Appointing safety officers: mandatory from 50 employees in the workplace

From 50 employees, the law requires businesses to appoint safety officers and involve them actively in occupational health and safety.

In brief: Under § 22 SGB VII (Book VII of the German Social Code, covering statutory accident insurance), businesses with 50 or more employees must appoint at least one safety officer who supports staff on a voluntary basis in accident prevention and occupational safety. With 21 to 49 employees, the duty applies only where there are special hazards. Anyone who fails to appoint one risks a fine.

Who is affected?

All businesses with 50 or more employees are affected, regardless of industry or legal form. What counts is the number of regular employees in the business, not a formal headcount on a single reference date. With 21 to 49 employees, you only need to appoint a safety officer if your business has special hazards. You should therefore review regularly whether your company falls under the appointment duty, especially when your workforce grows or the risk situation changes. A tool such as Company Audit shows which other occupational safety obligations apply to your company in practice.

What changed with the 2026 amendment?

With the amendment of § 22 SGB VII effective 29.05.2026, the general duty to appoint was restructured: it now applies only from 50 employees, whereas previously a safety officer had to be appointed across the board from 21 employees. For businesses with 21 to 49 employees, the duty has applied since the reform only if there are special hazards in the business. Businesses that had appointed a safety officer because of the old threshold should therefore check whether the appointment is still mandatory under the new legal position. Regardless, it can make sense to keep an established structure in place.

What do you need to do in practice?

You need to find suitable employees, appoint them as safety officers and qualify them for the role. This starts with checking the number of employees or the hazard situation in the business to establish whether the duty to appoint applies at all. Next, you need to win over suitable people from the workforce, ideally employees who are well accepted in their team, because safety officers act mainly as multipliers. These people are then qualified for the role through a seminar run by the competent Berufsgenossenschaft (the statutory accident insurance body). In day-to-day operations, safety officers must be involved in workplace inspections and, where one exists, in the occupational safety committee, so that their practical observations from everyday work actually feed into the company's occupational safety efforts. You should also document the appointment in writing so that it can be proven when needed, for example to the Berufsgenossenschaft or the supervisory authority.

Step by step: how to appoint a safety officer

1. Check whether the threshold of 50 employees is reached (or whether there are special hazards at 21–49 employees).
2. Find suitable employees and appoint them as safety officers.
3. Qualify the safety officers for the role (Berufsgenossenschaft seminar).
4. Ensure their involvement in workplace inspections and the occupational safety committee.
5. Document the appointment.

By when and how often?

There is no fixed deadline on the calendar: the duty arises as soon as your business reaches the threshold of 50 employees or, at 21 to 49 employees, as soon as special hazards exist. The appointment is therefore not a one-off formality but something you need to keep an eye on: check regularly whether the number of employees or the hazard situation has changed, and adjust the number of safety officers accordingly. As a rule of thumb, one person is usually enough below 250 employees. If the business grows well beyond that mark, you should consider whether an additional person makes sense. With several sites, you should also check staffing for each site individually, so that a safety officer is actually available on the spot at every site.

What are the consequences of non-compliance?

Failing to appoint a safety officer can result in fines. Safety officers support occupational safety on a voluntary basis, so appointing them is not optional but legally required once the relevant threshold is reached. Anyone who ignores the duty therefore risks not only a fine but also forgoes the practical support that safety officers provide as multipliers within the team. Precisely because they come from the workforce and are accepted there, they help ensure that hints of hazards are spotted early and discussed in workplace inspections and in the occupational safety committee.

Frequently asked questions

From how many employees is a safety officer mandatory?

From 50 employees, appointment is mandatory under § 22 SGB VII. With 21 to 49 employees, the duty applies only if the business has special hazards.

How many safety officers does a business need?

That depends on the size of the business. Below 250 employees, one person is usually enough; with several sites, staffing should be checked for each site.

What qualification do safety officers need?

They are qualified for the role, usually through a seminar run by the competent Berufsgenossenschaft.

What happens if I do not appoint a safety officer?

Failing to appoint one can result in fines.

Who is suitable as a safety officer?

Safety officers are multipliers within the team. Suitable candidates are employees who are well accepted among the workforce.

Source: § 22 SGB VII. This article is general information and does not replace legal advice in individual cases. As of: July 2026.