Safety Representative
Supports the employer on accident prevention, checks safeguards on the shop floor, and flags defects. Appointed in writing in establishments with more than 20 employees as a volunteer link to the workforce.
§ 22 SGB VII · DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20
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What does a Safety Representative do?
A Safety Representative (Sicherheitsbeauftragter) supports the employer in carrying out accident prevention and occupational health measures. The role is anchored in § 22 SGB VII and detailed in DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20. It is a voluntary (ehrenamtlich) function, not a management position: the representative remains an ordinary member of the workforce and acts as a link between colleagues and the responsible managers.
In practice, the Safety Representative checks that protective devices and personal protective equipment are present and used, walks the shop floor to spot defects, and reports hazards to the supervisor or the occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit). They do not give instructions and bear no liability for organisational safety decisions, which stay with the employer under § 3 ArbSchG. Their value lies in proximity to the actual work, noticing the worn cable, the blocked escape route, or the bypassed guard before it causes harm.
The representative cooperates closely with the works council, the company doctor, and the occupational safety specialist, and is a regular participant in the Arbeitsschutzausschuss (ASA) meetings required by § 11 ASiG in establishments with more than 20 employees. Time spent on the role counts as working time, and the employer must enable training and release the person for it under DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20 (3).
Core duties of the Safety Representative
- Support the employer in implementing accident prevention measures as required by § 22 (1) SGB VII.
- Verify that prescribed safety devices and personal protective equipment are present and actually used (DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20).
- Conduct regular walkthroughs of the workplace to identify defects, hazards, and unsafe behaviour.
- Report identified deficiencies to the line manager and the occupational safety specialist without delay.
- Promote safety awareness among colleagues and act as an approachable point of contact.
- Participate in the Arbeitsschutzausschuss (ASA) meetings under § 11 ASiG.
- Cooperate with the company doctor and the Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit on risk assessments per § 5 ArbSchG.
- Attend the basic and continuing training provided by the accident insurer (DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20).
- Support investigation and documentation of near-misses and accidents.
- Reinforce instructions (Unterweisungen) given under § 12 ArbSchG.
When must a Safety Representative be appointed?
Appointment is mandatory once an establishment regularly employs more than 20 people, under § 22 (1) SGB VII in conjunction with DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20. The threshold counts all staff including part-time and temporary workers, not full-time equivalents. The number of representatives to appoint depends on the hazards present, the spatial layout, shift patterns, and headcount; the accident insurance institution sets concrete benchmarks in its DGUV guidance.
The appointment must be made in writing by the employer, who selects a suitable person after hearing the works council. Suitability means familiarity with the work processes and willingness to take on the voluntary role. The representative may not suffer any disadvantage from the role under DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20 (3). The employer must release the person for the necessary training and grant the time needed, and must keep the appointment record available for the supervisory authority and the Berufsgenossenschaft.
- More than 20 regularly employed people (§ 22 SGB VII)
- Written appointment after hearing the works council (DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20)
- Hazard level and shift structure increase the required number
- Spatially separated operating sites
- Sector-specific DGUV rules for the trade
Where Safety Representatives are required
- Manufacturing and metalworking
- Construction and trades
- Logistics and warehousing
- Chemicals and process industry
- Food production
- Healthcare and care facilities
- Public administration and utilities
- Automotive and suppliers
How CIVAC supports the Safety Representative role
CIVAC gives the Safety Representative a dedicated workspace that turns informal shop-floor checks into a traceable record. Walkthrough task templates capture each inspection with date, location, and finding; defects become tasks routed to the line manager with reminders until they are closed. The documentation pillar stores the written appointment, training certificates, and ASA meeting notes in one place, with a complete audit trail of who changed what and when. Recurring reminders schedule the annual training required under DGUV Vorschrift 1 § 20 and the periodic walkthroughs. The training library holds onboarding material for new representatives. All records are held on EU data residency infrastructure, so personal and incident data never leave the European Economic Area.
Frequently asked questions
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