Occupational Safety and Health 2 – Risk Assessment: physical-technical and psychosocial hazards

Training Costs: € 1.050,00
Catering Fee: € 150,00

Risk assessment – the central instrument of preventive OSH

How can the works council ensure that risk assessment is carried out properly – and what levers does it have when the employer fails to act? Which hazards must be assessed, and how do physical-technical risks differ from psychosocial ones?

This training builds on the foundations covered in OSH 1 and focuses on the risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) as the core instrument of preventive occupational safety and health. Participants will gain the knowledge and practical tools needed to actively shape and monitor the risk assessment process in their company – including both physical-technical and psychosocial hazards, which have been a mandatory component of the risk assessment under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) since 2013.

Risk assessment as a statutory duty

Under Sec. 5 ArbSchG, employers are required to assess the hazards associated with all work activities and to derive and implement appropriate preventive measures. The risk assessment must cover the full range of potential hazards – from physical loads, noise, chemical substances and workplace design to working time arrangements, work organisation and, explicitly, psychosocial stressors. The works council has mandatory co-determination rights in this process under Sec. 87 (1) No. 7 WCA and can exercise an initiative right to demand that a risk assessment be carried out or updated.

Physical-technical hazards

The training covers the main categories of physical-technical hazards at the workplace – mechanical risks, noise and vibration, climatic conditions, lighting, ergonomic deficiencies, and hazardous substances – and equips works council members to exercise their co-determination rights effectively when these hazards are identified, assessed and addressed by the employer. We examine the relevant legal requirements under the ArbSchG, the Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV), the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV) and the applicable Technical Rules, and discuss how the works council can use the results of the risk assessment to push for concrete protective measures.

Psychosocial hazards and work-related mental health

Psychosocial hazards – such as high workload, time pressure, lack of autonomy, social conflicts or permanent availability – are a leading cause of work-related ill-health. Their assessment as part of the risk assessment is legally required but in practice often neglected or carried out inadequately. The training provides an introduction to the causes and indicators of psychosocial stress, explains the methodological requirements for a proper psychosocial risk assessment, and shows the works council how to assert its co-determination rights in this process and how to negotiate effective works agreements.

Our training covers the following topics:

• Legal basis and procedural requirements for risk assessment under the ArbSchG
• The seven-step process of risk assessment
• Physical-technical hazards: types, indicators and assessment methods
• Psychosocial hazards: causes, effects and assessment methods
• Co-determination and participation rights of the works council in the risk assessment process
• Developing and negotiating works agreements on risk assessment
• Monitoring the implementation of protective measures

Your Registration

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