Operating instructions

Preparing operating instructions is, like the directory of hazardous substances, a general obligation of the entrepreneur. For example, this obligation is mentioned explicitly in § 14 of the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances (GefStoffV) and § 9 of the Ordinance on Operational Safety (BetrSichV). Even though the entrepreneur is identified as addressee in the legal text, the technical supervisors are responsible for preparing them in the context of their fiduciary duty.

Operating instructions are intended to prevent accidents and risks to health and to protect property and the environment. Operating instructions should not be prepared until the hazards assessment has been completed. This is the basis on which relevant, workstation-specific safety and protective measures are determined and fixed in writing in accordance with a pre-defined structure. These instructions become relevant for the employees under labour law when the entrepreneur and/or supervisor signs them.

Many customers ask us not only to prepare operating instructions but also to carry out the necessary briefings for their employees. We recommend that your operating instructions be reviewed once a year, if only for your own protection, because changes in operating procedures can also change protective measures and data flows.