Listing workplaces and tasks

In detail

What must be listed

The workplace risk assessment is a process meant to cover everything (Labour Inspectorate). It must include:

• all workstations and work processes;
• maintenance and repair work and fixing faults;
• emergency and rescue measures;
• the workers as real people, especially young and older workers, pregnant women and people with disabilities, with their constitution and qualifications.

This matches the act: it requires attention to workers who are particularly at risk or in need of protection § 4(2) ASchG and arrangements for foreseeable disruptions and for emergency and rescue measures § 4(3) ASchG.

Grouping similar things

Similar workstations, work processes or hazard areas may be documented together § 1(1) DOK-VO. Three identically equipped office desks don't need three documents. Where prevention requires it, though, the documentation must be per workstation § 5 ASchG.

At the workstation, not at the desk

From its inspections, the Labour Inspectorate advises (Labour Inspectorate):

• Use assessment templates only as checklists and prompts for the layout. Adapt the template to the business rather than seeing the business through the template.
• Carry out the assessment at the actual workstation, once roles and responsibilities have been settled and recorded.
• Involve everyone affected: only then, it says, can things improve.

One way to start, as this course suggests: a list of all workstations and tasks, with similar ones grouped; who works there; then walk through each place once, with the people who know it best.