Does UK health and safety compliance satisfy German requirements?

No. German compliance requires specific appointments (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit and Betriebsarzt), a German-format risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung including psychosocial elements), and registration with the relevant Berufsgenossenschaft. UK documentation does not satisfy these requirements.

What is the Arbeitsschutzgesetz?

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. It is the primary legislation governing workplace health and safety in Germany and applies to every employer regardless of size or sector.

Do I need to appoint a SiFa and a Betriebsarzt if I only have a small German office?

Yes. The obligation to appoint a Safety Specialist (SiFa) and a Company Doctor (Betriebsarzt) applies from the first employee. The required hours are determined by business size and sector under DGUV Vorschrift 2, with small businesses having lower hour allocations.

What is psychische Gefaehrdungsbeurteilung?

The psychosocial element of the workplace risk assessment required since 2013. It covers work design, work organisation, social interactions, working hours, and working environment as risk factors for mental health. UK risk assessments typically do not cover this specifically.

Do I need to translate safety documentation into German?

Yes. Safety instruction and documentation must be in a language the employee understands. For German-speaking employees, German is required. For international teams, bilingual documentation is standard practice.

How does Arinite coordinate German compliance with UK operations?

Your named Chartered consultant at Arinite UK manages the programme. Locally qualified German consultants deliver the compliance activities in Germany. All documentation is maintained in a single compliance platform giving your UK HQ real-time visibility.

Which Berufsgenossenschaft applies to my German business?

It depends on the business activity. Most office-based UK businesses operating in Germany fall under VBG (Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft). Arinite confirms the applicable BG as part of onboarding.

HSE inspections up 47% - HSE carried out over 13,200 workplace inspections in 2024/25.

Germany Guide

Health and Safety in Germany:
DGUV Compliance for UK Businesses

A guide to health and safety compliance in Germany for UK businesses operating German subsidiaries, offices, or employees. This page covers the German legal framework (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, DGUV, Berufsgenossenschaften), employer duties, the dual regulatory system, and how Arinite delivers German compliance as part of international health and safety support.

Health and safety compliance in Germany for UK businesses. DGUV, Arbeitsschutzgesetz, BG compliance, and international support.

1,500+ Businesses Protected

50+ Countries

95%+ Retention

IOSH Chartered

German-Qualified Consultants

Free International Gap Analysis

Get in Touch

Contact Arinite Today

Fill out the form below and our team will get back to you within 24 hours.

UNDERSTANDING DGUV

What Is DGUV?

DGUV stands for Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, the German Social Accident Insurance. It is the umbrella organisation for the statutory accident insurance system in Germany, covering approximately 70 million insured persons through employer contributions.

DGUV is not itself a regulator in the UK sense. It is the coordinating body for the Berufsgenossenschaften (BGs, sector-specific accident insurance bodies) and the public sector accident insurance funds (Unfallkassen). Together, these bodies issue sector-specific health and safety rules (DGUV Vorschriften), guidance documents (DGUV Informationen), and technical rules (DGUV Regeln).

For UK businesses operating in Germany, DGUV requirements apply alongside the general federal legislation (Arbeitsschutzgesetz). The specific DGUV rules that apply to your business depend on the sector and the relevant Berufsgenossenschaft.

DUAL SYSTEM

The German Health and
Safety Regulatory System

Germany operates a dual regulatory system for workplace health and safety. UK businesses need to comply with both layers.

Layer 1: State legislation

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, ArbSchG) is the primary law. Supporting regulations include the Workplace Ordinance (Arbeitsstättenverordnung, ArbStättV) covering the physical work environment, the Occupational Safety Act (Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz, ASiG) covering the appointment of safety specialists and company doctors, and the Hazardous Substances Ordinance (Gefahrstoffverordnung, GefStoffV).

Layer 2: Accident insurance rules

The Berufsgenossenschaften issue sector-specific DGUV Vorschriften that have the force of law for their insured members. DGUV Vorschrift 1 covers general prevention principles. DGUV Vorschrift 2 covers the appointment and working time of safety specialists and company doctors.

Compliance in Germany requires meeting requirements from both layers. A UK business that addresses only the federal legislation but ignores the relevant BG rules is not compliant.

EMPLOYER DUTIES

Employer Health and Safety
Duties in Germany

Under the German regulatory system, every employer operating in Germany must:

Conduct a workplace risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) covering physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards. The psychosocial element (psychische Gefährdungsbeurteilung) is a specific legal requirement since 2013 and is commonly missed by UK businesses.

