Safety instruction at work in Germany: duties, intervals and records
Who has to be instructed, when and how often – and how do you document it correctly? Duties, intervals, content and a checklist for safety instruction.
Last updated on 7 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- Under Section 12 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG), employers must give their employees sufficient and appropriate safety instruction (Unterweisung).
- Instruction is given before work starts, when things change and regularly – as a rule at least once a year.
- Special rules apply to young people and to work with hazardous substances.
- Every instruction should be documented with the date, content, the person giving it and confirmation from the participants.
What is safety instruction?
In safety instruction (Unterweisung), the employer informs employees about the hazards at their workplace and how to protect themselves. The legal basis is Section 12 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG): the instruction must be sufficient and appropriate and relate to the specific workplace and activity.
The content is derived mainly from the risk assessment. It is important that the instruction is easy to understand – in another language if necessary – and that employees can ask questions.
When must safety instruction be given?
Safety instruction is required in particular in these situations:
- Before work starts, i.e. when someone is hired
- When responsibilities change
- When new work equipment or new technology is introduced
- After accidents or special incidents, if they bring new insights
- Regularly, to refresh knowledge
How often must safety instruction take place?
The ArbSchG requires instruction to be repeated “where necessary”. Specific intervals follow from other regulations:
DGUV Regulation 1 (general)
IntervalAs needed, but at least once a year
Youth Employment Protection Act (Section 29 JArbSchG)
IntervalBefore employment starts and at least every six months
Hazardous Substances Ordinance (Section 14 GefStoffV)
IntervalBefore work starts and at least once a year, verbally and specific to the workplace
Industrial Safety and Health Ordinance (Section 12 BetrSichV)
IntervalBefore work equipment is used for the first time and at regular intervals
What belongs in a safety instruction?
- Hazards at the workplace from the risk assessment
- Protective measures and rules of conduct
- Content of the operating instructions, for example for machines and hazardous substances
- Correct use of personal protective equipment
- What to do in accidents, fires and other emergencies; first aid
- Contact persons in the company, such as first aiders and the occupational safety specialist
Who gives the safety instruction?
The employer is responsible. In practice, instruction is usually given by direct supervisors, because they know the workplaces and processes. The task can be delegated to competent persons. The occupational safety specialist supports with content and organisation.
How is safety instruction documented?
Under DGUV Regulation 1 and the Hazardous Substances Ordinance, safety instruction must be documented. The following details have proven useful:
- Date and duration of the instruction
- Topic and content, such as the operating instructions used
- Name of the person giving the instruction
- Names of participants with signature or digital confirmation
Instruction can also be given digitally or via e-learning if the content is specific to the workplace, understanding is checked and questions can be asked at any time. For work with hazardous substances, the Hazardous Substances Ordinance requires verbal instruction.
Checklist for safety instruction
- Need for instruction derived from the risk assessment
- Topics and target groups defined for each work area
- Intervals for recurring instruction set
- Special groups considered – young people, agency workers, contractors
- Instruction given in an understandable, workplace-specific way
- Participation documented with date, content and confirmation
- Due dates for the next instruction kept in view
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, no sign-up – free to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
How often must safety instruction take place?
As a rule at least once a year, as required by DGUV Regulation 1. Young people must be instructed at least every six months; for hazardous substances the rule is before work starts and at least once a year.
Does safety instruction have to be signed?
Safety instruction must be documented. Participants usually confirm it with a signature – this can also be digital, as long as it is clear who was instructed on which content and when.
Can safety instruction take place online?
In principle yes, if the content is specific to the workplace, understanding is checked and questions are possible. For work with hazardous substances, verbal instruction is mandatory.
Who has to be instructed?
All employees – including apprentices, interns, part-time staff and temporary agency workers. Employees of external contractors must be informed about the hazards on site before they start work.
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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