The competence centre model is the alternative form of safety support under annex 4 of DGUV Regulation 2 for businesses with up to 20 employees. Management acquires basic knowledge online, prepares the risk assessment itself and receives advice through a hotline run by the accident insurance institution. For VBG members it is free of charge; an on-site inspection is not included.
The duty to provide support itself is not optional: under sections 2 and 5 ASiG, every employer must ensure occupational medical and safety support from the first employee. Why that also applies to a pure office is explained in Does an office need an occupational safety specialist?. This article only covers how a small business meets the duty through the competence centre model and where that route ends.
What changed with the new version of DGUV Regulation 2?
With the new version of DGUV Regulation 2, the threshold for the competence centre model under annex 4 rises from 10 to 20 employees. At the VBG the new version has applied since 1 December 2025; other institutions adopted it on their own dates, the BG RCI for example on 1 January 2026. An office with 15 employees can now use the model for the first time.
DGUV Regulation 2 is an accident prevention regulation that each accident insurance institution puts into force for its member businesses. That is why the effective dates differ between institutions. For office and administrative businesses the VBG is usually responsible, but your own notice is what counts.
For context: the change only affects the size limit. The model itself works as before. The terms of participation in the VBG KPZ portal still carry the October 2022 date and name the old limit of 10 employees, while the VBG portal page already states 1 to 20 employees.
How does KPZ support from the VBG work?
KPZ support from the VBG consists of three elements: self-study with learning modules and the PRAXIS-CHECK, needs-based advice via the KPZ hotline and occasion-based support on site. A business only counts as supported under annex 4 of DGUV Regulation 2 once the PRAXIS-CHECK is fully completed and the certificate has been printed.
- Self-study: Sector and topic-specific learning modules teach the basics of occupational safety. In the PRAXIS-CHECK, management applies that knowledge to its own business.
- Needs-based support: Once the certificate is printed, the KPZ hotline is available. Safety specialists and occupational physicians advise by phone or via a contact form.
- Occasion-based support: If remote advice is not enough, on-site support is needed. The business organises and pays for it itself; on request the hotline provides a contact.
The PRAXIS-CHECK is more than a test. The fully completed PRAXIS-CHECK is recognised by the VBG as company-specific documentation of the risk assessment under sections 5 and 6 ArbSchG and can be updated and extended later. What an office risk assessment must cover is set out in Risk assessment for the office workstation.
Two deadlines belong in the calendar. The certificate must be printed within two years of registration, otherwise the VBG deletes the profile after notice by email. And no later than five years after the certificate is printed, the competence centre requests participation in refresher training. Anyone who does not confirm it loses the profile and with it the proof of support.
Competence centre model vs. employer model vs. standard support
Businesses with up to 20 employees have three routes: standard support under annex 1, the employer model under annex 3 and the competence centre model under annex 4. Standard support brings an appointed safety specialist into the business, the employer model requires in-person training for management, and the competence centre model relies on online self-study and hotline advice.
| Feature | Standard support (annex 1) | Employer model (annex 3) | Competence centre model (annex 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permitted business size | up to 20, above that annex 2 | up to 50 employees | up to 20 employees |
| Qualification of management | not required | motivation and information measures of the institution | learning modules and PRAXIS-CHECK online |
| Ongoing advice | appointed safety specialist and physician | expertise bought in as needed | institution's hotline |
| On-site inspection | yes, as part of basic support | only when there is an occasion | only when there is an occasion, self-organised |
| Who prepares the risk assessment | employer with the safety specialist's support | employer | employer in the PRAXIS-CHECK |
| Direct costs | fee for the support hours | training and expertise when needed | free at the VBG, costs only for occasions |
Competence centre model vs. employer model is the most common trade-off. Both put the work in management's hands. The employer model extends to 50 employees and therefore lasts longer as the business grows; the competence centre model is more flexible in scheduling because it needs no in-person seminar. Anyone who has attended an employer model seminar under annex 3 with a certificate no older than five years can switch to KPZ support at the VBG. The learning modules then become optional, while the PRAXIS-CHECK remains mandatory. Details on the employer model are in Unternehmermodell: safety under DGUV Regulation 2, and all models side by side in 5 safety support models compared.
