FAQ Center
Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about workplace safety. For more information, please feel free to contact me directly.
FAQs on Workplace Safety
Hillebrand Occupational Safety supports companies as an external occupational safety specialist by providing safety-related consulting services in accordance with the Occupational Safety Act and DGUV Regulation 2.
Different requirements apply depending on the size of the business, the applicable workers’ compensation insurance provider, and the chosen form of support. The new DGUV Regulation 2 generally distinguishes between businesses with up to 20 employees and those with more than 20 employees when it comes to standard support.
The type of supervision that applies to a business and the scope of that supervision are determined based on the business’s specific conditions and DGUV Regulation 2, as it applies to the relevant workers’ compensation insurance provider.
Employers must ensure that their workplace receives occupational health and safety services. How these services are organized is governed by the Occupational Safety Act, DGUV Regulation 2 applicable to the workplace, and the chosen form of service provision.
This support can be provided, for example, by an external occupational safety specialist. A service contract is a common form of engagement in this context.
Yes. For smaller businesses, depending on the applicable workers' compensation insurance provider, an alternative coverage option—known as the "entrepreneur model"—may be available.
In particular, the entrepreneur must be actively involved in the company’s operations and participate in the required motivational, informational, and training programs. Based on the risk assessment and specific operational circumstances, the entrepreneur then determines when consultation with the company physician or safety experts is necessary.
The competent workers' compensation insurance provider determines whether the entrepreneurial model is feasible for a business and what requirements apply.
The risk assessments required for your business are first determined based on the workstations, activities, and operational conditions.
Hazards are identified in a structured manner—primarily using digital CHECK or SURVEY forms. If necessary, the assessment is supplemented by site visits, interviews, measurements, or workshops.
Based on this, hazards are assessed, necessary protective measures are determined, and responsibilities and deadlines are documented. Hillebrand Occupational Safety supports you throughout the process, from the initial assessment to the final hazard assessment.
Whether a form or template is suitable for your business depends on the workstations, tasks, and actual operational conditions. Arbeitssicherheit Hillebrand assists you in making this selection and, if necessary, tailors the assessment to your business.
The form is a tool for gathering information—not the risk assessment itself.
Yes. The digital CHECK and SURVEY forms can also be used on cell phones and tablets. The layout adjusts to fit the screen size.
The CHECK and SURVEY forms, as well as the training templates, are available in German and English.
Yes. The digital forms and templates can be used with common operating systems. Depending on the format, they can be edited directly in the browser or using the appropriate standard software.
Yes. The forms and templates can be made available on the intranet for internal company use and shared with employees.
Please be sure to retain the credit to Hillebrand Occupational Safety as the source. Distribution or disclosure to individuals or organizations outside the client's company is not permitted.
Yes. CHECK and SURVEY forms can be forwarded within the company to the appropriate individuals.
SURVEYS are aimed in particular at the affected employees when their personal perceptions and experiences are important to the investigation.
CHECKS are completed in collaboration with an appropriate company representative and are used to systematically assess the company's situation.
Which individuals are included depends on the specific topic and the purpose of the investigation.
The forms are provided using Microsoft Forms. The data transmitted is encrypted during transmission and storage.
For anonymous SURVEYS, the names and email addresses of participating employees are not recorded along with their responses. The results are analyzed without linking them to specific individuals.
In the case of CHECK forms, however, it may be necessary and required to assign a contact person within the company. The data collected therefore depends on the type and purpose of the specific form.
The costs of safety consulting services are agreed upon transparently before the contract is signed. They depend primarily on the size of the business, the hazard class, and the scope of services required.
This allows the company to know the agreed-upon costs and services in advance and to reliably estimate the effort required. Any additional project-related services will be agreed upon separately as needed.
The contracts begin at the start of each quarter—January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1—and initially have a term of two years.
Thereafter, either party may terminate the contract in writing at the end of any subsequent contract year, provided that three months' notice is given.
FAQs on Workplace Safety
Difficulty concentrating can have various causes, such as noise, conversations, poor room acoustics, frequent interruptions, or organizational factors.
Depending on the situation, the causes are determined through employee surveys, observations, and site inspections. If necessary, more in-depth investigations—such as room acoustics measurements—can be conducted.
Based on the results, appropriate technical, organizational, or personnel measures are identified and subsequently evaluated for their effectiveness.
