What occupational safety specialists can expect

The year 2025 will bring numerous legal changes and innovations for occupational safety specialists, which will have a significant impact on everyday operations and health and safety requirements. These changes affect not only traditional occupational safety, but also fire safety and environmental protection, making comprehensive adaptation to new regulations necessary.

1. Occupational health and safety – important changes

The year 2025 will bring significant changes in the area of occupational health and safety. These mainly concern the digitisation of documents, new regulations on risk assessment and adjustments to the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). Below is an overview of the most important changes and their practical implementation:

1.1 Electronic documentation

The introduction of electronic forms for employment law documents, such as employment contracts and references, is a significant step towards simplifying administrative processes.

• What will change?
  In future, employment contracts and references can be issued in text form (Section 126b of the German Civil Code (BGB)) or, if required, with a qualified electronic signature (Section 126a BGB). A handwritten signature is no longer mandatory.
• Advantages:
  • Reduction in paperwork.
  • Faster transmission and improved traceability.
  • Access and storage in digital form enable greater flexibility.
• Implementation in practice:
  Employers should introduce digital systems that comply with legal requirements. It must be ensured that the documents are easily accessible, storable and printable for employees.

1.2 Risk assessment during maternity leave

The risk assessment for maternity leave is undergoing a significant change that could ease the burden on employers, but at the same time requires clear regulations.

• What will change?
  From 2025 onwards, there will no longer be an obligation to carry out a risk assessment if the Committee for Maternity Protection classifies certain activities or working environments as inadmissible for pregnant and breastfeeding women (Section 10 (1) sentence 3 MuSchG).
• Practical significance:
  Employers can rely on established, legally secure criteria without having to carry out an assessment in each individual case. Nevertheless, the responsibility to ensure safe working conditions remains.
• Recommendation:
  Employers should review the relevant activities and working environments in good time and ensure that the committee’s criteria are known and complied with.

1.3 Change to the obligation to display notices

Another simplification concerns the provision of legally required information, such as working time regulations and collective agreements.

• What will change?
  From 1 January 2025, these documents may be provided digitally, e.g. via the intranet or other internal communication systems (Section 16 (1) ArbZG).
• Requirements:
  The information must be freely accessible to all employees at all times. Paper-based notices are no longer mandatory as long as the digital alternative is guaranteed.
• Advantages:
  • Simplification of document updates.
  • Cost reduction by eliminating physical notices.

1.4 Changes to the PSA-BV

The Ordinance on Personal Protective Equipment at Work (PSA-BV) has been adapted to EU Regulation (EU) 2016/425.

• What is changing?
  The PSA-BV now explicitly refers to the EU requirements governing the selection and provision of personal protective equipment. Employers may only provide PPE that complies with the requirements of the regulation (Section 2 PSA-BV).
• New requirements:
  • PPE must meet the ergonomic and health requirements of employees.
  • When used by several people, hygienic conditions must be ensured.
• Recommendation:
  Companies should review their existing PPE and ensure that it complies with the new EU directives. Documented processes for maintenance and hygiene are essential.

These changes will further digitise occupational safety and harmonise it legally. Occupational safety officers should actively integrate these innovations into operational processes in order to meet legal requirements and ensure the safety of employees.

2. Fire protection – Updated technical rules

In 2025, significant changes to the Technical Rules for Workplaces (ASR) will come into force, which are intended to further improve fire safety in workplaces. These adjustments place a particular focus on safe evacuation, first aid facilities and accommodation for employees.

2.1 ASR A2.3: Escape routes and emergency exits

• What is changing?
  ASR A2.3 has been clarified to ensure safe evacuation in an emergency. New requirements have been introduced for dynamic optical safety guidance systems, which facilitate orientation in dangerous situations.
• Transitional arrangements:
  Transitional arrangements apply to existing safety lighting. This lighting may continue to be used provided that the building applications were submitted before 30 April 2025 or construction was completed by this date.
• Practical significance:
  Employers must ensure that their escape routes and emergency exits comply with the new requirements. Dynamic guidance systems, such as LED arrows or flashing light signals, can play a crucial role in preventing panic and speeding up evacuation.
• Recommendation:
  A review of existing escape and rescue plans is necessary to ensure compliance with the new standards.

