Occupational health and safety

Legal basis

According to the German Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG) and the accident prevention regulation "Principles of Prevention" (DGUV-V1), all employers - irrespective of the number of employees - are obligated to carry out a risk assessment.

• Section 5 of the ArbSchG regulates the employer's duty to identify and assess hazards and specifies possible causes of hazards and the subjects of the risk assessment.
• Section 6 obligates the employer to document the result of the risk assessment, the occupational health and safety measures defined, and the result of their review.

Carrying out the risk assessment or causing it to be carried out is a statutory duty of the unit director.

The director may carry out the risk assessment himself/herself (if he/she has the necessary expertise) or seek advice from other competent persons.

The director can thus carry out the risk assessment together with the Occupational Safety Expert.

Definition

Risk assessment is the systematic identification and evaluation of relevant hazards to employees at work.

The following is assessed:

• which hazards can occur
• which persons are affected by the hazards
• whether the conditions at the workplace are acceptable, in particular whether they comply with the rules and regulations, the findings of occupational science, the state of the art as well as the performance requirements of the employee and whether mental stress is prevented.
• the urgency and nature of the measures required
• whether improvements are possible

Objective

The aim of the risk assessment is to derive measures for eliminating hazards. 

With the risk assessment and its documentation, the person responsible for the respective work group/work area or individual employees ensures:

• Elimination of the hazard at source
• Minimization of remaining hazards

Risks can in particular arise from:

• the design and set-up of the workplace including all travel routs, working, storage, sanitary, and common rooms and the workstation,
• the design, selection, use, and condition of working materials (machines, equipment, facilities, tools) and work substances as well as their handling and the handling of the materials which are to be worked on,
• the working and production procedures, activities including work organization (work processes, division of labor, working hours, breaks, responsibility),
• working environment conditions such as air-conditioning, lighting, noise, radiation,
• the selection and use of personal protective equipment,
• insufficient qualification, ability, and talents or insufficient instruction of the employees.

Risk factors are groups of risk which are characterized by similar sources or risk or effects. These could be:

• Mechanical risks
• Electrical risks
• Hazardous materials
• Biological materials
• Fire and explosion risks
• Thermal risks
• Risks arising from physical agents
• Risks arising from working environment conditions
• Physical strain / arduous working conditions
• Other risks

Responsibility:

Carrying out the risk assessment is a statutory duty of the unit director.

The director may carry out the risk assessment himself/herself (if he/she has the necessary expertise) or seek advice from other competent persons.

He/she is supported in this by the Occupational Safety Expert, the safety officers of the facilities, and by the university physician.

Procedure:

For the risk assessment, depending on the characteristics of the workplace, there are specialized forms available (see below (Forms)).

Risk assessment is not a one-off action, but a continuous process. After an initial implementation, it shall be reviewed at the latest after a period of three years to ensure that it is up to date.

In addition, a risk assessment must be carried out again in the event of fundamental changes to working conditions, working materials, working procedures, or workplace design.

The update process is triggered by:

• Workplace redesign
• Legal changes
• Accident
• Occupational disease
• Pregnancy

Resulting measures (incl. implementation and control)

The resulting measures are recorded in the risk assessment form. The institution shall be responsible for implementing the measures set down or ensuring they are implemented.

Documentation of the risk assessment

The result of the risk assessment, the defined measures, and the result of their review are recorded in writing and you keep the risk assessment.

Risk assessment  “Using respiratory masks”
Risk assessment Office and computer workstation
Risk assessment Biological agents form A, B, C
Risk assessment Greenhouse
Risk assessment Laboratories
Assistance with risk assessment for laboratories (BMAS occupational safety standard)
Risk assessment working alone
Risk assessment Travel abroad
Risk assessment Mobile work

• Risk assessment for pregnant women/nursing mothers (when handling hazardous substances and biological agents and in case of physical hazards)

• Purchasing personal protective equipment

• Chemical protective gloves

Additional information about chemical protective gloves

• Skin protection plan
• Purchasing skin protection

The protection of the unborn child is an important task which is required by the Maternity Protection Act (Mutterschutzgesetz). The University of Hohenheim as an employer makes sure that the Maternity Protection Act is respected.

• Information sheet on maternity protection
  Handling hazardous and biological substances and in case of physical risks

• Detailed information on the topic maternity protection
• Information from the Human Resources Department on maternity protection and parental leave