Instruction is an important component of modern occupational health and safety. Behaviour that is important for occupational safety should be discussed and communicated in face-to-face meetings between supervisors and employees.

These must be clear and comprehensible for all employees. The primary objective is to ensure that the health and safety measures are understood and accepted.
Appropriate and practical instruction makes a significant contribution to the involvement of employees in occupational health and safety and to the training of safety-conscious and health-conscious behaviour.

In principle, it is the employer's responsibility to provide instruction. The employer can delegate this obligation to managers, and instruction must be given before the employee starts work and at regular intervals thereafter - but at least once a year.

The obligation to provide documentation of the instruction given is set out in Section 4 (1) of DGUV Regulation 1 "Principles of Prevention". The documentation must be kept by the company in order to be able to provide concrete proof of its implementation, for example in the event of a legal dispute. Use the form " Proof of instruction" for this purpose.

Instructions - Why?

Employees must be instructed. The following tips are intended to help managers ensure that this creates added value for everyone.

Managers have a number of tasks and duties to ensure occupational health and safety at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. This includes instructing employees - on a regular basis. This is stipulated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (§ 12 ArbSchG). It states:

  • Employees must receive sufficient and appropriate instruction on health and safety at work during their working hours.
  • The instruction includes instructions and explanations that are specifically tailored to the workplace or the employee's area of responsibility.
  • The instruction must take place when the employee is hired, when there are changes in the area of responsibility, when new work equipment or new technology is introduced and before the employee starts work.
  • The instruction must be adapted to the risk development.
  • The instruction must be repeated regularly if necessary.

Fulfilling the obligation to provide instruction has several advantages. Well-instructed employees are informed about all measures that are important for trouble-free work processes. The likelihood of accidents and errors is reduced, which ensures the quality of the work results. In addition, employees are less likely to be absent.

Tips for managers

Tips for good instructions: What managers should bear in mind:

1. in the morning and in the middle of the week

Many employees tend to be less motivated at the beginning and end of the week, as well as just before the end of the working day. Managers should therefore schedule training sessions on Tuesday or Wednesday and in the morning.

2. at the workplace

Instructions are particularly effective if they are carried out directly at the employee's workplace. Employees can immediately put what they have learnt into practice.

3. let employees become active themselves

Put on personal protective equipment, use safety equipment on machines, adjust office chairs: Managers can explain to employees how to do this correctly in a training session. It is even better to demonstrate the correct steps - and even better to let employees do them themselves. This is because experiencing content with several senses at the same time anchors it better in the memory. Instead of just listening, employees should therefore be encouraged to try things out during instruction.

In some cases, there is even an obligation to carry out practical exercises. For example, the use of personal protective equipment designed to protect against fatal hazards or permanent damage to health.

4 Emphasise personal benefits

For instruction to be successful, it should be based on the individual experience of the employees and convey the personal benefits of occupational safety. This is best achieved through dialogue.

By talking to employees, managers can get to the bottom of personal and workplace-specific problems. Supervisors use prepared questions to encourage their employees to talk about their experiences in their day-to-day work. What is important to you in your day-to-day work? What do you need to be able to cope with your tasks? What is annoying or causes problems?

5. convey credibility

Instruction includes instructions on how employees should behave. Managers should set a good example so that it is credible that these are sensible and important. They themselves should adhere to the applicable rules.

6. check the effectiveness of the instructions

Managers must keep an eye on whether employees are implementing the content of the instructions in their day-to-day work. To ensure that the content is comprehensible and transparent for everyone, documentation of the instructions is mandatory.