Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the term occupational health and safety has increasingly come into focus and is therefore currently on everyone's lips. However, many people are unclear about what it means and how occupational health and safety has developed over the years. We explain in this article.
The most important facts in brief
✓ Occupational health and safety includes measures to ensure safe and humane working conditions.
✓ Occupational health and safety measures must not be taken for granted and must be demanded again and again.
✓ Particularly in times of crisis such as the world wars, progress in occupational health and safety was often restricted or suspended.
Definition of occupational health and safety
The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs defines occupational health and safety as the "creation and maintenance of safe and humane working conditions". This definition is very general and can be expanded to include many other factors.
In this sense, occupational health and safety can be defined as all measures to protect employees from work-related health and safety hazards. Consequently, the primary goal is to maintain health and safety during working hours.
Who is considered an employee?
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employees are "all persons who are actually employed by another (natural or legal) person within the framework of an organization."
So who is included?
- Employees
- Civil servants
- Apprentices
- Interns and trainees
- Volunteers
- Pupils
- Male and female students
- FSJer
- Volunteers
- Soldiers
- Judges:inside
- Church employees
- Prisoners
What is the history of occupational health and safety?
The history of occupational health and safety is longer than some might think. Strictly speaking, it began in 1883, when Otto von Bismarck established the first health insurance scheme in the German Empire.
1883
On June 15, 1883, the Reichstag passed the Employers' Health Insurance Act. This included benefits that are still an important pillar of occupational health and safety today, such as sick pay, death benefits and the right to medical treatment in hospital.
1884
The Accident Insurance Act was passed on July 6, 1884 as a further pillar of social insurance. This contained measures such as the accident pension that employees received in the event of an accident. It was the newly established employers' liability insurance associations that supported the law.
1890
The first international occupational health and safety conference takes place in Berlin. Participants from a total of 14 countries take part in the event.
1891
Occupational health and safety is being greatly expanded. The measures taken include, among others:
- Abolition of Sunday work
- Ban on children under the age of 13 working in factories
- Young people under 16 may not work longer than 10 hours
- Women may not work longer than 11 hours
- Abolition of night work for women and young people under 16
1914
With the beginning of the First World War, many of the achievements of occupational health and safety were lost. In order to achieve a rapid and efficient militarization of industry, the labour protection regulations for women and young people and the abolition of Sunday work were revoked. At the same time, work shifts of 12 hours were reintroduced.
1918
At the end of the First World War, the revoked health and safety laws were reintroduced. At the same time, the first safety officers, known as accident prevention officers and safety engineers, were introduced in companies. Their task was to prevent possible accidents involving employees. Furthermore, the 8-hour working day, which is still in force today, was introduced after a long struggle by the trade unions.
1925
Occupational illnesses and commuting accidents are classified as accidents at work and are therefore considered an insured event for the accident insurance institutions.
1939-1945
As during the First World War, most health and safety measures were repealed. After the end of the war, reconstruction was the first priority - the price for this was an immense number of accidents at work in the years after the war.
1963
Thanks to the Accident Insurance Reform Act, the rights and obligations of the employers' liability insurance associations have been revised. They are now officially obliged to prevent accidents at work and to support those affected (or, in case of doubt, their surviving dependants) through various measures such as rehabilitation or widow's pensions. Since then, all companies with more than 20 employees have also been obliged to employ a safety officer.
1968
The Equipment Safety Act comes into force. This transfers responsibility for the safety of work equipment, machines and tools solely to the manufacturers of these products. They are now liable in the event of a defect. This ensures that only safe machines are placed on the market.
1974
Companies were now obliged to provide company doctors.
1985
Various occupational health and safety laws are now no longer regulated at national level, but at European level.
1996
The Occupational Health and Safety Act comes into force and obliges companies to protect their employees from chemicals, pathogens, hazardous substances, noise, heavy machinery and technical work equipment.
2013
Mental stress is enshrined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Do not take occupational health and safety for granted
As we can see, occupational health and safety has had a long and eventful history. Progress and setbacks have often alternated. During the two world wars in particular, occupational health and safety was sacrificed in favor of higher productivity.
These examples show that even today, occupational health and safety measures cannot be taken for granted and must be demanded again and again.
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