Occupational safety and health

Your council plays a crucial role in occupational safety and health. It monitors compliance with statutory standards and actively shapes healthy working conditions through co-determination. Ergonomic workplace design, preventing excessive workloads and sustainable approaches to workplace health are central issues.

Our advisory services support works and staff councils in this demanding role. We contribute practical expertise and strengthen your council’s ability to act on occupational safety and health issues.

Your council’s rights and duties in occupational safety and health

Your council monitors compliance with occupational safety and health requirements and participates in shaping safe working conditions. Works councils have extensive co-determination rights, particularly under Sec. 87(1) No. 7 of the Works Constitution Act (WCA), when implementing statutory occupational safety and health requirements. Staff councils’ participation rights are governed by the applicable staff representation legislation.

Through cooperation and negotiations with the employer, your council can secure effective measures to protect employees’ health.

Risk assessment: identifying and preventing hazards

Risk assessment is a central instrument of occupational safety and health. Conducting assessments and implementing the necessary protective measures are the employer’s responsibility. Your council works to ensure that hazards and work-related demands are systematically assessed and appropriate measures are taken.

Physical hazards and psychosocial factors must both be considered. The latter have been explicitly included in the Occupational Safety and Health Act since 2013. This allows common problems such as work intensification and insufficient support from managers to be identified and addressed systematically.

Through works or service agreements, negotiations with the employer and employee participation, your council can help ensure that suitable preventive measures are implemented and their effectiveness reviewed.

Workplace reintegration management (BEM) and health management (BGM)

Workplace reintegration management (BEM) aims to help employees return to work, prevent further sickness absence and retain their jobs. It requires the consent and participation of the employee concerned. Your council advocates individual solutions that take employees’ health needs into account.

Workplace health management (BGM) includes measures to promote health over the long term, such as stress management programmes, physical activity programmes and a workplace culture that supports health. Your council’s active involvement can help strengthen healthy working conditions and employee satisfaction.

Working time and mental health

Working time arrangements significantly influence employees’ mental and physical health. Your council advocates healthy working schedules, sufficient breaks and protection against excessive workloads. This includes measures addressing constant availability and excessive overtime to reduce harmful work-related pressures.

Forward-looking working time arrangements can reduce health risks while also supporting job satisfaction and productivity.

Working with occupational safety specialists and occupational physicians

Close cooperation within the Occupational Safety and Health Committee (ASA), and with occupational safety specialists and occupational physicians, is important for continuously improving occupational safety and health. These professionals can help your council identify hazards and develop targeted measures.

Advice and support: expertise for effective co-determination

Your council needs specialist expertise to shape occupational safety and health effectively. Our practical advice draws on current statutory requirements and scientific findings.

We advise your council on:

• Establishing or improving organisational arrangements for occupational safety and health

• The roles of works and staff councils, employers, occupational safety specialists, occupational physicians, supervisory authorities and the Occupational Safety and Health Committee (ASA)

• Risk assessment covering physical and technical hazards and psychosocial risks

• Forward-looking assessments when premises change, workplaces relocate or new technical or IT systems are introduced

• Rules and your council’s role in workplace reintegration management (BEM)

• Needs and options for workplace health management (BGM)

Further services include:

• Conducting psychosocial risk assessments

• Reviewing and providing written opinions on occupational safety and health documents, including risk assessment records, relocation or refurbishment plans and BEM procedures

• Developing strategies for negotiations with the employer

• Supporting negotiations and serving as assessors on conciliation committees

Our advisory services give your council the knowledge and tools to actively shape safe and healthy working conditions. They help you monitor compliance, make informed decisions and negotiate effectively.

OSH training for your council

Alongside our advisory services, we offer two OSH courses in our open programme: OSH I on rights, duties and organisation, and OSH II on risk assessment. They help your council deepen its knowledge and strengthen its ability to act independently.