Is the Safety Officer at the Workplace Now Being Abolished? - Germany Proposes Cutting Workplace Safety Officers to Reduce Bureaucracy
The German government plans to reduce the number of workplace safety officers, aiming to cut bureaucracy and costs. Labor Minister Bárbel Bas (SPD) proposes raising the threshold for requiring a dedicated safety officer to 50 employees and allowing larger firms to manage with just one. The move, part of a broader strategy to modernize occupational health and safety, has sparked debate.
Currently, businesses with more than 20 employees must appoint at least one in-house safety officer, with larger firms requiring more. However, the government now seeks to abolish these roles for businesses with fewer than 50 employees and limit them to one for those with up to 250 employees. This is expected to save around 135 million euros annually and relieve around 123,000 safety officer positions.
The German federal government bases its decision primarily on reducing bureaucratic burdens and costs for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. However, the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) opposes this move, questioning the claimed savings and expressing concern about weakening workplace safety standards.
Safety officers, who perform their duties voluntarily on top of their regular jobs, provide small businesses with low-threshold access to expertise in occupational health and safety, according to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB). The DGB warns that eliminating these roles could lead to preventable accidents and lost productivity.
The 'Relief Cabinet' aims to reduce bureaucratic burdens on businesses, with the proposed changes expected to affect around 760,000 safety officers across private companies and public institutions in Germany. The debate surrounding these changes highlights the balance between reducing bureaucracy and maintaining robust workplace safety standards.
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