Safety Gaps in German Garages Highlight Broader Compliance Strain Amid New Heat, AI, and Battery Regulations
Veröffentlicht: 07.07.2026 um 20:06 Uhr, Redaktion boerse-global.de
Germany’s automotive repair shops are failing the country’s most basic workplace safety requirement: written risk assessments. According to recent inspection data, missing documentation ranks as the single most common violation found during occupational safety checks in Kfz workshops. The finding underscores a persistent gap between legal obligations and on-the-ground practice, even as a wave of new regulations—covering temperature extremes, artificial intelligence, and battery fire risks—demands ever more from employers.
Under the German Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG), workshop owners are legally required to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung). The law insists that the person carrying it out must have the necessary expertise. When that expertise is lacking, external support is available: specialists in occupational safety or accredited expert organisations can step in. Yet the inspection data shows that many businesses still neglect the paperwork altogether.
That documentation gap isn’t unique to German workshops. UK employers face the same obligation to record their risk assessments – and the same consequences when they don’t. A free Risk Assessment Toolkit provides 41 ready-to-use checklists and templates to help you meet the legal standard without starting from scratch. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
The obligation to assess risks extends far beyond machinery and tools. The workplace regulation ASR A3.5 sets minimum temperatures for indoor work: for heavy physical labour, the threshold is 12 degrees Celsius; for light seated work, 20 degrees. When the room temperature climbs into the 26-to-35-degree range, protective measures become mandatory—sun blinds, adjusted ventilation, and drinking water must be provided. At 35 degrees and above, without additional precautions, the space is deemed unsuitable for work. Another often-overlooked requirement: employers must also evaluate psychosocial hazards. The ArbSchG and accident-prevention regulation DGUV Vorschrift 1 both mandate that mental strain be assessed through systematic tools such as questionnaires or structured interviews.
On construction sites, electrical safety follows a different rhythm. The DGUV Information 203-006 defines the state of the art for electrical installations, and while it is not directly legally binding, it serves as a key reference. For three-phase power connections up to 63 amperes, residual current devices (RCDs) of type B or B+ are required. Testing intervals under DGUV V3 vary by location: fixed installations in offices must be checked every 24 months, in workshops every 12 months, and on construction sites every three months. General fixed installations are subject to a four-year cycle. Anyone coordinating external contractors on site remains responsible for the safety of their equipment.
Digitalisation and new technologies are adding fresh layers of obligation. Since January 2024, Paragraph 14a of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG) has required that controllable consumption units with a capacity above 4.2 kilowatts—such as heat pumps, wallboxes, and air-conditioning systems—be network-oriented and controllable. New-builds and retrofits alike must be equipped with suitable control modules. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act introduces a “competence obligation” for staff. Employers must ensure that personnel understand how the AI systems they use work, what their limits are, and what legal framework applies.
The broader industrial landscape is shifting too. In the electromachine-building sector (EMA), consolidation is under way. Data presented at the ZVEH annual conference in May 2026 shows that the number of EMA businesses dropped from 835 in 2021 to 766 in 2026. Although employment has declined, revenue remained stable at €2.62 billion—a sign of rising productivity.
In the recycling industry, fire-protection requirements are tightening. The revised VdS guideline 2517, published in 2025, responds to the growing risks posed by lithium-ion batteries. It demands bespoke fire-safety concepts that incorporate thermal-imaging cameras and specialised extinguishing systems. And from January 2027, a new limit value for bitumen fumes will take effect. The answer: temperature-reduced asphalt, which significantly lowers fume exposure for road-construction workers.