Difficulty concentrating can have various causes, such as noise, conversations, poor room acoustics, frequent interruptions, or organizational factors.
Depending on the situation, the causes are determined through employee surveys, observations, and site inspections. If necessary, more in-depth investigations—such as room acoustics measurements—can be conducted.
Based on the results, appropriate technical, organizational, or personnel measures are identified and subsequently evaluated for their effectiveness.
First, a distinction must be made between a teleworking position and mobile work .
A telework station is expressly defined in Section 2(7) of the Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV). It refers to a computer workstation permanently set up by the employer in the employee’s private residence. A prerequisite is that the employer and employee have specified the terms of telework—in particular, the weekly working hours and the duration of the arrangement—in the employment contract or in a corresponding agreement. The employer provides the necessary equipment, including furniture, work tools, and communication devices, and ensures their setup. Existing personal furniture may be incorporated if this has been agreed upon and the safety and ergonomic requirements are met.
This should be distinguished from mobile work. In this case, the work is not tied to a home workspace permanently set up by the employer. It can, for example, be performed occasionally at home—often referred to as a “home office”—or at other suitable locations. For mobile work, there is no specific requirement under the ArbStättV to set up a telework station with furniture in the employee’s private living space.
However, this does not mean that mobile work is exempt from occupational safety requirements. The Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Working Hours Act, and other relevant occupational safety regulations continue to apply. The employer must assess the hazards associated with mobile work, establish appropriate measures, and, in particular, instruct employees on safe and ergonomic work practices .
Hillebrand Occupational Safety reviews plans for new construction, renovations, and operational changes early on from an occupational safety perspective.
In particular, the following factors are taken into account: room sizes and movement areas, traffic and emergency escape routes, doors and gates, lighting and line-of-sight connections, indoor climate, noise and room acoustics, computer workstations, and the safe layout and use of the designated workstations.
The consultation is based in particular on the Workplace Ordinance and the relevant Technical Rules for Workplaces (ASR). We can review planning documents, participate in planning meetings and site inspections, and, if necessary, document the results in an occupational safety and health expert opinion.
The goal is to take occupational safety requirements into account as early as the planning phase and to avoid, as much as possible, subsequent changes that are often costly.
The risk assessments required depend on the company’s actual workstations, tasks, and working conditions.
Typical issues in engineering and design firms include, in particular, office work and computer-based work, psychological and mental stress, working hours, electrical hazards, fire safety, and emergency exits, as well as, where applicable, mobile work and field service activities.
Hillebrand Works Safety works with the company to identify which issues are actually relevant and uses this information to prepare the necessary hazard assessments.
Occupational safety is a management responsibility. To ensure that responsibilities within the company are clearly defined, the duties, responsibilities, and authority of managers should be clearly established.
A formal transfer of employer obligations may be made in writing as part of a transfer of duties . This document specifies the areas of responsibility for which the manager is accountable and the tasks and authorities that are delegated to them.
In addition, managers should be informed and trained regarding their responsibilities in occupational safety. Arbeitssicherheit Hillebrand provides support in defining the delegation of responsibilities, organizing workplace operations, and informing managers.
Yes. The digital CHECKS and SURVEYS from Arbeitssicherheit Hillebrand are primarily based on Microsoft Forms and can be easily accessed via smartphone, tablet, or computer.
CHECKS are used to conduct a structured assessment in collaboration with an appropriate company representative. SURVEYS directly involve the affected employees when their perceptions and experiences are relevant to the assessment.
Depending on the topic and scope, processing usually takes only a few minutes.
By default, the SURVEYS are available in German and English. If necessary, additional language versions can be created with minimal effort.
The risk assessment for kitchen, storage, and waste disposal areas is based in particular on the DGUV Rule 110-003 “Kitchen Operations Industry”. It takes into account the actual work areas, activities, and work equipment present in the respective facility.
Among other things, the assessment identifies hazards posed by kitchen and cutting equipment, hot surfaces and liquids, electrical equipment, slippery floors, cleaning agents and hazardous substances, inappropriate work clothing, as well as physical and psychomental stress.
Hillebrand Occupational Safety uses a structured CHECK template for this purpose , which is adapted to the actual conditions in collaboration with the company. Identified deficiencies and necessary corrective actions are documented, and responsibilities and deadlines for implementation are established.
