Office Safety
free annual online instruction under Section 12 ArbSchG for office employees in Germany — in English, with certificate
- 45–65 min
- 15 modules
- Free certificate
- No account needed
- Updated November 2026
This course is also available in: Deutsch Türkçe Русский العربية Українська Polski
👥 Target group: All employees at office and display screen workplaces in Germany who prefer to learn in English — administration, sales, accounting, HR, customer service, IT, Employees who work entirely or partly mobile or from home
Which legal duty or standard requirement does this training cover?
About this training
An office is considered a safe workplace — the accident statistics of the German accident insurance institutions say otherwise. Tripping over cables, falls from stairs and chairs, defective electrical appliances, back complaints from wrongly set up display screen workplaces and mental stress are the hazards of administration. Section 12 of the German Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) and Section 4 of DGUV Vorschrift 1 therefore require an instruction for office workplaces too — before starting work and at least once a year thereafter, documented.
This online instruction is the English-language edition of our German course, written for employees who work in Germany but do not read German. The law that applies is German law, explained in plain English; the German edition is the authoritative version. It covers the general part of the annual basic instruction: the legal framework with ArbSchG, DGUV Vorschrift 1 and the Workplace Ordinance, the duties of employer and employees, the typical hazards in the office, the display screen workplace under Annex 6 ArbStättV, slip, trip and fall accidents, work equipment and electrical appliances with power strips and inspection duty, lifting and carrying, breaks, mental stress and mobile work, alcohol and medication, first aid and the first-aid logbook, occupational and commuting accidents with the accident report, behaviour in case of fire with escape routes and assembly point — and a worked case study. 15 modules, 20 questions, certificate of participation with a verifiable number and the complete list of topics.
What this course covers — and what it does not: The course provides the general part of the annual occupational safety instruction for office workplaces, with a record of contents, date and result. It does not provide the company-specific part — who the occupational safety specialist, first aiders and fire safety assistants are, where the assembly point, first-aid kit and escape routes are, which reporting paths and which company alcohol rule apply, only your company knows; that is what the module "Procedure in our company" is for. It replaces neither the risk assessment under Section 5 ArbSchG nor the first-aider or fire safety assistant training, no operating instruction for individual devices and no instruction for stores, workshops, laboratories or vehicles. Hazardous substances, business trips and sector-specific regulations are the subject of separate instructions. The course explains German law in English; it does not cover the law of other countries. This is a translation of the German course — in case of doubt the German edition applies.
Contents at a glance
- The legal framework in one place — occupational safety in the officeLegal framework: Section 12 ArbSchG and Section 4 DGUV Vorschrift 1 (instruction before starting work, at least once a year, documented), ArbStättV with Annex 6 display screen work, DGUV Information 215-410, Technical Rules for Workplaces
- Duties of the employer — duties and rights of employeesDuties: basic duties of the employer (Sections 3, 5, 6 ArbSchG, Section 2 DGUV Vorschrift 1), risk assessment from the first employee, duties of employees (Sections 15, 16 ArbSchG, Sections 15–17 DGUV Vorschrift 1), right to make suggestions and complaints (Section 17 ArbSchG)
- What hazards are there in the office?Hazards in the office: slips, trips and falls on traffic routes and stairs, cables and open drawers, defective work equipment, one-sided posture and display screen work, mental stress (Section 5(3) No. 6 ArbSchG), fire and electricity
- Setting up the display screen workplace correctlyDisplay screen workplace: requirements under Annex No. 6 ArbStättV, positioning the screen (line of sight parallel to the window, top line below eye level, viewing distance 50–70 cm), keyboard 10–15 cm from the desk edge, chair and dynamic sitting, offered eye check-up and screen glasses (ArbMedVV)
- Slips, trips and falls — traffic routes, stairs, tidinessSlip, trip and fall accidents: causes (rushing, cables, open drawers, wet entrance), keeping traffic routes clear (ASR A1.8), handrail and one step at a time on stairs, step stool instead of chair, suitable footwear, remedy or report defects
- Work equipment and electrical appliances in the officeWork equipment and electrical appliances: briefing and operating manual, do not remove safety guards, no private fan heaters or cooking appliances, power strips not in series and observe total load, inspection of portable appliances under DGUV Vorschrift 3, take defective appliances out of use and report them, headset volume
