Occupational safety duties quick-check
Which duties apply from which company size? Enter your headcount, the check shows what becomes relevant for office and administrative businesses.
The thresholds: an occupational safety specialist and an occupational physician must always be in place (ASiG). The Unternehmermodell is possible for up to 50; from more than 20 employees the occupational safety committee (section 11 ASiG) is added, while safety officers (section 22 SGB VII) are mandatory only from 50 since May 2026 (between 20 and 49 only where there is a special hazard). Guidance, not legal advice.
Which thresholds the check applies
Occupational safety has no single cut-off but a chain of them. These five decide what applies in an office business:
- From the first employee: risk assessment (section 5 ArbSchG), safety training (section 12 ArbSchG), first-aid organisation, plus, as a rule, a specialist and a physician (ASiG).
- More than 20 employees: set up an occupational safety committee meeting quarterly (section 11 ASiG).
- 21-50 employees: the Unternehmermodell is permitted.
- From 50 employees: appoint safety officers (section 22 SGB VII, since 29 May 2026; between 20 and 49 only where there is particular risk).
- From 51 employees: standard support with a formally appointed specialist.
What is counted
What matters is the number of people regularly employed, not full-time positions. Part-time staff, temporary workers and generally apprentices count. Anyone sitting just below a threshold should confirm the counting method with their employers' liability insurance association.
The thresholds cluster around 20 and 50. Growing from 20 to 21 adds the occupational safety committee. That threshold is the one most often missed, because it arrives quietly with the next hire rather than with a relocation.
What the check does not do
- It gives no number of hours. That comes from the support-hours calculator.
- It does not assess particular risk. Between 20 and 49 employees this can require safety officers even where the check does not show them.
- It is not legal advice. Sector-specific rules can add further duties.
Frequently asked questions
Do part-time and temporary staff count?
From when do I need an occupational safety committee?
Why are safety officers only required from 50?
What happens when a threshold is crossed?
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