Germany Targets Construction Falls as Coalition Unveils Sweeping Workplace Overhaul

For years, fatal accidents on German construction sites have followed a grim pattern: roughly one in three deaths results from a fall from height. New data from the 2009–2023 period puts that figure at 31 percent. Regulators are now doubling down on prevention, making fall protection the central theme of the joint German workplace safety strategy (GDA) for 2026 and 2027.

The urgency is underscored by a recent inspection blitz. During check-weeks run by Hesse’s regional councils in June 2026, only 21 percent of the building sites examined fully complied with scaffolding safety rules. That gap between regulation and reality has pushed the issue to the top of the national agenda.

Those inspection numbers are a sobering reminder that even basic compliance is harder than it looks on paper. Without the right documentation, it is all too easy to miss a requirement until an inspector finds it. A free Risk Assessment Toolkit gives you 41 ready-to-use templates and checklists to help keep your workplace hazard assessments thorough, current, and legally sound. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit

Reform Package Rewrites Sick Leave, Fixed-Term Contracts, and Dismissal Rules

Just weeks after those inspections, the federal government unveiled a 34-measure reform package in early July 2026 that touches nearly every corner of employment law. For employers, the most immediate change concerns sick leave. The current system allowing a telephone-based sick note is set to be scrapped; starting at an unspecified future date, a doctor’s certificate will be required from the very first day of absence.

Fixed-term contracts without a specific cause are also getting a makeover. The maximum duration will extend to 48 months, with up to six renewals permitted. This rule will remain in force until the end of 2030. Additionally, from the start of 2027, the written-form requirement for such fixed-term agreements will be abolished.

High earners face a separate shift in worker protections. Employees earning roughly €177,450 a year—equivalent to 1.75 times the contribution assessment ceiling—could see their dismissal safeguards loosened. Under the planned changes, a court would find it easier to dissolve an employment contract against a compensatory payment.

Steep Penalties for Neglecting Basic Safety Duties

While the reform package grabs headlines, the bedrock of German workplace regulation—the Arbeitsschutzgesetz (ArbSchG)—remains unforgiving. Company managers are personally liable for a proper safety setup. According to Section 3 ArbSchG, firms must establish a suitable organisation and provide the necessary resources. A lapse can trigger personal liability for managers’ private assets if intent or negligence is proved, and criminal consequences are possible.

Fines run up to €30,000 per infraction under Section 25 ArbSchG. The real danger arrives with a workplace accident causing personal injury. If a documented risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung, or GBU) is missing, charges of negligent bodily harm or even manslaughter may follow. Plus, occupational insurers (Berufsgenossenschaften) can demand six-figure recourse payments.

One mandatory safeguard is the appointment of a safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit, or Sifa). Required under Section 6 of the Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz (ASiG) from the very first employee, the Sifa can be procured through a “entrepreneur model” for small businesses with up to ten staff, involving event-based support. Standard coverage costs between €800 and €3,500 annually. Failure to appoint a Sifa carries fines of up to €25,000.

Fire protection is another fixed requirement. The Arbeitsstättenregel (ASR) A2.2 stipulates that, under normal fire hazard conditions, at least five percent of employees must be trained as fire safety assistants.

Risk Assessments Expand into Ambulant Care, Construction, and Now Digital Threats

The scope of the mandatory hazard assessment has grown far beyond the factory floor. In home-care nursing, employers must now evaluate the route to a client’s apartment, including poor lighting in hallways, broken lifts, or icy paths.

Construction sites remain the top concern for physical hazards. The GDA’s decision to focus on fall prevention for two years reflects the stubborn fatality rate.

Managing workplace safety today means juggling everything from scaffolding inspections to fire protection to digital risks—and each area carries its own documentation burden. A free Health & Safety Toolkit brings together ready-to-use risk assessments, checklists, and templates that cover the core UK regulations, helping you build a complete compliance picture without starting from scratch. Download the free Health & Safety Toolkit

But physical safety is only half the picture. Technology is creating entirely new liability fields for company directors. From 2026, personal responsibility for cybersecurity tightens. Management must approve risk-management measures and oversee their execution. A documented risk inventory and an incident-response plan become legal necessities; failure to maintain them opens the door to damage claims after an IT-security breach.

Artificial intelligence adds another layer. Since February 2025, providers and operators of AI systems have been obliged to implement measures promoting AI competence. Starting 2 August 2026, general application rules take effect, requiring companies to precisely document their use of AI tools.

And even the company car fleet is affected. From 7 July 2026, new EU rules mandate expanded safety systems in new vehicles—automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and emergency lane-keeping assist. These technical additions must be woven into the hazard assessments for employees who drive for work.

The net effect: a German manager’s checklist now spans scaffolding, software, and steering wheels—and the cost of skipping any item can reach deep into personal finances.

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