Occupational Safety Specialist
Hazard assessments, site inspections, mandatory trainings, accident investigations. Appointed in writing per § 5 ASiG, documented per DGUV V2, filed in one place.
§ 5 ASiG · DGUV V2 · § 6 ArbSchG
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What is an Occupational Safety Specialist in Germany?
The occupational safety specialist, known in Germany as the SiFa, is the qualified expert that the Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz (ASiG) places at the employer's side. The role may be filled from own staff or engaged externally; the Act allows both. § 5 ASiG requires a written appointment to the extent that it is necessary given the type of operation, headcount, internal organisation and the employer's own safety training. § 6 ASiG describes the advisory tasks, § 8 ASiG the freedom from instruction when applying professional judgement. Professional competence follows § 7 ASiG as detailed in § 4 DGUV Vorschrift 2: entitlement to the professional title of engineer or a state-recognised technician examination, then at least two years of practical work, then a qualifying course run or recognised by the state or by the accident insurance carriers.
Beyond ASiG, § 5 ArbSchG obliges the employer to assess working conditions, and § 6 ArbSchG to document the result, the measures decided and the outcome of reviewing them. § 5 (3) no. 6 ArbSchG names psychological strain at work explicitly as a hazard. DGUV Vorschrift 2 sets fixed base care times in Anlage 2 section II, as a combined figure for occupational physician and safety specialist together: 2.5 hours per employee per year in hazard group I, 1.5 hours in group II, 0.5 hours in group III. At least 20 percent has to go to each of the two providers, and the operation-specific care is added on top.
The penalty picture is often misstated. § 25 (1) no. 2 letter a ArbSchG allows a fine up to 30,000 euros against an employer who disregards an enforceable order issued by the supervisory authority under § 22 (3) ArbSchG. Breaches of an ordinance under § 25 (1) no. 1 top out at 5,000 euros. § 26 ArbSchG makes persistent repetition, or intentional endangerment of life or health, a criminal offence.
The division of roles is what most employers get wrong. The SiFa supports and advises; the decision sits with the employer. § 3 ArbSchG assigns responsibility for the measures to the employer and § 13 ArbSchG governs who else carries it alongside them. Above 20 employees, § 11 ASiG requires an occupational safety committee meeting at least quarterly. Appointing a SiFa without giving her access to the workplaces or time for inspections satisfies the duty on paper only.
Duties of the Occupational Safety Specialist
- Support the employer in assessing working conditions under § 6 no. 1 letter e ASiG; the risk assessment under § 5 ArbSchG remains the employer's own duty.
- Advise on covering psychological hazards under § 5 (3) no. 6 ArbSchG with a structured method such as the GDA framework.
- Inspect the workplaces at regular intervals, report the defects found to the employer and press for their removal (§ 6 no. 3 letter a ASiG).
- Advise the employer on selection of work equipment under the BetrSichV and on safety signs under ASR A1.3.
- Investigate the causes of occupational accidents, evaluate the findings and propose preventive measures (§ 6 no. 3 letter c ASiG).
- Take part in the safety committee that the employer must form under § 11 ASiG above 20 employees and that meets at least quarterly.
- Contribute to the training of safety representatives and instruct employees on accident and health hazards (§ 6 no. 4 ASiG).
- Coordinate with the occupational physician on noise, hazardous substances and ergonomic exams.
- Advise on noise measurement and on the trigger values in § 6 LärmVibrationsArbSchV, a lower value of 80 dB(A) and an upper value of 85 dB(A).
- Report to the employer regularly in writing or electronically on how the assigned tasks were carried out, including evidence of own refresher training (§ 5 DGUV Vorschrift 2).
When must an Occupational Safety Specialist be appointed?
Occupational safety specialists must be appointed in writing under § 5 ASiG, to the extent that this is necessary given the type of operation, the headcount, the internal organisation and the employer's own safety training. The scope is set by DGUV Vorschrift 2. Under its § 2, Anlage 1 applies to operations with up to 20 employees and Anlage 2 to operations with more than 20. As an alternative, an owner who is actively involved in day-to-day operations may choose the model in Anlage 3, the entrepreneur-care model; the ceiling is set by the relevant accident insurance carrier and cannot exceed 50 employees, while care through competence centres under Anlage 4 is capped at 20. When calculating those thresholds, part-time staff working up to 20 hours a week count as 0.5, more than 20 up to 30 hours as 0.75, and above that as 1.0 (§ 2 (5) DGUV Vorschrift 2).
