Considering infection risks in the risk assessment
Infection control in the workplace has been an occupational health and safety issue since long before the coronavirus pandemic. Depending on the activity, working environment and current level of infection, existing hazards may need to be reassessed and appropriate protective measures defined. The specific situation in the workplace is what matters.
A risk assessment helps to identify relevant infection risks systematically: Where do close contacts occur? Which activities or work areas are particularly affected? Could employees be exposed to biological agents? And which technical, organisational or personal measures can reduce the risk?
Coronavirus as a historical example: During the COVID-19 pandemic, specific requirements for infection control in the workplace applied at various times. The SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance ceased to apply on 2 February 2023. However, many measures used at the time may still be useful when infection levels are high. The German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs now expressly describes its guidance as recommendations for protection against COVID-19, influenza and common colds.
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Updating the risk assessment for infection risks
Whether adjustments are required, and which ones are appropriate, depends on the particular workplace. The starting point should therefore be the specific hazard rather than a fixed list of measures. Relevant factors may include the type and frequency of contact, spatial conditions, shared work equipment or particular occupational exposures.
The following questions can help when reviewing the risk assessment:
- Which work areas and activities involve an increased risk of infection?
- How and how often do employees come into contact with each other, customers or other people?
- Which technical or organisational measures could reduce the risk?
- Do existing hygiene, cleaning or ventilation measures need to be adjusted?
- Are there groups of employees or activities that require particular consideration?
- How will the effectiveness of the measures be checked?
Possible workplace infection control measures
The risk assessment determines which measures are appropriate. Depending on the situation, possible approaches include:
- informing employees about infection risks and appropriate hygiene measures,
- ventilating workspaces adequately and operating ventilation systems properly,
- adapting cleaning and hygiene measures to the actual use of rooms and work equipment,
- reducing unnecessary work-related contact when infection levels are high,
- organising workflows or the use of rooms to reduce avoidable exposure,
- where necessary, considering specific protective measures for employees at particular risk.
Where employees may be occupationally exposed to biological agents, the relevant requirements of the German Biological Agents Ordinance (BioStoffV) and the Technical Rules for Biological Agents (TRBA) also apply. The risk assessment must therefore always reflect the activity concerned and the actual risk of exposure.
What remains relevant from the coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic brought workplace infection control into sharp focus for a time. A decision by the German federal and state governments on 15 April 2020 required companies, among other things, to implement a hygiene plan based on an adapted risk assessment and workplace pandemic planning. Further specific coronavirus occupational health and safety rules followed in subsequent years.
These specific requirements are no longer in force. However, the approach used at the time illustrates a principle of risk assessment that remains useful: if workplace hazards change, employers should review whether existing protective measures are still sufficient or need to be adjusted.
Measures such as ventilation, adapted hygiene arrangements, reducing avoidable contact or providing particular protection for employees at increased risk may therefore also be useful outside a pandemic. They are not blanket requirements, however, and must be appropriate to the particular workplace situation.
Current guidance: The German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs provides recommendations on workplace protection against COVID-19, influenza and common colds. For risk assessments involving activities with biological agents, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health provides further information and Technical Rules.
If you want to structure or update your risk assessment systematically, the following pages provide information on risk assessment methods as well as further guidance on risk evaluation and hazard prevention.
