A letter from your accident insurance institution, a new warehouse opening or a workplace accident can expose a gap that has been there for months: no documented occupational health and safety support. DGUV V2 requirements set out how employers in Germany must arrange professional support from an occupational safety specialist and company doctor. They apply whether you run a small office, a retail site, a logistics operation or a growing German subsidiary.
For international employers, the regulation can look deceptively simple. Appoint two qualified experts, allocate the required time and keep records. In practice, the right level of support depends on your workforce size, sector, risks and the rules of the accident insurance institution responsible for your business. Getting those foundations right makes the rest of your safety system far easier to manage.
What DGUV V2 requirements mean in practice
DGUV V2 is the German accident insurance regulation that governs occupational medical and safety support. It sits alongside the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz, ArbSchG), which requires employers to protect employees’ health and safety through suitable organisation, risk assessment and preventive measures.
The regulation requires you to appoint an occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit, or SiFa) and a company doctor (Betriebsarzt). These professionals advise the employer, inspect working conditions and help turn legal duties into practical controls. They do not take over your legal responsibility. The employer remains accountable for ensuring that risks are assessed, measures are implemented and employees receive suitable instruction.
DGUV V2 normally divides support into two parts. Basic support covers recurring, core tasks such as reviewing hazards, workplace inspections, accident analysis and employee instruction. Enterprise-specific support addresses the particular risks and changes within your operation, such as introducing machinery, handling hazardous substances, opening a new location or responding to a serious incident.
That distinction matters. A low-risk office may need relatively little enterprise-specific work in a settled year, while a warehouse with forklift traffic, racking, shift work and temporary staff is likely to need considerably more hands-on support.
Who must arrange occupational safety and medical support?
If you employ staff in Germany, you should assume that professional occupational safety and medical support is required. The exact model changes with headcount and the accident insurance institution (Berufsgenossenschaft, or BG) assigned to your business sector.
Larger employers usually follow the standard support model, where annual support time is calculated per employee. Small businesses may be able to use an alternative care model offered by their BG. This commonly involves employer training and access to qualified support when specific occasions arise. It is not a reason to ignore workplace safety, and it is not available automatically in every situation.
Your BG classification is central because the applicable support groups, time allowances and alternative models can differ. A foreign parent company should not assume that its approach in another country, or even a German approach used by a different group entity, meets the rules for a new site.
Employment status also needs care. Permanent, part-time and temporary workers can all affect your planning. Contractors are not simply part of your headcount, but their presence may create coordination duties and additional risks. Where several employers work at the same site, responsibility needs to be clear before work begins.
The two required professional roles
Occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit)
The safety specialist focuses on prevention in the workplace. Their work may include reviewing your risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung), inspecting work areas, advising on work equipment, investigating accidents and near misses, and supporting employee safety instruction.
For a retailer, this could mean checking stockroom access, manual handling and emergency routes. For a logistics business, it may involve traffic separation, racking condition, loading areas and safe use of lifting equipment. For an office-based scale-up, the focus may be ergonomic workstations, electrical equipment, mental workload and evacuation arrangements.
A safety specialist should have the qualifications and sector understanding appropriate to the work performed. Assigning the role to an unqualified employee merely to fill a box creates a weak point at exactly the moment an inspector asks for evidence.
Company doctor (Betriebsarzt)
The company doctor advises on the health side of prevention. This includes occupational health precautions where required, health risks connected with work activities, return-to-work support and confidential medical advice for employees.
The company doctor’s role is not limited to medical examinations. They can advise on risks from display screen work, night work, noise, hazardous substances, physical strain and work-related psychological pressures. Medical information remains confidential. The employer receives the advice needed to improve working conditions, not employees’ private medical details.
Occupational health precautions may be mandatory, offered or requested by an employee, depending on the exposure. The Occupational Medical Prevention Ordinance, ArbMedVV, is relevant here. Your risk assessment should identify where occupational medical input is needed rather than treating it as a separate annual appointment.
