German Workplaces Face Mandatory Cyber Risk Checks as Safety Rules Tighten
27.06.2026 - 14:30:51 | boerse-global.de
An updated technical regulation known as TRBS 1115, which took effect at the start of this year, makes it compulsory to integrate cyber threats into workplace risk assessments. Companies must now evaluate digital risks across the entire safety lifecycle of their equipment and systems.
The scale of the threat is stark. According to the digital association Bitkom, cyberattacks inflicted total damage of around €289.2 billion across the German economy in 2025, with 73 percent of businesses affected. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recorded an average of 119 new software vulnerabilities every day. Yet a survey conducted under the Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy found that 68 percent of companies already carry out the required cyber-focused risk assessments.
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Tariff overhaul consolidates electrical trades, gives textile services a new home
Parallel to the tighter cyber rules, the Berufsgenossenschaft Energie Textil Elektro Medienerzeugnisse (BG ETEM) has restructured its risk tariff – the classification system that determines employer contributions. The reform, approved by the association’s representative assembly on 26 June 2026 and effective from 1 January 2027, merges previously separate electrical installation trades into a single tariff class with a risk grade of 9.07.
Textile services will now be grouped under the laundry category, while photography receives its own dedicated tariff slot. The new structure runs until the end of 2032 and will form the basis for contribution calculations from 2028 onward. Under the revised system, member companies can earn an 18 percent contribution discount after three years without claims. BG ETEM insures roughly four million employees across about 200,000 member firms.
EU repair directive strengthens technicians’ hand – and bank faces million-euro lawsuits
Legislative changes are also reshaping maintenance and repair obligations. Germany’s Bundestag has approved the transposition of the EU’s Repair Directive, requiring manufacturers to stock spare parts and facilitate repairs. For electricians and service technicians, the reform brings a notable boost: repairs carried out during the warranty period will now extend the warranty by an extra year. An online platform is also planned to connect repair businesses and streamline the market.
The importance of rigorous safety and security concepts is underscored by recent legal proceedings. The Essen Regional Court heard civil lawsuits at the end of June against a savings bank after a large-scale break-in at its safe-deposit facility over Christmas 2025. Customers are seeking millions of euros in damages; the bank is invoking contractual limits on insurance coverage.
Wireless safety system for robot cells, DEKRA joins global labour initiative
On the technology front, a new wireless safety solution called RE 6900 was unveiled in mid-June. Designed for robot cells and sprawling logistics centres, the system provides wireless emergency-stop functions and meets the highest safety integrity level, SIL 3. Built-in motion detection and RFID-based identity verification aim to prevent accidents in automated environments.
Meanwhile, the testing and certification company DEKRA has expanded its international role. On 25 June it signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. As a partner in the ILO’s Vision Zero Fund, DEKRA will contribute expertise to global supply chains, with the goal of sustainably improving working conditions in sectors such as construction and agriculture.
Hundreds of skilled vacancies still unfilled as demand surges
Rising safety and repair obligations are fuelling a persistent shortage of qualified workers. Job portals listed hundreds of open positions for electricians, electronics technicians and specialised inspection engineers at the end of June. The highest demand is for personnel certified to conduct DGUV inspections, lightning protection checks and maintenance of complex refrigeration and supply systems. Companies including the WĂĽrth Group, Testo Industrial Services and Deutsche PrĂĽfservice are increasingly targeting career changers. With statutory inspection intervals in industry fixed by law, the pressure to fill these roles shows no sign of easing.
