Occupational Health & Safety
Occupational Health & Safety
Essential support process in companies
Accidents and occupational illnesses are the most frequent causes of incapacity to work. Occupational Health & Safety is, therefore, an important issue for companies.
The management of Occupational Health & Safety is one of the indispensable support processes of a company, primarily for humane reasons, but also from an economic perspective: accidents and work-related illnesses cost companies and society a great deal of money. Moreover, according to empirical surveys, deficiencies in this field often go hand in hand with product or service quality, i.e., they point to company organization and management problems.
Criminal and civil law consequences of violations
Occupational Health & Safety is defined as the safety of employees at work, i.e., the control and minimization of hazards to their safety and health. In Germany, it is defined by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which provides for measures to prevent accidents at work and work-related health hazards, including measures for the humane design of workplaces, the protection of employees’ health against mental stress. Entrepreneurs or authorized persons (plant managers, foremen, general managers) who commission or permit work that does not comply with the regulations and standards of the respective industry are at risk of personal criminal and civil consequences.