Which offices may use the competence centre model: three examples
The annual average is decisive for the limit of 20 employees, and part-time staff are weighted. Employees working no more than 20 hours a week count as 0.5, those working no more than 30 hours as 0.75, everyone else as 1.0. As a result, many offices with more than 20 people are still below the limit on paper.
| Business | Staff | Weighted headcount | Competence centre model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax office | 4 full-time, 4 part-time at 18 hours | 4 + 2.0 = 6.0 | permitted |
| Agency | 14 full-time, 4 part-time at 25 hours, 3 mini-jobbers | 14 + 3.0 + 1.5 = 18.5 | permitted, despite 21 people |
| Administration | 19 full-time, 4 part-time at 30 hours | 19 + 3.0 = 22.0 | not permitted |
For the agency with 18.5 weighted employees, standard support under annex 1 in support group III would mean around 9.25 hours of basic support per year, at least 20 percent of it for the safety specialist. Under the competence centre model that fee disappears. The time does not disappear, though; it shifts to management: learning modules, the PRAXIS-CHECK, safety briefings and keeping the records up to date. Your own figures including part-time weighting come from the support hours calculator.
The administration with 22 weighted employees chooses between the employer model and standard support under annex 2. Above 20 employees, section 11 ASiG also requires an occupational safety committee. Which other duties apply at your size is shown by the duties quick check.
Where the competence centre model ends
The competence centre model replaces the permanently appointed safety specialist, not the work. Risk assessment, safety briefings, first aid organisation and occupational health care remain with the employer. Regular inspections are not provided, and management has to recognise occasions for on-site support, commission it and pay for it.
- No inspection in normal operation: The hotline only knows the business from your own information. Nobody from outside sees trip hazards, escape routes or display screen workstations.
- Recognising occasions: The VBG names as examples the planning of facilities and rooms, the introduction of new work equipment, accident investigations and drawing up emergency plans. Moving to new office premises is the typical case.
- Occupational health care: The offered health check for work at display screen equipment under ArbMedVV is carried out by a doctor with occupational medicine expertise. The hotline does not replace that. More in The occupational physician in the office: when required?.
- Records in the institution's portal: The PRAXIS-CHECK sits in the KPZ portal. Printing it as a PDF and filing it again after every change keeps the records at hand during an inspection.
- Growth: With the 21st weighted employee the model ends. The switch does not happen automatically.
Whether your own institution offers the model at all can be checked on its website or with a phone call. Annex 4 requires the accident insurance institution to provide competence centres. Besides the VBG, the BG RCI and BGN among others have their own offers, with differing details.
Six steps to KPZ support with the VBG
Getting started takes a few hours spread over several weeks, depending on prior knowledge. You need the notice from your accident insurance institution with the company number and a list of employees with their weekly hours.
- Weight the headcount. Determine the annual average headcount and count part-time staff working up to 20 hours a week as 0.5 and up to 30 hours as 0.75. If the result is above 20, the model is not available.
- Check your own insurer's offer. Look up the responsible accident insurance institution in your notice and ask whether it offers a competence centre model and under which name.
- Register in the KPZ portal. Create an account in the VBG KPZ portal using the 15-digit company number and your contact details.
- Complete the modules and the PRAXIS-CHECK. Work through the sector-specific learning modules and bring the PRAXIS-CHECK to 100 percent. The result is your documented risk assessment.
- Print and file the certificate. Print the certificate within two years of registration and file it with the PRAXIS-CHECK in your safety records.
- Arrange occasions and health care. Decide which occupational physician handles occupational health care and whom you call in on site for a move, refurbishment or accident.
For an office with little change and management willing to invest the time, the competence centre model is a solid and inexpensive route. If you would rather hand the work over, want an on-site inspection or expect to grow beyond 20 employees, an occupational safety specialist on site plus digital, audit-proof documentation is the better fit. We discuss which route suits your business openly in an initial call.
This article is general guidance and does not replace individual legal advice. Information on KPZ support refers to the VBG offer as of September 2026. The current version of DGUV Regulation 2 and the terms of the accident insurance institution responsible for your business are decisive.