Appoint a qualified Safety Specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit, SiFa) under ASiG. The required hours depend on the business size and sector as set by DGUV Vorschrift 2.

Appoint a Company Doctor (Betriebsarzt) under ASiG. Like the SiFa requirement, hours are determined by DGUV Vorschrift 2.

Provide safety instruction (Unterweisung) to all employees at least annually and whenever tasks, equipment, or circumstances change. Records must be maintained.

Report notifiable accidents to the relevant Berufsgenossenschaft within defined timescales.

Maintain the workplace in line with ArbStättV requirements covering lighting, temperature, air quality, space, welfare facilities, and emergency arrangements.

Comply with the DGUV Vorschriften specific to your sector and activities.

Failure to comply can result in fines, prosecution, or personal liability for directors and managers.

UK BUSINESS GAPS

Common Health and Safety Compliance Gaps for
UK Businesses in Germany

UK businesses with German operations routinely fail German compliance in predictable ways. The most common gaps are:

Missing Betriebsarzt and SiFa appointments

UK businesses often apply their UK outsourcing model (a single UK-based consultancy covering everything) and assume this satisfies the German requirement. It does not. ASiG requires German-qualified appointments.

No psychische Gefährdungsbeurteilung

Psychosocial risk assessment is legally required in Germany but has no direct UK equivalent. UK risk assessment templates do not cover it.

Unterweisung records in English only

Safety instruction must be delivered and documented in a language the employee understands. For German-speaking employees, that means in German.

No BG membership or missed contributions

Every employer in Germany must be registered with the relevant Berufsgenossenschaft. Missing registration is a serious compliance failure.

Risk assessments written to UK formats

The Gefährdungsbeurteilung format is specific to German law and is not satisfied by a translated UK risk assessment.

No awareness of sector-specific DGUV Vorschriften

The rules that apply depend on the Berufsgenossenschaft, which depends on the business activity. UK businesses frequently do not know which BG applies to them.

Arinite's international health and safety service identifies and resolves each of these gaps as a standard part of German compliance onboarding.

HOW WE HELP

How Arinite Delivers German
Health and Safety Compliance

Arinite provides German compliance as part of our international health and safety service. The model combines UK-based programme management with locally qualified German consultants.

Locally qualified consultants

Our German consultants hold recognised qualifications (Sicherheitsfachkraft, Betriebsarzt partnerships) and work directly with clients in German. They interface with the relevant Berufsgenossenschaft, conduct Gefährdungsbeurteilungen, deliver Unterweisungen, and provide the day-to-day compliance support that German law requires.

UK-based coordination

Your named Chartered consultant at Arinite UK manages the programme. You have a single point of contact in the UK who coordinates German (and any other international) compliance activity, reports to your UK board or HQ, and ensures the programme aligns with your wider international health and safety strategy.

Consolidated reporting

All German compliance activity is maintained in Arinite's health and safety software platform alongside your UK and other international operations. One dashboard, every country.

Continuous maintenance

DGUV Vorschriften are updated periodically. The Arbeitsschutzgesetz amendments are implemented through secondary regulations. We monitor changes and update your documentation as required.

SECTORS

Sectors Arinite Supports
in Germany

Arinite supports UK businesses with German operations across multiple sectors. The specific DGUV rules and Berufsgenossenschaft vary by sector; the core service model does not.

Technology and IT

BGHW and VBG depending on activity, focused on ergonomic workstation compliance, psychische Gefährdungsbeurteilung, and hybrid working arrangements.

Financial services

VBG, with particular emphasis on workplace safety in office environments and psychosocial risk management.

Legal and professional services

VBG, focused on office workplace compliance and international operation coordination.

Marketing, creative, and digital agencies

VBG, with focus on ergonomic compliance and stress management for fast-paced creative environments.

German operations typically fall under VBG (Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft, the administrative sector BG) for office-based businesses. Arinite confirms the applicable BG for every new German client as part of onboarding.

Get German Health and Safety Compliance Right

Whether you are opening your first German office or managing compliance across a mature German operation, Arinite delivers locally compliant health and safety support coordinated from the UK.

Book a free international gap analysis call. In 30 minutes, one of our Chartered consultants will review your German arrangements, identify the gaps that matter, and recommend the right approach.