The base care in Anlage 2 section II is a fixed deployment time per employee per year, stated as a combined figure for occupational physician and safety specialist: 2.5 hours in hazard group I, 1.5 hours in group II, 0.5 hours in group III. Section IV assigns each type of operation to a group along the WZ classification; group I covers high-risk industries such as construction, chemicals and metalworking, group III covers offices and services. At least 20 percent of the time goes to each provider. Operation-specific care under section III is added as events require, and travel time does not count as deployment time.
Professional competence is required by § 7 ASiG and detailed in § 4 DGUV Vorschrift 2: entitlement to the professional title of engineer or a state-recognised technician examination, then at least two years of practical work, then a qualifying course run or recognised by the state or by the accident insurance carriers. For the mid-market an external SiFa is the standard solution, at hourly rates between 95 and 160 euros net.
- Written appointment under § 5 ASiG, to the extent required by type of operation and headcount.
- Up to 20 employees: regular care under Anlage 1 DGUV Vorschrift 2.
- More than 20 employees: regular care under Anlage 2 DGUV Vorschrift 2.
- Alternative care model under Anlage 3 only up to the ceiling set by the accident insurance carrier, at most 50 employees.
- More than 20 employees: safety committee under § 11 ASiG with at least quarterly meetings.
- Hazard group I: base care of 2.5 hours per employee per year for physician and safety specialist combined.
Typical sectors
- Construction, civil engineering and trades
- Metalworking, machinery and automotive production
- Chemicals, pharmaceuticals and process industry
- Logistics, warehousing and last-mile delivery
- Food production and beverage industry
- Healthcare, hospitals and elderly care
- Retail, wholesale and skilled crafts
- Office, IT and professional services
- Public administration and municipal services
How CIVAC supports your Occupational Safety Specialist
CIVAC engages an external SiFa with a Berufsgenossenschaft-accredited certificate and provides the software workspace that documents care hours, risk assessments, instructions and accident files in one audit-ready record. You receive a workstation register, templates for the physical and psychological risk assessment aligned to the GDA leitlinie, accident root cause analyses and the DGUV Vorschrift 2 calculation that shows whether your care hours meet the minimum. CIVAC runs the quarterly safety committee for companies with more than 20 employees and delivers annual reports for the Berufsgenossenschaft and the executive board, in German and English where US or UK parents need the documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Beyond hazard assessments and trainings, the occupational safety specialist organises every BetrSichV and DGUV inspection of workplace equipment. CIVAC tracks intervals, due dates and the responsible Befähigte Person or accredited inspector for each asset.
- Asset / inspectionPortable electrical equipment (DGUV V3)IntervalEvery 6 to 24 months (use-dependent)Standard / ruleDGUV V3 · DIN VDE 0701/0702Performed byQualified electrician
- Asset / inspectionFixed electrical installationsIntervalEvery 4 yearsStandard / ruleDGUV V3 · DIN VDE 0105-100Performed byQualified electrician (VEFK-supervised)
- Asset / inspectionLift / elevator installationsIntervalAnnual ZÜS inspection + intermediate testStandard / ruleBetrSichV § 15 · TRBS 1201 Teil 4Performed byApproved monitoring body (ZÜS)
- Asset / inspectionCranes and lifting equipmentIntervalAnnuallyStandard / ruleDGUV V52 · DGUV V54 · DGUV V68Performed byCertified specialist
- Asset / inspectionPowered gates, doors and barriersIntervalAnnuallyStandard / ruleASR A1.7 · DGUV V67Performed byCertified specialist
- Asset / inspectionLadders, steps and scaffoldingIntervalAnnuallyStandard / ruleDGUV Information 208-016Performed byBefähigte Person
- Asset / inspectionLightning protection systemsIntervalEvery 1 to 4 years (class-dependent)Standard / ruleDIN EN 62305 · DIN VDE 0185-305Performed byLightning protection specialist
- Asset / inspectionPersonal protective equipment (PPE)IntervalAt least annually (use-dependent)Standard / ruleDGUV Regel 112-198 · 112-199Performed byCertified specialist
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