The legal foundations for the Committee for Occupational Safety and Healthcare laid down in Section 24a of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, ArbSchG).

Insofar as no other committee at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales, BMAS) established in accordance with section 18 (2) no. 5 is responsible, the tasks of the Committee for Occupational Safety and Health shall include

• identifying state-of-the-art technology, occupational medicine and hygiene and other established findings of ergonomics relevant to the safety and health of workers,
• identifying regulations and findings in regard to how the requirements set out in the present Act can be met,
• drafting recommendations on occupational safety and health,
• advising the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in all matters relating to safety and health at work.

The working programme of the Committee for Occupational Safety and Health shall be agreed with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The Committee shall work closely with the other committees at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs established in accordance with section 18 (2) no. 5.

Composition

ASGA was formed by the BMAS in August 2021 for a term of office that ends in 2025. It has fifteen full and alternate members, including representatives of public and private employers, the trade unions, the authorities of the German Federal states (Länder), and the German Social Accident Insurance (Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, DGUV), as well as other suitable experts, in particular from the academic community. They contribute specialist knowledge and articulate the concerns of their respective groups, carrying out their work on an honorary basis.

The following chairpersons were elected at the committee's constituent meeting on 23 September 2021:

• Chair: Prof. Anke Kahl, University of Wuppertal
• Deputy chairs: Mr Markus Hofmann, German Trade Union Confederation (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB), and Mr Jens Dirk Wohlfeil, Federation of German Employers' Associations in the Metal and Electrical Engineering Industries (Arbeitgeberverband Gesamtmetall e.V.)

ASGA has formed a steering group that consists of its chair and her deputies, as well as representatives from the other committees, and a coordination group which includes a representative from each group represented in the ASGA. Furthermore, the ASGA is able to set up temporary project groups given the consent of the BMAS.

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