The Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG) obliges employers to assess health hazards in the workplace and decide on the necessary protective measures. We at Clausthal University of Technology also have to ensure that our university has a functioning occupational health and safety organization.

Employees must be instructed on health and safety at work and precautions must be taken for particularly hazardous work areas and work situations. The German Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG) provides scope for the implementation of occupational health and safety measures in order to take account of the different circumstances of each company.

Further legal principles and regulations can be found in:

• Occupational Safety Act (ASiG)
• Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV)
• Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV)
• Ordinance on Hazardous Substances (GefStoffV)
• Accident prevention regulations of the accident insurance institutions (DGUV-V)

There is also a wealth of special regulations (not exhaustive):

• Ordinance on Biological Substances (BioStoffV)
• Noise and Vibration Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance (LärmVibrationsArbSchV)
• Load Handling Ordinance (LasthandhabV)
• PPE Usage Ordinance (PSA-BV)
• Ordinance on Occupational Health Care (ArbMedVV)
• Ordinance on the protection of employees from hazards caused by electromagnetic fields (Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance on Electromagnetic Fields - EMFV)
• Radiation Protection Ordinance
• Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance on Artificial Optical Radiation (OStrV)
• Construction Site Ordinance (BaustellV)

The legal basis is supplemented by a series of technical regulations, standards and guidelines, e.g:

• Rules and principles of the accident insurance institutions(DGUV-R, DGUV-G)
• Technical rules for workplaces (ASR)
• Technical rules for hazardous substances (TRGS)
• Technical rules for operational safety (TRBS)

The Staff Representation Act (PersVG) is also affected by the provisions of the ArbSchG in some places, e.g. with regard to participation in risk assessments, etc. TU Clausthal has the following service agreements:

• Service agreement on working hours
• Service agreement on on-call duty
• Service agreement on addiction prevention and addiction treatment
• Service agreement on alternating teleworking and mobile working

The Maternity Protection Act protects the health of women and their children at work, during training and at university during pregnancy, after childbirth and while breastfeeding.

You can find more information on our maternity protection website.