The occupational safety and health (OSH) system in Germany is structured hierarchically. Fundamental protection goals and minimum standards are formulated at the European level, laying down a framework that is filled out by national legislation, rules, and regulations.
Occupational safety and health matters are regulated by the German Federal Government, the federal states, and the social accident insurer providers under a dual system. Fundamental requirements are governed generally by primary and secondary legislation - acts and ordinances. These general provisions concerning protection goals are given concrete form by technical rules. Where the state has not put in place any concrete provisions, the implications that protection goals or other undefined legal concepts have for different sectors are explained by the social accident insurance providers in their accident prevention regulations. The social accident insurance providers’ information publications also contain advice and recommendations for particular industries and activities. In addition, employers and employees are able to jointly adopt concrete OSH provisions at the workplace level, in work agreements for example.
European directives
Council Directive 89/654/EEC of 30 November 1989 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the workplace (Workplaces Directive)
Annexes I and II (6), Ventilation of enclosed workplaces and Annexes I and II (7), Room temperature
Council Directive 92/57/EEC of 24 June 1992 on the implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites (Construction Site Safety Directive)
Annex IV(A)(5), Ventilation, and Annex IV(A)(7), Temperature
Further information about the European safety and health at work directives:
https://osha.europa.eu/de/safety-and-health-legislation/european-directives
National legislation and regulations
Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG)
of 7 August 1996 (Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt, BGBl.) I, p. 1246)
Workplaces Ordinance (ArbStättV)
of 12 August 2004 (BGBl. I, no. 44, p. 2179)
Technical Rules for Workplaces ASR A3.5, Room Temperature
(Joint Ministerial Gazette (Gemeinsames Ministerialblatt), GMBl., no. 35, 23 June 2010, p. 751)
Technical Rules for Workplaces ASR A3.6, Ventilation
(Joint Ministerial Gazette (Gemeinsames Ministerialblatt), GMBl., no. 6, 27 February 2012, p. 92)
Regulations issued by the social accident insurance providers
DGUV Information 215-520, Climate in the Office: Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions
DGUV Rule 115-401, Office Businesses Sector (PDF file, 6 MB)
DGUV-FBVW-503, Recommendation on Ventilation Concepts in Indoor Workplaces
Standards
DIN EN ISO 7726
Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Instruments for measuring physical quantities
DIN EN ISO 7730
Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Analytical determination and interpretation of thermal comfort using calculation of the PMV and PPD indices and local thermal comfort criteria
DIN EN ISO 7933
Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Analytical determination and interpretation of heat stress using calculation of the predicted heat strain
DIN EN ISO 8996
Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Determination of metabolic rate
DIN EN ISO 12569
Thermal performance of buildings and materials – Determination of specific airflow rate in buildings - Tracer gas dilution method
DIN EN 12599
Ventilation for buildings - Test procedures and measurement methods to hand over air conditioning and ventilation systems
DIN EN 12792
Ventilation for buildings - Symbols, terminology and graphical symbols
DIN EN 16798-3:2022-12 - draft
Energy performance of buildings - Ventilation for buildings - Part 3: For non-residential buildings - Performance requirements for ventilation and room-conditioning systems (Modules M5-1, M5-4);
DIN EN ISO 15265
Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Risk assessment strategy for the prevention of stress or discomfort in thermal working conditions
DIN 33403/Part 2
Climate at the workplace and in its environments - Part 2: Effect of the climate on the heat balance of human beings
DIN 33403/Part 3
Climate at the workplace and in its environments - Part 3: Assessment of the climate in the warm and hot working areas based on selected climate indices
DIN 33403/Part 5
Climate at the workplace and in its environments - Part 5: Ergonomic design of cold workplaces
Standards are not for free and may be purchased with the Beuth Verlag (www.beuth.de).