Considering the impeccable laws with regards to medical, hospice and palliative care and policies for the impaired we can easily understand that Germany without a shadow of a doubt has the best healthcare systems in the European continent. The German health and safety system is based on statutory accident insurance and is often considered to provide a model of good governance. Its policies are effectively financed and delivered through national labour inspection authorities and social partners. In particular, the close cooperation between the various agencies and the preventive focus of the accident insurance institutions and Land labour inspection authorities is well regarded.
 Statistics of the safety administration at workplaces in Germany:
- In 2016, 0.63 per 100,000 workers suffered fatal injuries in the workplace.Â
- 3.8% of workers took time off due to one or more work-related health problemsÂ
- 18% of the workers believe that their job risks their health and safety
- 90% of businesses have a document explaining their health and safety responsibility procedures.
- 66% of workplaces undertake regular health and safety risk assessments.
Types of Legislation:
Germany has ratified 83 International Labour Organization Conventions, with 74 being in force. German law is predominantly legislation based, with case law having limited significance. While much of the law is directly transposed from the directives, in many instances, German legislation exceeds the minimum requirements.
Main Health and Safety Legislation: Occupational Health and Safety Act: It is the primary German law that transposes European directives and encourages the improvement of working conditions, further promoting health and safety of the employees at the workplace.
Occupational Health & Safety in Germany: A legal framework:
Safety at the workplace:
National strategy:
The Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy was established in November 2008 by changes to the Occupational Safety Act and the Book VII of the German Social Code. The German government supports the German Social Code.
The German system for safety and health at the workplace has a dual structure. It encompasses both the Federal level and land level safety and health provision and the autonomous accident insurance institutions.
The state at both Federal and Land level enacts legislation and promulgates regulations and the rules of the state boards. After a thorough examination of their needs, and with the approval of the federal and land governments, the accident insurance institutions release their own accident prevention rules. Officials of the relevant state, the supervisory authorities and the accident insurance institutions have oversight over businesses and provide advice.
The Joint German Health and Safety Strategy(GDA):
It was developed by the Federal and the Land governments and the accident insurance institutions in order to maintain, improve and develop safety and health of people at work through an agreed and systematically applied safety and health policy. The parties to the GDA will coordinate their activities in the areas of prevention at the workplace even more closely in the future, based on jointly agreed goals for safety and health at work.
Educational institutions in Germany that offer academic courses on Safety Administration:
University of Passau
University of Konstanz