A site inspection should be conducted and documented in a structured manner, taking into account the actual work areas and hazards present.
For property management companies, for example, office and computer workstations, fire safety and escape routes, electrical equipment, and—where applicable—caretaker, technical, storage, and outdoor areas may be relevant.
Hillebrand Occupational Safety uses appropriate CHECKlists and inspection reports for this purpose. Identified deficiencies and required corrective actions are documented and assigned responsibilities and deadlines for implementation.
Having a designated point of contact within the company is crucial for effective collaboration with the external occupational safety specialist and the company physician. This person serves as the organizational liaison between the external consultants and the company.
She coordinates appointments and site inspections, provides the necessary information and documentation, forwards recommendations and occupational safety issues to the appropriate departments within the company, and helps track feedback and outstanding actions.
This coordination role does not, in principle, entail a transfer of the employer’s responsibility. Responsibility for occupational safety and health rests with the employer or with the individuals designated to handle these matters. Transferring an employer’s duties to other individuals requires a corresponding transfer of responsibilities and duties within the company.
Especially in larger companies, having a well-integrated point of contact plays a key role in ensuring that the advice provided by the occupational safety specialist and the company physician does not stop at recommendations, but is efficiently implemented into the company’s organizational structure.
New machinery, technologies, and work procedures must be integrated into the existing occupational safety and health management system. The first step in this process is to determine what new or changed hazards arise and whether existing risk assessments are still sufficient.
Hillebrand Occupational Safety supports the implementation of new technologies and processes from the initial assessment through to operational implementation. This includes reviewing manufacturer documentation and operating instructions, identifying hazards, defining protective measures, and adapting or creating the necessary hazard assessments and training materials.
Especially with new technologies, safe operational use often develops gradually as practical experience is gained. New findings are therefore incorporated, and the established protective measures are updated as needed.
Good working conditions help attract employees and retain them at a company over the long term. These include safe and ergonomic workstations, as well as effective work organization and a responsible approach to managing psychological and mental stress.
Occupational safety and health can thus contribute to an employer’s attractiveness beyond simply fulfilling legal obligations. It is particularly important to involve employees and systematically document their experiences and perceptions.
Hillebrand Occupational Safety supports companies through various means , including SURVEYS, the results of which are analyzed and used in collaboration with the company to develop concrete improvement measures.
Not all hazards are immediately apparent during a workplace inspection. In manufacturing facilities in particular, some problems only become apparent during the actual work process or through the experiences of the employees.
For this reason, various investigative methods are combined: observations and site inspections, interviews with employees and managers, CHECKs and SURVEYS, as well as the analysis of accidents, near misses, and operational anomalies.
If necessary, the assessment is then expanded in specific areas—for example, through measurements, workplace analyses, or a more detailed examination of individual tasks and work processes. This allows for the identification of hazards that might otherwise remain hidden during a visual inspection alone.
Children are covered by statutory accident insurance while attending an accredited daycare center. This insurance coverage generally includes activities related to childcare and necessary trips to and from the facility.
However, when it comes to appointing the required number of workplace safety officers, children are not simply counted as employees. The decisive factors include, in particular, the number of employees, the existing accident and health hazards, and the required spatial, temporal, and professional proximity of the safety officers to the employees.
In child care facilities, however, the operational structure may still require the appointment of one or more safety officers. The specific number should be determined based on the circumstances of the respective provider and the individual facilities.
Employees experience their working conditions on a daily basis and are therefore an important source of information for risk assessments. A structured SURVEY can be used to systematically gather their experiences and perceptions.
In this context, factors such as work organization, workload and time pressure, collaboration and leadership, interruptions, scope for action, and workplace design can be considered.
The results show in which areas good working conditions exist and where there is a need for improvement. Any issues identified are then examined in greater detail and addressed through appropriate measures developed in collaboration with the company.
Occupational Safety: Hillebrand first assesses physical strain using a structured CHECK. This process takes into account, among other things, lifting and carrying, pulling and pushing, manual work processes, body postures, travel to and from work, and available assistive devices.
If relevant levels of exposure are identified, the assessment is expanded using appropriate methods. In particular, the key indicator methods developed by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) can be used for systematic evaluation.
If necessary, the experiences of the affected employees can also be taken into account through a SURVEY.
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