Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is the key element in workplace occupational safety and health (OSH) provision. It forms the basis for successful, systematic safety and health management.

A woman and a man with a laptop carry out a risk assessment in a warehouse
© iStock | AnnaStills

Since 1996 the German Occupational Safety and Health Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, ArbSchG) has placed a duty on all employers to conduct assessments of working conditions and the risks associated with them in order to identify the measures necessary for the protection of their employees.

These pages supply information about the factors that have to be taken into consideration in risk assessments, as well as offering practical guidance.

BAuA makes the online version of its Handbook on Risk Assessment (Handbuch Gefährdungsbeurteilung) available free of charge. A Key Indicator Method developed at BAuA can also be used for the risk assessment of physical workload.

Research Projects

ProjektnummerF 2498 StatusLaufendes Projekt Consideration of psychosocial risks in Occupational Safety and Health. Fundamental revision of the BAuA specialist book

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Forschung laufend

ProjektnummerF 2483 StatusAbgeschlossenes Projekt Simplified risk assessment of incoherent high-power spotlights

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Forschung abgeschlossen

ProjektnummerF 2399 StatusLaufendes Projekt Project cluster: Physical inactivity in the workplace - etiology, risk assessment & prevention, Project 1a Scoping review; Project 1b Systematic review

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Forschung laufend

ProjektnummerF 2391 StatusAbgeschlossenes Projekt Interactive guidance for the measurement of physical agents within the scope of risk assessment

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Forschung abgeschlossen

ProjektnummerF 2358 StatusAbgeschlossenes Projekt Psychosocial risk management in company practice

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Forschung abgeschlossen

ProjektnummerF 2339 StatusAbgeschlossenes Projekt Psychosocial risk management in the EU: Context, strategies and implementation at establishment level - a comparative European study

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Forschung abgeschlossen

Publications

Decent Ward Organisation - A Guide for Nursing Teams in Hospitals

baua: Guidance 2025

More and more people have to cared for by professional nurses every day. Thus, nursing work is an essential cornerstone of our …

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Locomotion

baua: Guidance 2025

"Locomotion" is a form of workload to which employees are subject when they move to a work location or around a work area. It is …

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Prevalence and conditions of workplace measures to deal with bullying in Germany

Essay 2025

Background: Bullying in the workplace is considered a significant risk factor for the health of affected employees. The …

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Risk assessment of interaction-related stressors - development of a risk assessment tool using a mixed-methods-instrument-development-design

Essay 2025

The complete article "Risk assessment of interaction-related stressors - development of a risk assessment tool using a …

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Exertion of Whole-body Forces

baua: Guidance 2024

The exertion of whole-body forces is a type of physical workload that occurs in many sectors and jobs. For example, sometimes …

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GHS memo card "Hazardous substances compact"

Memocard 2024

The GHS "Hazardous substances compact" memo card from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) contains …

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Manual Pushing and Pulling of Loads

baua: Guidance 2024

The manual pushing and pulling of loads is a type of physical workload commonly experienced by workers. Usually, especially when …

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Proposal and practicality of an alternative blue-light hazard risk assessment method for high-intensity white-light sources at workplaces

Essay 2024

Objectives: It is prescribed to determine blue-light hazard (BLH) weighted radiances, LB, for an assessment of spotlights with …

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Relationship between occupational health and safety organization and risk assessment

Essay 2024

Using data of the German subsample of the European survey of enterprises on new and emerging risks (ESENER) 2014 and 2019, this …

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Awkward Body Postures

baua: Guidance 2023

Awkward work-related body postures still constitute an important, frequently occurring type of physical workload in daily …

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Coarse Screening of Physical Stress

Essay 2023

The complete article can be purchased in German at the website of the Journal "Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin, Umweltmedizin", …

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Consideration of mental stress in occupational medical practice

Essay 2023

Background: Occupational health physicians have the task of advising and supporting employers in the assessment of working …

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Consideration of psychosocial factors in risk assessment

Cooperation 2023

The German Occupational Safety and Health Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz) requires employers to design work in such a way that …

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Interaction Design for Hybrid Intelligence: The Case of Work Place Risk Assessment

Essay 2023

The complete article "Interaction Design for Hybrid Intelligence: The Case of Work Place Risk Assessment" is a chapter of the …

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Interactive Work - Consideration of Specific Psychosocial Factors in Workplace Risk Assessments

Essay 2023

The complete article can be purchased in German at the website of the Journal "Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin, Umweltmedizin", …

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Leadership in the Focus of Interest - Special Requirements for the Practice of Leadership and Recommendations for Risk Assessment of Psychosocial Stress

Essay 2023

The complete article can be purchased in German at the website of the Journal "Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin, Umweltmedizin", …

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Mental Stress: New Recommendations of the GDA

Essay 2023

The complete article can be purchased in German at the website of the Journal "Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin, Umweltmedizin", …

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Risk Assessment of Manual Work Processes - Which Tools and Information are available

Essay 2023

The complete article can be purchased in German at the website of the Journal "Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin, Umweltmedizin", …

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Work Design in the Context of Psychosocial Risk Assessment

Essay 2023

The complete article can be purchased in German at the website of the Journal "Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin, Umweltmedizin", …

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Workplaces with lead exposure

baua: Guidance brief 2023

Are you responsible for risk assessments? Or do you advise your employer or companies in this respect? Do you also have to …

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