Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV)

Work equipment may only be used once the employer has assessed the hazards and defined protective measures (Section 3). The employer determines the type, scope and intervals of inspections and has them carried out by qualified persons (Section 14); the results must be recorded and kept at least until the next inspection (Section 17).

Installations subject to monitoring – lifts, pressure equipment, installations in potentially explosive areas – require additional inspections by approved inspection bodies (Annex 2). The Technical Rules for Operational Safety (TRBS) specify the ordinance.

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.