How to calculate your DGUV V2 support time
Under the standard model, your BG places your business within a hazard group and sets a basic annual support time per employee. That time is then divided between the safety specialist and company doctor according to the applicable rules. Enterprise-specific support is added on top where your activities, risks or organisational changes require it.
This is why a simple online headcount calculation is rarely enough. Before calculating time, confirm which legal entity employs the staff, which BG applies, how many employees are counted and what work they actually perform. A business with office staff and a warehouse operation may need a different assessment from a company with the same number of desk-based employees.
Support should be planned for the year, but it must also respond to events. A relocation, rapid recruitment drive, new chemicals, altered shift patterns, a machinery purchase or an accident can all create additional work. Treat the annual allowance as a planning framework, not a ceiling that prevents you from addressing a real risk.
Evidence you should keep ready
Authorities and accident insurance institutions generally want to see that appointments are real, advice has been acted on and safety management is operating. A named specialist without site visits, records or follow-up action is unlikely to provide convincing evidence.
Keep your appointment documentation, agreed support plan, records of workplace inspections and evidence of consultations with the safety specialist and company doctor. Your current risk assessments, training records, accident documentation and records of corrective actions should connect to that professional support.
Where your company has more than 20 employees, you will usually also need a safety committee meeting (Arbeitsschutzausschuss, or ASA) at least quarterly. These meetings bring together the employer or representative, safety specialist, company doctor, employee representatives and other relevant safety roles. The value lies in recorded decisions and follow-up, not in holding a meeting for its own sake.
If an inspection identifies deficiencies, respond with a clear action plan. Document what was found, who owns each action, the deadline and how completion will be checked. This is where a capable external safety partner can act as part of your health & safety superhero team: translating the notice, prioritising the work and helping you close gaps methodically.
A practical three-step route to compliance
First, establish the facts. Confirm your BG, legal entity, employee numbers, locations, activities and existing safety documents. An initial on-site inspection often reveals whether records reflect the reality of the workplace.
Second, appoint suitable occupational safety and medical support and create an annual plan. The plan should cover basic support, foreseeable enterprise-specific work and clear contact points for urgent issues.
Third, carry out the work and retain evidence. Update risk assessments, train employees, correct deficiencies and review changes before they become incidents. This is also the point to coordinate related duties, including fire protection, hazardous substances management, equipment inspections and racking inspections where they apply.
If you need support across several locations or have received a deficiency notice, request a quote for a review tailored to your operation. The right starting point is not a generic checklist. It is an accurate picture of your workplace and the duties that follow from it.
Frequently asked questions about DGUV V2 requirements
Can an internal employee act as the safety specialist?
Yes, provided they hold the required qualification and have enough time, authority and access to carry out the role properly. Many employers use external support because training an internal specialist takes time and because an external expert can bring wider sector experience. The appropriate model depends on your scale, risks and internal capability.
Do remote employees count?
Employees working from home remain employees for occupational safety planning purposes. Their work activities, equipment and working arrangements should be considered in your risk assessment. The practical approach will differ from a fixed workplace or warehouse, but remote work is not outside your employer duties.
Is a risk assessment enough to meet the regulation?
No. A risk assessment is a central legal document, but DGUV V2 also concerns the professional support that helps you assess risks, implement controls and review whether measures work. A document that is never reviewed against the real workplace will not provide much protection.
What happens after an accident insurance inspection?
You may receive findings, deadlines or a formal deficiency notice. Read it carefully, preserve the relevant records and assign corrective actions promptly. Some issues can be resolved quickly, while others require a revised risk assessment, specialist input, training or technical changes. A timely, documented response shows that you are taking the matter seriously.
Workplace safety becomes manageable when it has owners, evidence and a regular rhythm. Start with the support your business needs now, then keep reviewing it as your people, premises and risks change.