Occupational safety — recurring duties (Germany)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For German employers of any size. Covers the risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung), annual instruction (Unterweisung), the organisational roles (safety representatives, first aiders, safety committee), health surveillance under the ArbMedVV and the periodic inspections of work equipment under BetrSichV and the DGUV rules: lifts, pressure equipment, cranes, industrial trucks, ladders and racking. Electrical testing, fire safety organisation and hazardous substances are not covered here; each has its own German kit.
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- 13 planned checks, the most frequent every 3 months since the last inspection
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.
- 01
Hold the safety committee meeting every quarter
Companies with more than twenty employees must set up a safety committee made up of the employer, two works council members, the occupational physician, the safety specialist and the safety representatives, meeting at least once a quarter. The evidence is the signed meeting minutes. Applies to companies with more than twenty employees, counting part-timers in proportion to their weekly hours, unless a collective agreement or public sector rules provide otherwise.
every 3 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationASiG § 11Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 02
Have ladders and steps inspected regularly
Portable ladders and step stools are work equipment subject to periodic inspection by a qualified person; § 14 BetrSichV sets no figure and refers to the intervals derived from the risk assessment, which in practice are annual. The evidence is the inspection checklist together with the inspection label on the ladder. Applies to every company providing portable ladders; on construction sites or in harsh environments the interval must be shortened. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationBetrSichV § 14 i.V.m. DGUV Information 208-016Germany onlySource - 03
Have pressure equipment inspected under BetrSichV
Pressure installations subject to inspection undergo external, internal and strength testing according to the tables in Annex 2 Section 4 of the BetrSichV: maxima of 1 year for the external check on steam boilers, 2 years for pressure vessels and 5 years for piping; internal check 3 years for boilers and 5 years for vessels; strength test 9 years for boilers, 10 years for vessels and 5 years for piping. The 24-month reminder is the baseline guide: separate deadlines must be created for each type of test, and the evidence is the report of the approved body or the qualified person. Applies to compressors with receivers, autoclaves, industrial gas tanks and similar installations classified as requiring supervision; the exact intervals depend on fluid group, pressure and volume per the tables in Annex 2.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationBetrSichV Anhang 2 Abschnitt 4Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Organise occupational health surveillance (ArbMedVV)
The employer arranges mandatory health surveillance and offers optional surveillance under the Annex to the ArbMedVV, before work starts and then at regular intervals; under AMR 2.1 the second appointment falls at the latest after 12 months and all later ones at the latest every 36 months. The evidence is the surveillance file with the certificates issued by the occupational physician. Applies according to the activity: the Annex to the ArbMedVV lists the activities with mandatory and with offered surveillance, and the intervals are maxima that the physician may shorten. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 36 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationArbMedVV § 4 i.V.m. AMR Nr. 2.1Germany onlySource - 05
Have the lift intermediate inspection carried out
Halfway between two main inspections the operator has an approved inspection body carry out an intermediate inspection with visual checks and function tests of the safety devices. In practice this means one inspection body visit a year, alternating the two types; the evidence is the corresponding report. Applies to the same installations that are subject to the main inspection.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationBetrSichV Anhang 2 Abschnitt 2Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 06
Appoint safety representatives above 20 employees
In companies with regularly more than twenty employees the employer appoints safety representatives in a number appropriate to the hazards present, the physical, temporal and technical proximity to employees and the total headcount, and must offer them training. No periodic frequency is prescribed: the annual check verifies the threshold and the coverage of shifts and sites; the evidence is the list of appointees with dates and certificates. Applies above twenty employees on a regular basis, and the actual number depends on the hazards and the shift and site structure.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationSGB VII § 22 i.V.m. DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
Refresh first aiders every 2 years
The employer must ensure first aiders are available and refreshed at an authorised training body, as a rule every two years; if the refresher is missed within those two years the full basic course must be repeated. The evidence is the refresher course certificate together with the first aid logbook. Applies to every company with employees: the 5% share in administrative and commercial businesses and 10% elsewhere applies only with more than twenty insured persons present, while up to twenty a single first aider is enough.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDGUV Vorschrift 1 § 26Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 08
Have the lift main inspection carried out (2 years max)
The operator has lifts subject to inspection examined by an approved inspection body at intervals not exceeding two years; a maintenance contract does not replace the main inspection. The evidence is the inspection body's report and the inspection plate in the car, kept in the lift logbook. Applies to lift installations under the BetrSichV; the operator must also ensure a rescue system reachable 24 hours a day.
every 24 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationBetrSichV Anhang 2 Abschnitt 2Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 09
Instruct employees at least once a year
Health and safety instruction takes place on hiring, on any change of duties or introduction of new equipment, and is repeated at least once a year under § 4 of DGUV Vorschrift 1. Content, date and participants must be documented; the evidence is the signed instruction record. Applies to all employees, including agency workers, trainees and contractor staff for the part that concerns them; for minors the instruction must be repeated every six months under § 29 JArbSchG.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationArbSchG § 12 i.V.m. DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 4Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 10
Draw up and review the risk assessment
The employer assesses the risks of each activity, defines the measures and documents the result, the measures taken and the effectiveness check. The assessment must be updated on any relevant change of workplaces, equipment or organisation and after an accident; § 5 ArbSchG sets no frequency, but an annual review is the reference practice and coincides with the instruction cycle. The evidence is the signed, dated documentation. Applies to every employer regardless of headcount and also covers psychosocial risks (psychische Belastung).
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationArbSchG §§ 5 und 6Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 11
Have racking inspected once a year
Racking must be visually checked every week by an instructed person and inspected at least every twelve months by a qualified racking inspector, with damage classification and a repair plan. The evidence is the inspection report together with the weekly check log, which is run as an internal routine. Applies to warehouses and stores with industrial racking; DIN EN 15635 is a technical standard, while the legal duty follows from § 14 BetrSichV and the risk assessment. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDIN EN 15635 i.V.m. BetrSichV § 14Germany onlySource - 12
Have cranes inspected annually by a competent person
The employer has cranes inspected according to the operating conditions and company circumstances, in any case at least once a year, by a competent person; the evidence is the crane logbook with the inspection record. Expert inspections replace the competent person's inspection in the year they fall due. Applies to all company cranes: besides the annual inspection, power-driven tower cranes, mobile cranes, mobile derrick cranes and truck-mounted cranes require an expert inspection every 4 years, power-driven tower cranes also in the 14th and 16th year of operation and annually thereafter, and mobile cranes annually from the 13th year of operation.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDGUV Vorschrift 52 § 26Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 13
Have industrial trucks inspected annually
Industrial trucks, their attachments and the safety devices needed for narrow-aisle operation must be inspected at intervals of no more than one year by a competent person. The evidence is the inspection report together with the inspection sticker on the truck; alongside the inspection duty come the written driving authorisation and driver training. Applies to every company using forklift trucks or ride-on electric pallet trucks.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationDGUV Vorschrift 68 § 37Germany onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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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