Our research and development work is independent and meets the requirements stipulated in the German Federal Government’s Ten Guidelines for Modern Departmental Research (German only). It is aimed at the early detection of potential risks to employees’ safety and health, as well as potential opportunities for human-centred work design. Attention is centred on changes in the world of work and the need to take account of occupational safety and health right from the start when technological and organisational innovations are introduced.

Cooperations

Science always involves thinking beyond the bounds of individual disciplines as well. Only this makes it possible to do justice to the complex questions thrown up by the world of work. In its cooperations, BAuA therefore investigates issues from the perspectives of various disciplines in parallel or combines them methodologically into innovative research approaches. Additionally, in what is known as transdisciplinary collaboration, practical, experiential knowledge from businesses and public authorities is utilised to ensure scientifically founded solutions are both practically viable and legally watertight at the same time.

Further development of research infrastructure

Reliable research data are key to well-founded scientific findings and policy advice about work and health. BAuA is therefore continuing to expand its data surveys and provision of research data, as well as contributing to the development of powerful data infrastructure systems. Its Research Data Centre (FDZ-BAuA) places BAuA’s data at the disposal of the academic community and is putting in place remote data processing procedures that comply with data protection standards. To help conduct its research projects, BAuA maintains its own laboratory infrastructure, which can also be used by external, non-commercial research partners who share the Federal Institute’s research interests. Furthermore, BAuA is building up an image database of the morphological characteristics of toxicologically relevant fibre aerosols that will make it possible to carry out automated analyses using neuronal networks and assess risks in the workplace more accurately.

Quality assurance

In its research, BAuA is committed to high technical standards (BAuA's Internal Guidelines). These involve systematic quality assurance, active participation in national and international competition, encouragement for early-career scientists, and close cooperation and networking across the science landscape. Subjects that require investigation are dealt with by our scientists in their own in-house research projects. These are supplemented by the work done on our concerns under competitively funded consortium projects (Third-party-funded Projects). Additionally, BAuA commissions extramural research from external providers. Moreover, our research and development quality standards are based on the rigorous requirements for good scientific practice laid down by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG).

To complement this, BAuA regularly welcomes discussion of its research activities and external quality assurance as well, in particular in the form of the close consultations it holds with its Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Trustees and independent evaluations of our technical and scientific work. The evaluations carried out by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) review BAuA’s academic performance as a federal departmental research institution and produce recommendations on how it can be improved.