Trade groups seek to oust top representatives from companies
In a move that could reshape Germany's occupational safety landscape, the black-red coalition has proposed abolishing the obligation for businesses to appoint occupational safety officers this year. This initiative, if enacted, would mark a significant shift in the country's safety regulations.
The proposal has drawn attention, with some advocating for reductions in the number of occupational safety officers. Gisela Meister-Scheufelen, former chair of the Normenkontrollrat Baden-Württemberg, has been a vocal proponent of this idea. She aims to reduce the number of occupational safety officers to the "actual core necessary."
However, the specifics of Germany's stance on employer proposals for streamlining occupational safety regulations remain unclear. The available information primarily covers EU-wide regulatory simplification efforts, such as chemical safety legislation streamlining and digital compliance initiatives. Detailed information on occupational safety governance in Germany is scarce.
The European Commission and EU institutions are actively pursuing regulatory simplification across industries, including indirectly addressing occupational safety aspects. However, proposals related to Germany’s occupational safety law (Arbeitsschutzgesetz) reforms, employer roles, or deregulation steps are not mentioned in the available data.
German regulatory processes typically involve a balance between employer interests in flexibility and administrative ease and strong worker protections and representative roles. Any employer-driven push to reduce individual regulations or modify leader representative functions would likely undergo thorough scrutiny in Germany’s social and legislative framework.
As the debate unfolds, further authoritative sources, such as German government announcements or the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs’ publications, would be necessary to clarify the current stance on occupational safety streamlining proposals in Germany.
Meanwhile, the BDA (German employers' association) has demanded the abolition of the leader representative function, citing modern ladders as hardly error-prone. The association has also raised concerns about the costs associated with training for the leader representative function, which can amount to around 650 euros per person per day.
The topic of occupational safety and bureaucracy was addressed in the coalition agreement of the black-red federal government. However, the specifics of the proposals are yet to be clarified.
The debate extends beyond the leader representative function, with the employers' associations compiling 24 proposals for streamlining occupational safety. These proposals include reducing documentation requirements, more flexibility in working time management, and longer testing periods for notebooks and other electrical devices.
Not everyone agrees with these proposals, though. The Association for Safety, Health, and Environmental Protection at Work has criticized the employers' initiative to restrict ladder inspections, stating that rules protecting lives should not be abolished.
As the debate continues, opinions on the matter remain divided. For more insights, you can reach out to opinion writer Jürgen Schmidt at j.schmidt@our website.
- The BDA (German employers' association), in its streamlining proposals for occupational safety, has requested the abolition of the leader representative function, advocating for reduced costs associated with training, which can amount to around 650 euros per person per day.
- Some industries, including finance and business, have expressed keen interest in the proposed deregulation of occupational safety practices, with the black-red coalition's initiative to abolish the obligation for businesses to appoint occupational safety officers gathering attention. However, the specifics of Germany's stance on these proposals and the balance between employer interests and worker protections remain unclear.
