Information for specific occupational fields

This page provides links to information on selected OSH topics for various occupational fields.  

• Practical solutions  supplied by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA).
• "Initiativkreis INQA-Büroarbeit" ("INQA Office Work Initiative Group") gives tips and advice: "Büroarbeit von morgen, schon heute gestalten" ("Designing tomorrow's office work today")
• SIGMA & BASA are two different tools for assessing work activities.
  SIGMA is primarily intended for OSH experts who already have experience in assessing work activities. 
  
  BASA is a tool for conducting questionnaires among workers.
  
• Ergo-Online is an on-line news service within the Sozialnetz-Hessen (social network of the federal state of Hesse), which covers all OSH issues and focuses on screen work.
• "Taschenlexikon »Arbeit und Gesundheit«" ("'Work and health' pocket dictionary"), produced by the Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gaststätten (institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention in the foodstuffs industry and the catering trade, abrreviated to BGN in German), provides quick and competent answers to questions concerning occupational safety and health
• The KomNet OSH expertise network pools OSH expertise and tailors it to workplace needs. 
• Information sheets on occupational diseases , drawn up by the Institut für Arbeitsmedizin (Institute for Occupational Medicine) at the University of Rostock.
• The Ergonomics Network  of the Institute for Occupational Physiology  at the University of Dortmund deals with the application of new information technologies.
• Specialist information on the subject of ergonomics  on the website of the "Berufsgenossenschaftliche Institut für Arbeitsschutz" (BG Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, abbreviated to BGIA in German)
• The "Der Bildschirmarbeitsplatz"  ("The VDU Workstation") guide was developed by BAD GmbH with the aim of enabling workers to play an active role in the design of their workstations and thus to prevent strain and health problems.
• Healthy screen work
  Ensuring optimum designs for VDU workstations and healthy and effective working. This website by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Economics and Labour shows you how!
  
• The VDU questionnaire  is a tool for assessing VDU workstations and helping to implement the provisions of the "Arbeitsschutzgesetz" (Occupational Health and Safety Act) and the "Bildschirmarbeitsverordnung" (Screen Work Ordinance). It was developed by the Institut für Arbeitsmedizin, Sicherheitstechnik und Ergonomie e.V. (ASER)  (Institute for Occupational Medicine, Safety Technology and Ergonomics) at the University of Wuppertal.
• OnForTe health links
  The OnForTe (Online Forum Telearbeit) project was set up by the DPG , IG Medien and ver.di trade unions. It is Germany's first worker-oriented telework advice service.
  
• INTAG - Telework information system
  By providing this service, the "Gesünder Arbeiten (GiGA)" ("Healthier work") initiative aims to support small and medium-sized entperises in their efforts to introduce and design tele-workplaces and in their daily telework, and thus to help telework catch on more in Germany.
  
• GESINA
  The objective of the GESINA project is to analyse and evaluate the work systems and organisational forms found at the workplace, against the backdrop of the OSH requirements laid down in law for companies and their employees.
  
• BAuA "Gesünder arbeiten in Call Centern" ("Healthier working in call centres") brochure
  A modular guide for call centres in industry and service centres in the sphere of public administration.
  
• "Empfehlungen für sicherheits- und gesundheitsgerechte Gestaltung von Callcentern"  ("Recommendations for safe and healthy call centre design")
  Commissioned by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), this body of knowledge is tailored to the design requirements for call centres and the equipment used in them. It provides support for those involved in the design process. 
  
• "CCall-erfolgreich und gesund arbeiten im Call Center" ("CCall - Working successfully and healthily in call centres")
  The CCall Project was launched in 2000 and funded by the then Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. It ran as a collaboration between the "Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft" (institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention in the administrative sector) and its partners until the middle of 2002. Demand from companies and the sector as a whole is now so high that the Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft is continuing to offer the CCall product on an independent basis.
  
• "Ver-T-iCall" project
  The project develops health-friendly implementation concepts for call centre solutions in the sphere of public administration and provides examples to demonstrate their feasibility.
  
• "Zur Leistung (ver) führen (2004)"  ("Motivating people to perform")
  ... What drives people to perform? Enjoyable work and a genuine boss
  
  In the 2004 study conducted by the Akademie für Führungskräfte (Academy for Executives), entitled "Leadership und Leistung in deutschen Unternehmen" ("Leadership and performance in German enterprises"), 342 executives were asked the following questions:
  
  - What motivates people to perform?
  
  - How can executives kindle performance potential?
  
  - What can block or even prevent performance?
  
• Psychological stress suffered by road maintenance workers
  Can an Internet article save lives? Perhaps… 
  

The Berufsgenossenschafts (institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention) operate an infoline on 01805 188088 (12 cents/minute). Callers can obtain answers to general questions concerning occupational accidents, commuting accidents and occupational diseases. The helpline also offers information on questions concerning membership and fees payable by enterprises and self-employed persons. Information can also be requested by e-mail from bg-infoline@vbg.de. The "BG-Infoline" is staffed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays.