The German Occupational Safety and Health Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz) requires employers to design work in such a way that prevents a risk to life and physical and mental health as far as possible, and to keep the remaining risk to a minimum (section 4 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act).

For this purpose, employers must identify the occupational safety and health (OSH) measures required for the employees by assessing the risk they face in their job (section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act). This risk assessment must also consider psychosocial factors at work (cf. section 5 (3) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act).

It is important to consider psychosocial factors in the risk assessment for two reasons:

1. Depending on their type, intensity and duration, psychosocial factors in the workplace can have an adverse effect on health, for example in the event of insufficient job autonomy, an imbalance between the volume of work and the allotted time, a destructive leadership style or excessive working hours. Therefore, it is important to identify risks from psychosocial factors by means of risk assessment and to keep These to a minimum.
2. Psychosocial factors in the workplace can also increase risks for employees, for example, when using work equipment or activities involving biological agents. For example, when working with biological agents an increased risk is likely if the work must be carried out under pressure or time constraints and/or if the work is frequently interrupted or disrupted. Therefore, the Biological Agents Ordinance (Biostoffverordnung) explicitly requires risk assessment of work with biological agents to also consider "stress and exposure situations, including psychosocial factors" (section 4 of the Biological Agents Ordinance).

This brochure contains recommendations regarding specific content, goals and procedures when taking psychosocial factors into consideration in risk assessments.

The recommendations are particularly geared towards businesses and in-company OSH stakeholders (including employers, works councils and staff councils, company physicians and occupational safety and health experts). They serve to provide guidance as to how the risk assessment can consider psychosocial factors at work.

The Publication "Consideration of psychosocial factors in risk assessment" can be purchased at the website of the The Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy (GDA).