- Lifting and carrying loadsLifting and carrying: Manual Handling Ordinance, from a squat with a straight back, load close to the body, not jerkily and not twisted, carry on both sides, aids and carrying in pairs for heavy loads
- Mental stress, breaks and mobile workMental stress and breaks: stress factors in office work, rest breaks under Section 4 ArbZG (30 minutes from 6 hours, 45 minutes from 9 hours), interruption of display screen work (Annex No. 6 ArbStättV), recovery and availability; mobile work and home office: risk assessment, workplace design, accident insurance cover (Section 8(1) sentence 3 SGB VII)
- Alcohol, drugs and medicationAlcohol, drugs and medication: ban under Section 15(2) and (3) DGUV Vorschrift 1, employment ban under Section 7(2) DGUV Vorschrift 1, 0.0 per mille as a company rule at work and on business trips (statutory: Sections 24a and 24c StVG), medication affecting the ability to react, company parties
- First aid and the first-aid logbookFirst aid: duties under Section 10 ArbSchG and Sections 24–26 DGUV Vorschrift 1, number of first aiders (1 with 2–20 insured persons, 5 % in administrative companies), first-aid kit under DIN 13157/13169 (ASR A4.3), emergency call 112 with W questions, every injury into the first-aid logbook or reporting pad (DGUV Information 204-020/204-021), kept for 5 years, data protection
- Occupational accident, commuting accident and accident reportOccupational and commuting accident: definition under Section 8 SGB VII, insured detours (childcare, car pool, diversion), interruption and deviation, two-hour limit of the BSG case law, home office routes, reporting in the company, accident insurance consultant, employer's accident report under Section 193 SGB VII with more than three days of incapacity for work
- Behaviour in case of fire — escape routes and assembly pointFire protection: raise the alarm, emergency call 112 with W questions, self-protection before an extinguishing attempt, close windows and doors, keep escape routes and emergency exits clear (ASR A2.3), escape and rescue plan, do not use the lift in case of fire, assembly point and roll call, fire safety assistants (ASR A2.2), access for rescue services
- Case study: the charging cable in the corridorCase study trip accident: decision path after an office accident — first aid, first-aid logbook, report to the supervisor, accident insurance consultant, accident report under Section 193 SGB VII with more than three days of incapacity for work, remove the cause and adapt the risk assessment
- Procedure in our companyProcedure in our company: occupational safety specialist, company doctor and safety representatives, first aiders and fire safety assistants with contact details, location of first-aid kit and first-aid logbook, assembly point and escape routes, reporting path for defects and accidents, company alcohol rule, rules for mobile work
- Keeping recordsRecords: instruction before starting work and at least once a year (Section 12 ArbSchG, Section 4 DGUV Vorschrift 1), all employees take part, documentation with content, date and participants, retention, supplemented by the company-specific part
Frequently asked questions
Is the course really free?
Yes. No registration, no payment details, no trial period. You only enter your e-mail address so that the certificate can be delivered.
Does the course fulfil the annual instruction duty under Section 12 ArbSchG?
It fulfils the general part and documents it with a certificate. The company-specific part — occupational safety specialist, first aiders, assembly point, reporting paths, company alcohol rule — must be added and documented by the company; as a fixed-price customisation we fill in the module "Procedure in our company" for your company.
Which law does the course explain?
German law — the Arbeitsschutzgesetz, DGUV Vorschrift 1, the Workplace Ordinance and the related rules. The course is for employees who work in Germany but do not read German. It is a translation of our German course "Grundunterweisung Arbeitsschutz für Büroarbeitsplätze" with the same content and the same certificate; in case of doubt the German edition applies.
How often must the instruction be repeated?
At least once a year (Section 4 DGUV Vorschrift 1), and in addition before starting work, after changes in the area of responsibility, with new work equipment and after an accident. For young workers every six months.
Does the course also apply to home office and mobile work?
Yes. The Occupational Safety and Health Act also applies at home, and the course covers workplace design, breaks and the accident insurance cover in the home office under Section 8 SGB VII. The company rules for mobile work are added by your company in the module "Procedure in our company".
What is on the certificate?
Name, course, date, result, the complete list of the 15 training contents, the legal bases with the note on the company-specific part, and a certificate number that can be verified on the Academy's verification page — without displaying the e-mail address.
Does the course replace the first-aider or fire safety assistant training?
No. First aiders are trained in a course with nine teaching units at an authorised provider and attend a refresher every two years; fire safety assistants under ASR A2.2 with a practical extinguishing exercise. The course conveys what every employee must know — not the training for these functions.