2.2 ASR A4.3: First aid rooms

• What is changing?
  The requirements for first aid rooms have been increased to ensure faster and more effective care in the event of accidents. This applies in particular to:
  • Equipment with modern first aid materials.
  • Improved accessibility of rooms, including for persons with reduced mobility.
• Practical significance:
  Companies are obliged to equip first aid rooms in such a way that they are ready for use and easily accessible at all times. This includes, among other things, ergonomically designed couches and clearly visible signage.
• Recommendation:
  Employers should regularly check and modernise the equipment in first aid rooms. It may also be useful to train employees in the use of first aid equipment.

2.3 ASR A4.4: Accommodation

• What is changing?
  The regulations for accommodation have been updated to increase the safety and comfort of accommodated employees. The new requirements include:
  • Improved fire safety measures, such as the installation of smoke detectors.
  • Minimum facilities, e.g. sufficiently large bedrooms and hygienic sanitary facilities.
• Practical significance:
  These changes are particularly relevant for companies that provide temporary accommodation for their employees. They contribute to improving both the quality of life and the safety of employees.
• Recommendation:
  Employers should review and adapt existing accommodation to meet the new requirements. It is also important to keep good records of the measures taken.

The update to the ASR aims to further increase safety standards in workplaces and improve employee protection. Employers and occupational safety specialists should integrate these changes into operational processes at an early stage in order to comply with legal requirements and ensure safety in the workplace.

3. Environmental protection – developments and innovations

The year 2025 brings several important innovations in the field of environmental protection. These changes aim to further improve employee protection and sustainability in companies. From new regulations on handling hazardous substances to higher accessibility requirements, here are the most important developments:

3.1 Amendment to the Hazardous Substances Ordinance

• Introduction of the traffic light model:
  With the revision of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance, a risk-based traffic light model was introduced that divides activities involving carcinogenic hazardous substances into three categories:
  • Green risk: Exposure < 10,000 fibres/m³.
  • Yellow risk: Exposure < 100,000 fibres/m³.
  • Red risk: Exposure > 100,000 fibres/m³. This model provides companies with practical guidance on implementing protective measures in line with the level of risk.
• New requirements for activities involving asbestos and reprotoxic substances:
  Stricter requirements apply to activities involving asbestos, including specific protective measures and qualification requirements for employees. Companies must also keep an exposure register, particularly for reprotoxic substances in categories 1A and 1B in accordance with the EU Cancer Directive.
• Practical significance:
  The changes increase the protection of employees during hazardous work. Companies must adapt their processes, training and documentation to comply with the new requirements.
• Recommendation:
  Use resources such as the GESTIS substance database and the Central Exposure Database (ZED) of the DGUV to document in a legally compliant manner.

3.2 Increase in CO₂ tax

• Empfehlung:
  Prüfen Sie Förderprogramme und Steuervergünstigungen, um nachhaltige Maßnahmen wirtschaftlich umzusetzen.
• What will change?
  From 2025, the CO₂ tax will increase from 45 euros to 55 euros per tonne. This increase affects fossil fuels such as petrol, diesel, heating oil and natural gas and will lead to higher energy costs for businesses.
• Impact:
  The increased costs may motivate companies to use energy-efficient technologies and reduce their carbon footprint. This not only makes sense from an environmental perspective, but can also save costs in the long term.
  Relevance for corporate environmental protection:
  The adjustment of the CO₂ tax underlines the importance of strategic environmental management. Companies should prioritise investments in renewable energies, energy efficiency measures and emission reductions.
• Recommendation:
  Check subsidy programmes and tax breaks to implement sustainable measures economically.