Hazard factors (Gefährdungsfaktoren)
Also: Gefährdungsfaktoren
Definition
Hazard factors are the eleven groups into which hazards are divided in the risk assessment – from mechanical hazards to mental factors. They serve as a checklist so that nothing is overlooked.
The system used by the German employers' liability insurance associations and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) distinguishes: mechanical hazards, electrical hazards, hazardous substances, biological agents, fire and explosion hazards, thermal hazards, physical agents (noise, vibration, radiation), work environment conditions, physical strain, mental factors and other hazards (for example from people or animals).
In practice, you go through all eleven factors for each work area and ask whether they apply. This produces a complete list of hazards, which is then assessed.
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This glossary entry gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
