Germany’s Workplace Mental Health Problem Costs €85 Billion — New Handbook Offers Employers a Roadmap

New BAuA handbook tackles psychological hazards as German sick days hit 708M; heat stress warnings, relaxed dental rules, Hesse construction blitz, and NRW security training round out safety news.

The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) has published an updated handbook on workplace risk assessment that integrates the latest research on psychological well-being. The numbers underscore the urgency: in 2018, German workers recorded more than 708 million sick days, with production losses estimated at €85 billion, while over 949,000 occupational accidents were reported that same year. The handbook gives employers a structured method for identifying and mitigating psychosocial hazards — an area that has long been a blind spot in many companies’ safety routines.

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The BAuA handbook provides a structured method for identifying psychosocial hazards. For teams looking to put that structure into practice, a free Risk Assessment Toolkit contains 41 ready-to-use templates, checklists and training materials that streamline the entire documentation process. It covers everything from fire safety to lone working, making it easier to stay on top of workplace risks. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit

As summer temperatures climb, experts are reminding employers of their duty to protect staff from heat stress. Speaking on the national Heat Action Day on June 11, safety officials warned that symptoms such as cold, clammy skin, a rapid pulse and muscle cramps signal heat exhaustion; if left untreated, the condition can escalate into life-threatening heat stroke. The law requires workplaces to provide cool rooms and electrolyte-rich drinks during heatwaves.

Dental practices get a lighter compliance regime

Since June 1, a revised version of the DGUV Vorschrift 2 — the accident insurance association’s regulation on occupational health care — has been in effect for dental practices. The most significant change raises the threshold for simplified regular care from 10 to 20 employees, giving larger practices more leeway in organising their health and safety arrangements. Fixed on-site hours for company doctors and safety specialists are scrapped; instead, up to one third of required services can now be delivered by telephone or video, provided a face-to-face meeting has already taken place. Existing contracts have until May 31, 2027 to transition to the new rules.

Hesse construction blitz finds only one in five sites fully safe

Regulatory authorities in Hesse are running a large-scale inspection campaign on construction sites from June 8 to 12. Teams in Darmstadt, Giessen and Kassel are checking scaffold safety after data showed that falls from height accounted for roughly 31 percent of all fatal work accidents between 2009 and 2023. Earlier inspections painted a grim picture: just 21 percent of sites met safety requirements completely. Common failings included missing assembly and use instructions, defective technical safeguards and unauthorised modifications to scaffold structures. The week-long operation is part of the national Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy (GDA).

Security training for public transport gets state backing

In North Rhine-Westphalia, a pilot project aims to improve safety on buses and trains. The IHK-certified course “Sicherheitskraft im ÖPV” (Security Officer in Public Passenger Transport), offered in Gelsenkirchen, comprises 300 hours of instruction. The state government is contributing €230,000 in funding, with VIAS Rail and WestfalenBahn as project partners. Demand is evident: Cologne’s transport authority reported 543 tram accidents in 2025 alone, while the Rheinbahn recorded a series of incidents involving injuries and major property damage. The sector is increasingly turning to driver-assistance systems and specialised security qualifications to address the problem.