An office occupational safety checklist covers five areas: organisation and support, instruction, first aid, fire safety, and workplace and inspections. Most items apply from the first employee under ArbSchG, ASiG and DGUV Regulation 1. Only the occupational safety committee (more than 20 employees) and safety representatives (from 50) depend on thresholds.
An occupational safety checklist is a list of the duties a business must be able to prove it has met, each with its legal basis and inspection interval. It shows whether the building blocks exist. The risk assessment under section 5 ArbSchG, by contrast, evaluates the specific workplaces. Checklist vs. risk assessment therefore means: checking completeness vs. evaluating hazards.
The tables below can be ticked off directly. An interactive version that adapts to your headcount and prints as a PDF is the office checklist.
Which thresholds apply to office businesses?
Three thresholds matter for office businesses: the first employee, more than 20 employees and 50 employees. Almost every duty applies from the first employee. Above 20 employees, section 11 ASiG adds the occupational safety committee; from 50 employees, section 22 SGB VII adds the appointment of safety representatives.
| Employees | What applies in addition | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| from 1 | risk assessment, support, instruction, first aid, fire safety, inspections, documentation | ArbSchG, ASiG, DGUV Regulations 1 and 2 |
| more than 20 | occupational safety committee, support hours under annex 2 instead of annex 1, 5 percent first aiders | section 11 ASiG, DGUV Regulation 2, section 26 DGUV Regulation 1 |
| from 50 | appoint safety representatives | section 22 SGB VII |
| from 51 | large first aid kit instead of small, end of the entrepreneur model | ASR A4.3, annex 3 DGUV Regulation 2 |
For the DGUV Regulation 2 thresholds, part-time staff working up to 20 hours a week count as 0.5 and up to 30 hours as 0.75. Which duties apply at your exact size is shown by the obligations quick check.
Organisation and support: what must be in place?
The organisation part of the checklist checks whether the foundations are in place: risk assessment, appointment of the occupational safety specialist and occupational physician, and where required the occupational safety committee and safety representatives. Without these items, every further building block lacks a basis. These are the documents the Berufsgenossenschaft usually asks for first in an inspection.
| Done | Item | From | Legal basis | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Risk assessment prepared and current | 1 | sections 5 and 6 ArbSchG | documentation with measures and effectiveness check |
| ☐ | Mental stress covered in the risk assessment | 1 | section 5(3) no. 6 ArbSchG | separate section in the risk assessment |
| ☐ | Occupational safety specialist appointed in writing, or alternative model chosen | 1 | section 5 ASiG, section 2 DGUV Regulation 2 | appointment or entrepreneur model participation record |
| ☐ | Occupational physician appointed in writing | 1 | section 2 ASiG, section 2 DGUV Regulation 2 | appointment or contract |
| ☐ | Occupational safety committee meets quarterly | more than 20 | section 11 ASiG | meeting minutes |
| ☐ | Safety representatives appointed in writing | 50 | section 22 SGB VII | appointment letter |
The risk assessment is not a one-off project. After a move, a refurbishment, new activities or an accident it must be updated, otherwise the tick is formally set and factually wrong. How to proceed is covered in Risk assessment in the office.
Instruction and first aid: which records are needed?
Instruction under section 12 ArbSchG takes place on hiring and then at least once a year, under section 4 DGUV Regulation 1. For first aid, an office needs trained first aiders, complete first aid supplies, a notice and a record of every first aid treatment. All four items apply from the first employee.
| Done | Item | Legal basis | Interval | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Instruction on hiring and regularly | section 12 ArbSchG, section 4 DGUV Regulation 1 | at least yearly | date, content, participants, signature |
| ☐ | Enough first aiders trained | section 26 DGUV Regulation 1 | refresher usually every two years | certificates |
| ☐ | First aid kit complete and accessible | ASR A4.3 | regular visual check, expiry dates | check note |
| ☐ | First aid notice with emergency number and first aiders | DGUV Regulation 1 | on every change | notice |
| ☐ | First aid treatments recorded | section 24(6) DGUV Regulation 1 | kept for five years | first aid log or digital record |
The number of first aiders follows from section 26 DGUV Regulation 1: with 2 to 20 employees present, one first aider is enough; in administrative businesses with more than 20 employees present, 5 percent must be trained. An office with 60 employees present at the same time therefore needs at least 3 first aiders, ideally with a reserve for holidays and sickness. The exact number comes from the first aider calculator; details are in First aid in the office.
