How long should a company's CAE documents be kept?

One of the main obligations of a company is to ensure the management and storage of documents related to the Coordination of Business Activities (CAE). The correct management of these documents is not only vital to comply with the law, but also to avoid penalties and ensure the safety of all workers involved in the company's activities. But how long is a company obliged to keep CAE documents?

According to Spanish regulations, companies are obliged to keep documents related to the prevention of occupational risks and the Coordination of Business Activities for at least five years. However, this period may vary depending on the type of document and the specific regulations affecting each company. In addition, some documents related to occupational accidents, risk investigations or audits may require longer storage. 

The proper preservation of these files not only helps to comply with regulations, but can also serve as evidence for possible future inspections or labor disputes.

CAE documents: what should be kept?

According to Royal Legislative Decree 5/2000, which approves the Law on Infringements and Penalties in the social order, in matters of occupational risk prevention, infringements will expire within a maximum period of five years from the date on which they occur. This leads us to affirm that we must keep the documentation, at least for those five years, after which we can no longer be sanctioned.

Even so, it should be borne in mind that according to Article 30 of the Commercial Code, entrepreneurs must keep the books, correspondence, documentation and supporting documents concerning their business in proper order for 6 years.

In addition to this, there are specific health regulations, which make it compulsory to keep the medical records of workers for a longer period of time, depending on the sector of work of those affected. As an example of these exceptions, we can talk about personnel who have been exposed to work with asbestos or carcinogenic agents, which must be kept for at least 40 years from the end of exposure.

All in all, we see that there is no clear answer to our question, as depending on the type of documentation, it should be kept for a longer or shorter period of time, so we advise you to keep it for at least 6 years, and to take special care with the medical certificates of workers with special risks.

Digitization for easy document storage

Document scanning is an increasingly popular solution for managing the documents that a company needs to keep. Not only does digitization facilitate storage, it also ensures the security and accessibility of documents at any time. Among the advantages of document scanning are the following:

• Physical space savings: No need to allocate large storage areas for physical files.
• Quick and easy access: Digitized documents can be quickly located through electronic searches.
• Increased security: Digital files can be protected with passwords and encryption to prevent unauthorized access.
• Cost reduction: By eliminating the need for physical space and simplifying document management, companies can save money.
• Improved organization: Digitized documentation can be sorted and organized more efficiently, facilitating information retrieval.
• Legal compliance: Many digital document management platforms are designed to ensure compliance with legal regulations, facilitating audits and inspections.

Labor documentation

Labor documentation, in addition to being regulated by CAE regulations, is also subject to general employment laws. These documents include employment contracts, pay slips, minutes of meetings with employees, and all documentation evidencing compliance with the employees' working conditions.

It is essential to bear in mind that the law establishes that labor documents must be retained for a minimum period of five years, although in some cases, such as those related to inspections or sanctions, the retention period may be longer.

Social Security Documentation

In relation to Social Security, companies are obliged to keep all documentation relating to the contributions of their employees, as well as the payments made to the Social Security. In addition, they must keep any report or document proving compliance with their obligations to this body.

How long is a company obliged to keep these documents? In the case of Social Security, the legislation establishes that documents related to contributions and payments must be kept for at least five years. However, if there is any pending claim or inspection, this period may be extended.

Occupational Risk Prevention

Occupational risk prevention is a key area in any company. Among the documents related to occupational risk prevention that a company should keep are: prevention plans, risk assessments, safety training records and medical fitness certificates.

These documents, as well as other CAE-related documents, must be kept for a minimum of five years. Proper retention of this documentation is crucial to avoid penalties and ensure the safety of all workers involved in the company's activities.

CAE platforms that help with documentation management

Managing CAE documentation can be a complex task, but thanks to Dokify, this task is much easier. At Dokify, we offer solutions that not only facilitate secure document storage, but also enable comprehensive compliance monitoring and control.

Our CAE platform is specifically designed to manage and store all of a company's documents, including prevention plans, training certifications, risk assessments and more. With Dokify, companies can centralize all documentation in one place, making it easy to access and organize all files.

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