(In German)

The German Workplaces Ordinance (Arbeitsstättenverordnung, ArbStättV) serves to protect employees’ safety and health when workplaces are being set up and operated, also including construction sites. It lays down requirements concerning the human-centred design of work. Since the sweeping revision of the Workplaces Ordinance in 2016, further amendments have been made, most recently through Article 10 of the Cannabis Act (Cannabisgesetz; Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzesblatt, BGBl.) 2024 I no. 109, 27 March 2024), which governs the protection of non-smoking employees from the smoking and vaping of tobacco and cannabis products and electronic cigarettes. The ordinance is addressed to employers, who have to ensure workplaces do not pose any risks to their employees. The Workplaces Ordinance includes fundamental provisions laying down protection goals and generally formulated requirements. It is also necessary for the ordinance to be fleshed out for practical purposes, which the Committee for Workplaces (Ausschuss für Arbeitsstätten, ASTA) does by drawing up Technical Rules for Workplaces (Technische Regeln für Arbeitsstätten, ASRs) that are intended to support employers in applying and implementing the ordinance within their organisations. Pursuant to the Workplaces Ordinance, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales, BMAS) publishes these Technical Rules for Workplaces in the Joint Ministerial Gazette (Gemeinsames Ministerialblatt, GMBl). The ASRs reflect the latest developments in technology, occupational health, and hygiene, as well as other well-founded scientific findings relevant for employees’ safety and health when workplaces are being set up and operated.

German original version