Načela radnog prava, a time i prava sigurnosti na radu i zaštite zdravlja radnika na radu, temelj su pravnim vrelima koja uređuju pitanja i odnose u tom području. Uz univerzalne pravne norme, posebnu ulogu imaju pravni propisi koji čine europsko pravo zaštite na radu (primarnog i sekundarnog karaktera) kao dio pravne stečevine EU-a (acquis communautaire ). Kao zakonodavac u EU tu su Europski parlament i Vijeće EU-a (dok pravo zakonodavne inicijative „pripada“ Europskoj komisiji) što je osobito istaknuto u sekundarnim vrelima prava (direktivama, uredbama, odlukama i sporazumima). Obveze države članice EU-a su da „preuzme“ određene direktive u svoj pravni sustav i da „ostvari cilj zadan direktivama“. Pri tome su načela ispred pravne norme, u pravnoj normi i u primjeni (i zaštiti) pravne norme. Uvijek, u stvaranju, primjeni i zaštiti pravne norme (u hipotezi, dispoziciji i sankciji) „stoji“ načelo. To se u svemu odnosi i na zakonodavstvo EU-a i na nacionalno zakonodavstvo o zaštiti na radu. Temeljna načela „postavila„ je Direktiva 1989/391/EEC, koja su prenesena u brojne („pojedinačne“) direktive („kćeri“) i druge kojima se uređuje zaštita na radu (specifične mjere, sredstva, djelatnosti, aktivnosti i drugo). U sadržaju ovog rada posebni dio odnosi se na usklađenost zakonodavstva Republike Hrvatske s direktivama EU-a u području zaštite na radu. The guiding principles in labour law, including the laws on occupational safety, constitute the legal sources that govern all issues and relations concerning this field. In addition to the universally accepted legal norms, there are specific regulations embedded in the European labour law (primary and secondary in character) as part of the EU legal legacy (acquis communautaire). The EU law makers are the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, with the right of legal initiative belonging to the European Commission, which is especially emphasized in the secondary legal sources (directives, decrees, decisions and agreements). It is the obligation of the EU member states to incorporate certain directives in their legal systems and to “realize the goals indicated in the directives.” In this, the guiding principles precede the legal norms, both in the implementation and in the protection of the legal norms. It is the principle that governs the formulation and the protection of the legal norms (in hypothesis, disposition and sanction). This applies in all matters to both the EU and the national occupational safety legislations. The key guiding principles are stated in the 1989/391/EEC Directive which was then implemented in numerous individual directives governing occupational safety (specific measures, means, activities, etc.). A special section in the paper is devoted to the harmonization of Croatian legislation with the EU directives, regarding occupational safety.