Occupational safety committee (ASA) in Germany: duty, members and minutes
Companies with more than 20 employees must set up an occupational safety committee. Who belongs to it, how often it meets, which topics go on the agenda and what the minutes look like.
Last updated on 6 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- Employers with more than 20 employees must set up an occupational safety committee (Arbeitsschutzausschuss, ASA) under Section 11 of the Occupational Safety Act (ASiG).
- Members are the employer, two works council members, the company doctor, the occupational safety specialist and – if appointed – safety representatives.
- The committee meets at least once a quarter.
- Minutes are not required by law but are strongly recommended – above all so that decisions are followed up.
What is the occupational safety committee?
The occupational safety committee (Arbeitsschutzausschuss, ASA) is the central advisory body for occupational safety and health in the company. It brings together everyone who is responsible for occupational safety in the company or advises on it.
Its task is to discuss matters of occupational safety and accident prevention (Section 11 of the Occupational Safety Act, Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz). Decisions are still made by the employer – but the committee ensures that problems are recognised early, measures are coordinated and responsibilities are clarified.
When is an occupational safety committee mandatory?
An occupational safety committee must be set up if more than 20 people work in the company. Part-time employees are counted proportionally:
up to 20 hours
Counts as0.5 employees
up to 30 hours
Counts as0.75 employees
more than 30 hours
Counts as1 employee
Who belongs to the occupational safety committee?
- The employer or a person appointed by them
- Two works council members nominated by the works council
- The company doctor (Betriebsarzt)
- The occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit)
- The safety representatives (Sicherheitsbeauftragte) under Section 22 of Social Code Book VII, if appointed
Other people can be invited as needed, such as the representative of employees with severe disabilities, fire safety officers, managers from the areas concerned or external experts.
Committee minutes with AMS GoRecord meetings in a structured way, note participants and transfer decisions directly to the action plan as measures.How often does the committee meet?
The occupational safety committee meets at least once a quarter – i.e. at least four times a year. The invitation, agenda and chairing are usually handled by the employer or their appointed person. On special occasions, for example after a serious accident, an additional meeting can make sense.
Typical agenda items
- 1
Open items from the last meeting
Status of the measures agreed last time.
- 2
Accidents and near misses
Analysis of incidents since the last meeting and the measures derived from them.
- 3
Results of safety inspections
Defects found and their status.
- 4
Risk assessments
New or updated risk assessments, for example after conversions or for new machines.
- 5
Safety instruction, inspections, health checks
Status of safety instruction, upcoming inspections and occupational health checks.
- 6
Any other business and next date
Concerns of the participants, date of the next meeting.
The ASA minutes
The law does not explicitly require minutes. They are, however, strongly recommended: they document that the committee has met and make decisions traceable. The following content has proven useful:
- Date, place and participants
- Agenda items discussed
- Decisions and agreed measures
- People responsible and deadlines for each measure
- Date of the next meeting
Minutes are most effective when the agreed measures are not just noted but transferred directly to an action plan and followed up until they are completed.
Checklist: occupational safety committee
- Number of employees checked, taking part-time staff into account
- Members named: employer, works council, company doctor, occupational safety specialist, safety representatives
- Meeting dates for the year set – at least four
- Agenda sent to all members in advance
- Minutes with decisions, people responsible and deadlines prepared
- Measures from the minutes are followed up
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, no sign-up – free to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
From how many employees is an occupational safety committee mandatory?
From more than 20 employees (Section 11 ASiG). Part-time staff count proportionally: up to 20 hours a week as 0.5 and up to 30 hours a week as 0.75.
How often must the committee meet?
At least once a quarter, i.e. at least four times a year.
Who belongs to the occupational safety committee?
The employer or an appointee, two works council members, the company doctor, the occupational safety specialist and – if appointed – the safety representatives.
Do ASA minutes have to be kept?
Minutes are not explicitly required by law. They are, however, strongly recommended to prove that meetings took place and to follow up on decisions.
What happens if no occupational safety committee is set up?
The supervisory authority can order it to be set up; violating such an order is an administrative offence and can be punished with a fine.
Terms from the glossary
This guide 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.
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