The protection of employees, consumers, and the environment is a central concern of German industry. At the same time, safe production processes and efficient value chains are crucial prerequisites for the competitiveness of Germany’s industrial base. Occupational safety and health (OSH) and chemical policy make a significant contribution to this. They provide the regulatory framework for the safe handling of substances and the operation of work equipment and industrial installations. These regulations are intended to help companies in managing risks effectively and implementing innovation responsibly.

High safety standards have always been an integral part of Germany’s industrial culture. Industry is responsible for safe workplaces and the responsible handling of chemical substances. This requires a regulatory framework that both guarantees a high level of protection and remains practical, understandable and conducive to innovation.

Technical Occupational Safety: Practical Regulations for Safe Workplaces

In many industrial sectors, employees work with substances and technical installations whose safe handling requires continuous assessment and control of potential risks. Companies must ensure that hazards are identified, protective measures are implemented, and new scientific findings and technical developments are integrated into operational practices.

Technical occupational safety and health is largely shaped by European and national legislation. Since the European Union sets only minimum requirements in the area of occupational safety and health, there is considerable room for national governments to set their own standards. This results in a complex regulatory environment with numerous regulations and technical rules, which must be designed in a coherent and practical manner.

BDI is therefore actively engaged in the further development of key occupational safety and health regulations. These include, in particular, regulations on hazardous substances, work equipment, and installation safety, as well as provisions for protection from noise, vibrations, optical radiation, electromagnetic fields, and biological agents. In addition, BDI actively contributes to the work of the occupational safety and health committees of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS).

The objective is occupational safety and health legislation that effectively protects employees while remaining legally certain and implementable at a reasonable cost. Only a practical regulatory framework can make an effective contribution to workplace safety while at the same time enabling innovation.

Chemicals Policy: Risk-Based Regulation for a Strong Industrial Base

Chemical substances form the basis of nearly all industrial value chains and are indispensable for future technologies, climate neutrality, digitalisation, and healthcare. An effective European chemicals policy must therefore not only ensure a high level of protection for workers, consumers, and the environment, but also guarantee the availability of substances for safe and sustainable applications.

European chemicals legislation provides the framework for the safe handling of substances throughout the entire value chain. In particular, the REACH and CLP Regulations contribute to a high level of protection for workers, consumers, and the environment and establish harmonised requirements across Europe for manufacturers, importers, and users of chemical substances. BDI fully supports the objectives of European chemicals legislation. At the same time, regulation must be scientifically sound and risk-based. What matters is not merely the hazardous properties of a substance, but the actual risk under the specific conditions of use. The safe use of substances, including those with hazardous properties, must remain possible if risks can be effectively controlled.

Broad regulations covering entire groups of substances often fail to adequately reflect the diverse properties and applications of chemical substances. Instead, differentiated and scientifically sound assessments are required that take into account the specific use case and allow for proportionate regulatory measures.

BDI therefore advocates for coherent and innovation-friendly chemical legislation that combines high protection standards with competitiveness, avoids unnecessary bureaucracy, and provides companies with the planning and investment certainty they need.