The EMKG takes into account all risks listed in the Hazardous Substances Ordinance. These include direct contact with hazardous substances - for example by inhalation or skin contact - as well as fire and explosion hazards.

Anniversary Event Celebrates Twenty Years of the EMKG

The anniversary celebrations for the Easy-to-use Workplace Control Scheme for Hazardous Substances (Einfache Maßnahmenkonzept Gefahrstoffe, EMKG) reached their high point at an event held on 3 and 4 December 2025 in Dortmund to mark twenty years of the scheme. This was devoted mainly to looking back at two decades of the EMKG and the most-memorable moments of the anniversary year.

EMKG users had the opportunity to win a prize by presenting how they applied the scheme in their organisations. The audience voted for the winners, with the first prize going to Christoph Günther (City of Offenbach), the second prize to Danny Warschun (Phoenix Contact), and the third prize to Heike Lehmann (Steinway & Sons).

The event formed a successful culmination to the anniversary programme organised for 2025. The EMKG team is very grateful to all friends of the EMKG for the constructive dialogue in which they have engaged and their continuing support for the scheme’s further development.

Rapid determination of measures

By combining easily accessible parameters from safety data sheets and site inspections, the EMKG enables the quick and precise determination of an appropriate control strategy level for every risk. Intolerable health risks are revealed and appropriate recommendations for action are given.

The EMKG offers control guidance sheets for each control strategy level as a two-page check list to support the implementation of measures.

What control strategy levels are there?

The place to begin is with the minimum standards of control strategy level 1. These stipulate basic protective measures relating to ventilation, storage, fire safety, hygiene, and organisation that are relevant for all working environments.

It may be necessary to build on these basic steps by taking additional, risk-based protective measures. You can carry out these measures on the basis of control strategy levels 2 and 3.

Control strategy level 2 is implemented using the 200 series control guidance sheets. They explain how you can minimise the release of hazardous substances at source, prevent skin contact, prevent the creation of ignition sources and put in place additional fire safety measures, select eye protection equipment and eyewash kits.

Measures for Control Guidance Sheets (MapS)

Project F 2440, Measures for Control Guidance Sheets (MapS), involved thoroughly revising, expanding, and restructuring the . Drawing on literature searches and workplace inspections, it compiled practical, consistently designed, interactive guidance sheets that are specifically tailored to the needs of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The number of control guidance sheets was increased from 28 to 48, and they were further developed into a modern work and documentation system. The control guidance sheets produced during the project are due to be published shortly as the 2000 series. You can find further information in the (German).

The control strategy level 3 guidance sheets describe work procedures for closed systems and protective measures for settings where there are high levels of fire risk.

The EMKG does not include any control guidance sheets for settings characterised by particularly high risk levels, for example where work involves handling carcinogenic substances or explosives. In these cases, the EMKG recommends additional guidance be sought, for example by consulting the more-detailed Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances (Technische Regeln für Gefahrstoffe, TRGS) and practical recommendations or by obtaining advice directly from experts in hazardous substances control, fire safety, explosion protection, and explosives.

An overview of the control strategy levels can be found on BAuA’s web page.

As an EMKG user, you can find both general information about the scheme and numerous additional tools on our website. These will enable you to identify suitable occupational safety and health measures for your organisation easily and rapidly. The control guidance sheets are the backbone of the EMKG and form the foundations for the appropriate application of the concept.