EUROPEAN AND ITALIAN LAW ON THE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION OF WORKERS FROM THE RISKS ARISING FROM ARTIFICIAL OPTICAL RADIATION EXPOSURE. The Titolo VIII of the Decreto Legislativo 81/2008 introduces in Italy a specific legislation on the prevention and protection of workers from the risk related to occupational exposure to physical agents. The Capo V of Titolo VIII, specifically dedicated to the artificial optical radiation (AOR), represents the Italian implementation of the Directive 2006/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to risks arising from physical agents (artificial optical radiation). In the text, the contents of Capo V are illustrated in details. The text of the Titolo VIII, Capo V, of the Decreto Legislativo 81/2008, that brings into force in Italy the EU Directive 2006/25/EC, is similar to the European Directive. We can conclude that in the Italian law on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents, there are no significant differences from the practical point of view, compared to the original EU Directive.