The Risico-Inventarisatie en -Evaluatie (RI&E) is the cornerstone of Dutch occupational safety law. Article 5 of the Arbeidsomstandighedenwet requires every employer, regardless of size or sector, to identify workplace hazards in writing, evaluate their severity, and set out preventive measures in an accompanying plan of action (plan van aanpak).
The RI&E must cover physical, psychosocial, ergonomic, chemical, and biological risks, and must be kept up to date when the organisation, technology, or way of working changes. Employers with more than 25 employees must have the RI&E tested by a certified expert or arbodienst. Smaller organisations using an approved branch tool from their sector can rely on a lighter check.
The Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie actively audits for an up-to-date RI&E. Missing or outdated documents can result in substantial fines, and the absence of an RI&E is a recurrent issue flagged during workplace inspections.