German Fleet Operators Face New Safety Mandates from July 1, Following Raids Revealing Poor Conditions
01.07.2026 - 00:02:12 | boerse-global.de
Starting July 1, companies that run vehicles over 2.5 tonnes must comply with fresh obligations. The rules focus on proper training for drivers about driving and rest periods, plus handling digital tachographs. The changes come as enforcement actions underscore the stakes: in late June, raids on multiple properties in Gelsenkirchen turned up missing fall protection and dangerous fire loads. Officials issued a slew of warnings and shut off energy connections.
The Gelsenkirchen crackdown shows why authorities are tightening oversight. For fleet operators, the new requirements mean updating their safety instruction programs. Tomorrow, the Göttingen police department is hosting a long-haul trucker meet-up where experts from the SVG will talk through correct departure checks.
The recent Gelsenkirchen raids highlight how quickly missing safety documentation can lead to enforcement action. Many employers underestimate the risk of incomplete risk assessments. A free toolkit provides 41 ready-to-use templates and checklists to keep your workplace safety records compliant. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
At the same time, the push to improve workplace safety goes well beyond trucks. The qualification for safety officers, known in Germany as SiFa, is undergoing a major revamp. The new SiFa 3.0 standard sets a training duration of 9 to 18 months, comprising about 500 teaching units. Candidates need a technical background as a master craftsperson, technician, or engineer, plus at least two years of professional experience. Those who pass the certification under DGUV Vorschrift 2 can expect an average annual salary of €68,000, ranging from €55,000 to €85,000 depending on experience and location.
Industry-specific modules are growing in importance. DEKRA Akademie, for instance, now offers specialized courses for the food and hospitality sectors, built on learning fields from the Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gastgewerbe (BGN). Companies in Rudolstadt and Darmstadt are actively recruiting staff for risk assessments and safety briefings, sometimes sweetening the deal with stock programs or mobility allowances.
Safety coordination on construction sites is also getting a boost. A comprehensive two-volume standard work for safety and health protection coordinators (SiGeKo) by Donato Muro was published this week. It covers legal fundamentals, liability questions, and a detailed technical hazard atlas. International cooperation is advancing too: the Bauverbände NRW have launched a three-year project with the Georgian association BusinessGeorgia, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), to improve safety standards in Georgia’s construction sector. Back in Germany, industry representatives met with politicians in early July to discuss material price fluctuations and opaque procurement practices under the Gemeindeordnung NRW.
Technology is reshaping safety engineering. Neuron Automation has released the “Neuron Smart Engineer,” a software platform that integrates safety engineering with a modern development environment and AI assistance. The system is qualified for safety integrity levels up to SIL3 and ASIL C, and can generate program code directly from safety requirements. By supporting offline language models (LLM), sensitive corporate data stays local — a key advantage for protecting proprietary information.
The Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall (BGHM) continues its training offensive. Tomorrow, a free basic seminar for entrepreneurs takes place in Saarbrücken. Additional online seminars cover expert knowledge for safety and emergency lighting, including the DIN VDE 0108-100 standard.