A workplace accident causing more than three days of incapacity must be reported to the Berufsgenossenschaft within three days under section 193 SGB VII. Knowing who prepares the accident report saves time in an emergency.
Fire safety: what belongs on the list?
The fire safety part of the checklist covers fire extinguishers and fire safety assistants under ASR A2.2, and clear, signposted escape and rescue routes under ASR A1.3 and ASR A2.3. Fire extinguishers are usually inspected every two years by a competent person. Fire safety assistants should as a rule make up 5 percent of employees.
| Done | Item | Legal basis | Interval | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Fire safety assistants trained, guide value 5 percent | ASR A2.2 | refresher as set by the institution | certificates |
| ☐ | Enough fire extinguishers in place | ASR A2.2 | inspection usually every two years | inspection label |
| ☐ | Escape and rescue routes clear and signposted | ASR A1.3, ASR A2.3 | ongoing, at every walk-through | walk-through record |
| ☐ | Escape and rescue plan posted where required | ASR A2.3 | after structural changes | notice |
Whether an escape and rescue plan is needed depends under ASR A2.3 on the location, size and type of the workplace. For an office over several floors or with confusing routes it is usually required. More in Fire safety in the office.
Workplace and inspections: what is often forgotten?
The items most often missing in an office are the inspection of portable electrical equipment under DGUV Regulation 3 and the offer of occupational health care for screen work under ArbMedVV. Both duties apply from the first employee, and both can be handled with one appointment a year. Added to this is the ergonomic setup of screen workstations under annex 6 ArbStättV.
| Done | Item | Legal basis | Interval | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Screen workstations set up ergonomically | ArbStättV annex 6 | on setup and change | risk assessment |
| ☐ | Screen work health care offered | ArbMedVV | as set by the occupational physician | offer letter, health care records |
| ☐ | Portable equipment inspected (laptop, power strip, kettle) | DGUV Regulation 3 | guide value in offices 24 months | inspection report |
| ☐ | Fixed electrical installations inspected | DGUV Regulation 3 | guide value 4 years | inspection report, often via the landlord |
| ☐ | Home office and mobile work assessed, if practised | section 5 ArbSchG | on introduction and change | section in the risk assessment |
The 24 months for portable equipment are a guide value that assumes a low fault rate. The inspection interval calculator works out intervals for your equipment, and background is in Inspecting electrical equipment under DGUV Regulation 3.
How do you work through the checklist?
The checklist only works if a tick means current proof. Proceed in four steps: determine thresholds, tick off honestly what exists, prioritise gaps by inspection relevance, and enter deadlines for every recurring item. Repeat the list at least once a year and after every major event.
- Determine thresholds. Record the number of employees and check whether the thresholds of more than 20 and of 50 employees are reached.
- Tick off what exists. Only tick an item when current proof exists, not merely because it was done at some point.
- Prioritise gaps. Tackle open items in the order appointments, risk assessment, first aid, instruction, inspections.
- Enter deadlines. Set the next due date for every recurring item and repeat the checklist at least once a year.
An example for step 3: an office with 25 employees has first aiders and fire extinguishers, but neither an appointed specialist nor an occupational safety committee. Appointment and risk assessment come first, because both are the basis for the committee meetings and the instruction content. The full derivation of every duty is in Occupational safety in the office: the key duties.
If you would rather not maintain the list yourself, you get an occupational safety specialist on site plus digital, audit-proof documentation in which every item is stored with proof and due date.
This article is general guidance and does not replace individual legal advice. The current versions of the regulations named and the interpretation of your responsible Berufsgenossenschaft are decisive.
