Occupational safety training in the office – Part 1: How it all began

The 21st century is full of achievements that make our lives safer. One of these is employee rights. Much of what is taken for granted by employees today was unthinkable for previous generations. This includes so-called occupational safety, which is regulated in Section 12 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. In the first part of the series "Occupational Safety Training in the Office," we explain why this law is correct and important.

Who actually came up with the idea of protecting employees?

Occupational safety is not a natural law. On the contrary, employees first had to painfully experience how consequential the absence of occupational safety can be for their lives. Occupational safety describes the "hazard-free state during the practice of a profession" and is therefore the result of successfully implemented occupational health and safety. In Germany, as in so many countries, industrialization laid the foundation for our current Occupational Health and Safety Act, Section 12. The new social class of so-called "wage earners" was initially almost completely at the mercy of machines and working conditions.

A workplace accident could mean financial ruin

A state that was understandably not sustainable for long. Furthermore, there were no restrictions on who could work, from what age, for how long, and when. The result: child labor and unreasonably long shifts. To relieve the working class, a first law that can be assigned to occupational health and safety was passed in 1839: The so-called "Prussian Regulation" (Preußisches Regulativ) prohibited, among other things, the work of children under 9 years of age. What sounds very mild today admittedly marks the beginning of occupational safety in Germany.

Occupational safety – A long road with obstacles

Many more laws followed, such as the "Law Concerning Health Insurance for Employees" in 1883, and issues were discussed at congresses like the 1st International Occupational Safety Conference in Berlin in 1890. Although there were repeated setbacks, mainly due to the war years in the First and Second World Wars, occupational safety has been continuously expanded in the long term. Today it is regulated by a multitude of laws. Among others:

• Occupational Health and Safety Act (§12)
• Accident Prevention Regulation DGUV Regulation 1 "Principles and Prevention" (§4)
• Industrial Safety Regulation (§12)
• Ordinance on Hazardous Substances (§14)
• Occupational Safety Act (ASiG)

A definition of occupational health and safety today is:

“Occupational health and safety or employee protection is understood as the measures, means, and methods for protecting employees from work-related safety and health hazards. The aimed goal is the prevention of workplace accidents and the protection of the health of employees.” (Hajek, 2013)

Occupational safety in the office

Today there are occupational safety guidelines for all kinds of industries. When Bismarck passed the first occupational safety laws back then, he certainly didn't think about the fact that people working in offices also needed protection. Obvious dangers such as toxic fumes and large machines are rarely found in the office. But today we have progressed, and above all, our standards are higher. For example, mental stress is officially recognized. Therefore, it is only logical that occupational safety must also be guaranteed in the office.

In our next part, we will explain how occupational safety can be guaranteed in the office and what measures must be taken to achieve this.

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Sources:

https://www.arbeitsschutzfilm.de/mediathek/die-geschichte-des-arbeitsschutz-in-deutschland-video_b4ffef932.html

https://www.bfga.de/arbeitsschutz-lexikon-von-a-bis-z/fachbegriffe-a-b/arbeitssicherheit-fachbegriff

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12614-013-1650-7

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