Book My Free International Gap Analysis Call +44 (0)20 7947 9581

OUR PROVEN SYSTEM

How Arinite's Health and Safety Consultants
Transform Your Compliance

From Reactive Firefighting to Proactive Health & Safety Compliance

STAGE 1

REACTIVE(Where 60% of Businesses Operate)

No formal HSE systems in place. Everything is reactive, waiting for something to go wrong. Documentation is missing or outdated.

Why It's Dangerous:

✗£50K-£150K average fine when (not if) HSE inspects
✗Can't bid on contracts requiring HSE certification
✗One accident away from director prosecution

This isn't just "non-compliant." It's criminally negligent. Directors face personal prosecution.

STAGE 2

COMPLIANCE(Where Most Businesses Stop)

Basic HSE documentation is in place. Minimum legal requirements met. You can pass a basic audit.

Why It's Better (But Not Enough):

✓Legal protection (no fines if inspected)
✓Can bid on contracts requiring certification
✓Pass basic client audits
✗Still reactive (problems arise, then you respond)
✗Compliance maintained by one person (bottleneck)
✗Systems don't run themselves

Compliance is where most consultants get you, then leave. You're legal, but you're not optimised.

STAGE 3

PROACTIVE(Where Arinite Clients Operate)

Systems run proactively, preventing problems before they occur. Compliance is distributed, not dependent on one person.

Why It's Transformational:

✓Win more contracts (HSE certification opens doors)
✓Save 20+ hours/week (systems run themselves)
✓Peace of mind (sleep soundly, without the fear of prosecution)
✓Focus on your core business while we handle compliance

That's why 95%+ of clients renew year after year.

The Arinite Difference:

”

Robert Winsloe

Managing Director, Arinite

“We work with you to deliver peace of mind. We tailor our service provision to your business to provide proactive, pragmatic health and safety advice and that helps reduce costs by ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety legislation.”

Other Consultants

Get you to Stage 2 (Compliant) and disappear.

Arinite

Gets you to Stage 3 (Proactive) and keeps you there.

That's why we call it transformation, not just compliance.

CONSULTANTS + SOFTWARE

Where Health and Safety Consultants
Meet Compliance Software.
Globally.

Health & Safety Consultants+H&S Software+Arinite AI

Consultants+H&S Software+Arinite AI

Compliance

Traditional consultancies audit, report and leave. You get a document and the job of implementing it.

Control

Software companies give you dashboards and workflows without the knowledge to use them.

Coverage

Global businesses need consultants who know compliance in every jurisdiction.

Arinite

We are not a consultancy that adds external software. We are not a software company that recommends consultants.

We are the place where those two things finally become one.

GLOBAL LOCATIONS

Global Health and Safety Consultants.
International Compliance, Local Delivery.

50+ Countries. Global Safety. Local Trust.

50+ Countries

Headquartered in London, UK, with Chartered health and safety consultants in 50+ countries. Whether you need a health and safety audit in Manchester, a fire risk assessment in Birmingham, or outsourced workplace health and safety compliance in Singapore, we have consultants near you.

Don't see your location?

We're expanding globally

“

Brendan Tuite

Operations Director, Arinite

35+ Years Experience

50+ Countries Served

95%+ Client Retention

My Name Is Brendan Tuite.

I have been in the health and safety business for 35+ years. In that time, I have had one consistent experience across every sector and every country I have worked in.

Every business we speak to already knows, somewhere, that their workplace health and safety compliance has not kept pace with their growth. It is not ignorance. It is business. It is the assumption that because nothing has gone wrong yet, the gaps are probably manageable.

What stops most businesses from doing something about it is not the cost of outsourcing health and safety support. It is the fear of finding out how significant the gaps are.

The Free Gap Analysis Call exists for exactly that moment.

You get the full picture of your workplace health and safety position in 30 minutes.

“In 35+ years, I have not once had someone tell us they wished they had stayed in the dark.”

Book My Free Gap Analysis Call

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

What 1,500+ Businesses Say About Their Health & Safety Consultants

5.0· 1,500+ reviews

No video testimonials available at the moment.

Trusted by Industry Leaders

Join 1,500+ organisations that trust Arinite as their health and safety consultants.

5.0 Rating

View All Testimonials Become a Client Today

FAQ

Health and Safety in Germany: Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DGUV, German regulations, employer duties, and compliance

Still Have Questions About Health & Safety Compliance?

Our IOSH Chartered health and safety consultants are here to help with any queries about workplace safety, compliance, or our services.

Get in Touch Call: +44 (0)20 7947 9581

Free Resources

Health & Safety Factsheets

Download our comprehensive library of expert guides, checklists, and templates.

Browse Library