Employee protection — duties and inspections (Austria)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For Austrian employers with staff. Covers workplace evaluation under the ASchG, safety representatives, preventive services (safety expert/occupational physician) and prevention time, worker instruction, first aid, periodic inspections of work equipment under the AM-VO and of electrical installations under the ESV 2012, and the organisational fire safety duties of the AStV. Does NOT cover product safety, working-time law (AZG) or construction regulations (BauV) in detail.
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- 10 planned checks, the most frequent every month from installation
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 11/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Keep the fire safety order and fire safety log up to date
The fire safety order (Brandschutzordnung) must be reviewed every year for accuracy and completeness and supplemented if necessary; the fire safety log (Brandschutzbuch) records self-inspections, inspection results, fire drills and fire incidents. The proof is the up-to-date fire safety log together with the fire safety order in force. Applies to workplaces where the authority prescribes the fire safety order and, where the circumstances of AStV § 12 para. 1 nos. 1-5 apply, the appointment of a fire safety officer (Brandschutzbeauftragter) with at least 16 hours of training.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAStV §§ 43 und 45Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 02
Have extinguishers and fire alarm systems inspected
Fire alarm and detection systems must be inspected at least once per calendar year and in any case within 15 months of the previous inspection; fire extinguishers and fixed extinguishing systems every second calendar year and within 27 months at most. After major repairs, modifications or if there is any doubt about their condition the inspection must be carried out immediately; the proof is the inspection reports, kept for at least three years at the place of use. Applies to all workplaces equipped with extinguishing means and, where present, fire alarm or detection systems, with inspections carried out by qualified and authorised persons according to the state of the art.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAStV § 13 (Prüfungen); § 42 (Löschhilfen)Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 03
Ensure the prevention time of the preventive services
The employer must engage safety experts (Sicherheitsfachkräfte) and occupational physicians for the statutory prevention time, calculated per calendar year: 1.2 hours per employee in office and comparable workplaces, 1.5 hours in other workplaces, plus 0.5 hours for each employee doing night work at least 50 times a year. At least 40% of the total goes to safety experts, at least 35% to occupational physicians and the remaining 25% to other qualified experts (chemists, toxicologists, ergonomists, occupational psychologists) or additionally to the first two, spread over the year in slots of at least two hours; the proof is the contracts plus the annual record of hours delivered. Applies to all employers, with the amount depending on headcount and type of workplace; for workplaces with up to 50 employees, ASchG § 77a provides the alternative regime of site visits (AUVAsicher model).
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationASchG § 82a (Präventionszeit); § 77a (Betriebe bis 50 Arbeitnehmer)Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Have the acceptance inspection carried out before first use
Before first use, cranes (excluding mobile and tower cranes), powered lifting equipment requiring assembly, storage and retrieval machines, vehicle lifts and ramps, equipment for lifting persons, powered doors and gates and material ropeways must undergo an acceptance inspection by an authorised expert. The proof is the acceptance inspection report (Abnahmeprüfbefund). Applies only to the equipment listed in AM-VO § 7; mobile equipment must also be inspected after each new installation (AM-VO § 10) and after exceptional events such as dropped loads, overturning, impacts, overloads, fire or substantial modifications (AM-VO § 9).
every month from installationLegal obligationAM-VO § 7 (Abnahmeprüfung)Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Carry out and update the workplace evaluation
The employer identifies and assesses safety and health hazards, including psychological strain, and defines the preventive measures; the results are recorded in the safety and health protection documents. The evaluation must be reviewed and adapted after accidents, when new substances or processes are introduced, and after incidents involving abnormal psychological strain. Applies to all employers, regardless of headcount.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationASchG §§ 4 und 5; DokumentationsverordnungAustria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 06
Have the periodic inspection of work equipment carried out
Cranes, powered lifting equipment, vehicle lifts, powered doors and gates, storage and retrieval machines, forklifts with elevating operator position, mechanical ladders and the other listed equipment must be inspected at least once per calendar year and in any case within 15 months of the previous inspection. The proof is the inspection report (Prüfbefund), kept until the equipment is scrapped, with a copy available at the place of use. Applies only to the equipment listed in AM-VO § 8: if the equipment is unused for more than 15 months the inspection must be done before it is next used and, for cranes, lifting equipment and winches, at least every fourth year the inspection must be carried out by a person also authorised for acceptance inspections rather than by in-house staff.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAM-VO § 8 (wiederkehrende Prüfung), § 11 (Prüfbefund)Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
Have the electrical installations inspected periodically
Electrical installations and equipment must be inspected periodically: at most every five years as a rule, up to ten years in low-stress environments such as offices and commercial or service businesses, at most three years in explosion-hazard areas or under extraordinary stress, and one year on construction sites, in Ex areas with an additional extraordinary stress and in surface mineral extraction, with six months in underground work. The proof is the inspection report (Prüfbefund), kept under ESV 2012 § 11: where the interval exceeds three years the last report suffices, otherwise the last two, at the place of use or replaced by a dated inspection label. Applies to all workplaces; extraordinary stresses are damp or wet conditions, temperatures below -20 °C or above +40 °C, corrosive substances, weather exposure and process dust, while for portable class I equipment the periodic inspection is required only if the installation has no residual current protection (max 0.03 A).
every 60 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationESV 2012 § 9 (wiederkehrende Prüfungen), § 11 (Aufbewahrung)Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 08
Appoint the safety representatives
Workplaces with more than 10 regularly employed staff must appoint safety representatives (Sicherheitsvertrauenspersonen, SVP) for a four-year term and notify the appointment to the competent labour inspectorate; the number is 1 SVP for 11 to 50 employees, 2 for 51 to 100 and 3 for 101 to 300, with at least 24 teaching units of training. The proof is the notification form together with the SVP training certificate. Applies to workplaces with more than 10 regularly employed staff; if at least a third of the workforce objects within 4 weeks, another person must be proposed.
every 48 months since the last jobLegal obligationASchG § 10; SVP-VOAustria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 09
Instruct employees demonstrably
The employer instructs employees on safety and health protection demonstrably, tailored to their workplace and area of responsibility, and repeats the instruction at regular intervals; it must be traceable which employee was instructed, when and on which content. The proof is the signed instruction register; ASchG § 14 sets no numeric interval, which becomes annual only in specific cases (for example KJBG § 24 for young workers) or when the risk evaluation defines it as a measure. Applies to all employees, with mandatory instruction also on hiring, on transfer, when new equipment or substances are introduced and after accidents.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationASchG § 14Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 10
Ensure first aid and refresher training for first aiders
A sufficient number of trained first aiders must be available, with at least 16 hours of basic training (8 hours in workplaces with 1-4 employees) and an 8-hour refresher every four years or a 4-hour refresher every two years. The proof is the course certificates and the list of first aiders with the material check record. Applies to all workplaces and construction sites: at normal risk, 1 first aider up to 19 employees, 2 from 20 to 29 and then 1 more per additional 10; in low-risk workplaces such as offices, 1 up to 29 employees, 2 from 30 to 49 and then 1 more per additional 20.
every 48 months since the last jobLegal obligationASchG § 26 Abs. 3 und 6; AStV § 40 Abs. 1; BauV § 31 Abs. 5 und 6Austria onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026
In United Kingdom this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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