Training-interval calculator

How the interval is calculated

The legal bases are Section 12 ArbSchG and Section 4 DGUV Regulation 1. Training takes place on hiring and regularly thereafter.

adults: at least once a year
young workers: at least every six months (section 29 JArbSchG)
in addition: as occasions arise, regardless of the cycle

The calculator takes the date of the last session and counts the cycle forward. The interval is a maximum: training earlier is always allowed, later is not.

The occasions that override the cycle

Regardless of the annual rhythm, training must follow without delay for:

• a new activity or transfer, including within the same building
• new work equipment or changed processes
• relocation or refurbishment, because escape routes change
• after an accident or near miss
• after a long absence, for example parental leave or a long illness

What the interval does not cover

• The content. It follows from your risk assessment, not from a template.
• The record. Date, the individual topics, the person delivering it and signatures. A list without topics evidences the session but not its content.
• Make-up sessions. Anyone absent from the group session otherwise drops out of the cycle permanently.

Which topics belong in an office is covered in Safety training in the office.

What the record must contain

Inspections fail on the documentation more often than on the content. Every training record should carry:

• Date and duration
• The individual topics, not merely "occupational safety in general"
• Name and function of the person delivering it
• Names of participants with signatures or an equivalent digital confirmation
• Who was absent and when it was made up

That last point is the one most often missing and the first place an inspection gets stuck.

Frequently asked questions