissal and periodically under ministry rules. Professional drivers also take toxicology tests with a detection window of at least 90 days at hiring and dismissal.
Cost to do it: Exam costs borne by the employer.CLT art. 168 as worded by Lei nº 7.855 of 24 October 1989; §§ 6 and 7 inserted by Lei nº 13.103 of 2015, CLT art. 168 caput and §§ 6 and 7, 1989-10-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

7. Work exposing employees to harmful agents above tolerance limits set by the ministry entitles them to an unhealthy work premium of 40, 20 or 10 percent of the regional minimum wage for maximum, medium or minimum grade. The grade can be set by collective agreement under CLT art. 611-A, XII.
Cost to do it: 10 to 40 percent of the minimum wage per month per exposed worker.
Example: On the national minimum wage of R$1,621.00: minimum grade R$162.10, medium R$324.20, maximum R$648.40 a month. / US$29.47, US$58.94 and US$117.88.CLT arts. 189, 190 and 192 as worded by Lei nº 6.514 of 22 December 1977, CLT arts. 189, 190 and 192, 1977-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

8. Dangerous work (exposure to flammables, explosives or electricity, to violence in personal or property security, to traffic accidents for traffic agents, and work on motorcycles) entitles employees to a premium of 30 percent of base salary, without bonuses or profit sharing. An employee entitled to both premiums chooses one. Premiums stop when the risk is eliminated, and classification requires a report by a registered occupational physician or engineer.
Cost to do it: 30 percent of base salary per exposed worker, plus an expert report.
Example: Electrician on a base salary of R$5,000: dangerous work premium R$1,500.00 a month. / About US$272.69.CLT arts. 193 to 195 as worded by Lei nº 6.514 of 22 December 1977, Lei nº 12.740 of 2012, Lei nº 12.997 of 2014 and Lei nº 14.684 of 2023, CLT arts. 193 caput and §§ 1, 2 and 4; 194; 195, 1977-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

9. Pregnant employees are removed from unhealthy work of maximum grade, and from medium or minimum grade when a doctor recommends it; breastfeeding employees are removed from any grade on medical advice. The employer keeps paying the premium and offsets it against payroll contributions; if no safe role exists, the period is treated as a high risk pregnancy with maternity pay.
Cost to do it: Premium continues but is offset against payroll contributions.CLT art. 394-A as worded by Lei nº 13.467 of 13 July 2017, CLT art. 394-A, I to III and §§ 2 and 3, 2017-07-13 official text · verified 2026-10-27

10. When an accident results from neglect of standard safety and hygiene rules, social security must sue those responsible to recover the benefits it paid.
Cost to do it: Repayment of the benefits paid to the injured worker or dependants.Lei nº 8.213 of 24 July 1991, art. 120 as worded by Lei nº 13.846 of 2019, Art. 120, I, 1991-07-24 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Premium	Base	Monthly (R$)	Monthly (US$)
Unhealthy, minimum grade	10 percent of minimum wage	162.10	29.47
Unhealthy, medium grade	20 percent of minimum wage	324.20	58.94
Unhealthy, maximum grade	40 percent of minimum wage	648.40	117.88
Dangerous, base salary R$5,000	30 percent of base salary	1,500.00	272.69

Hazard premiums (CLT arts. 192 and 193). Unhealthy premium on the national minimum wage of R$1,621.00; check the regional floor and collective agreement. USD at R$5.5007.

Worked example

A logistics company with 300 employees in São Paulo updates its NR-1 risk inventory in 2026 to include workload, targets and harassment as psychosocial factors, records prevention measures with CIPA input, and runs its annual Lei nº 14.457 harassment training. Forklift operators exposed to fuel handling are assessed by an occupational engineer for the 30 percent dangerous work premium.

Step by step

Map applicable NRs for your activity and size the SESMT and CIPA.
Update the NR-1 risk inventory and action plan to include psychosocial risk factors, consulting workers.
Schedule hiring, periodic and dismissal medical exams.
Commission expert reports to classify unhealthy or dangerous work and pay premiums accordingly.
Adopt anti harassment rules, an anonymous complaint channel and training at least every 12 months.
File a CAT by the first business day after any accident and review root causes.

Common traps

Since 26 May 2026 a risk program that ignores psychosocial factors does not meet NR-1 chapter 1.5.
The unhealthy premium is based on the minimum wage, the dangerous premium on base salary; they cannot be combined (art. 193 § 2).
Dismissing an elected CIPA member without a proven disciplinary, technical, economic or financial reason leads to reinstatement (art. 165).
Pregnant employees must leave maximum grade unhealthy work regardless of medical advice (art. 394-A, I).
Neglect of safety rules exposes the company to regressive suits by social security (Lei nº 8.213 art. 120).

Sources

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