Legal Basis for Documentation Requirements
§6 ArbSchG requires employers with more than 10 employees to document the results of their risk assessment in writing. This applies to the general risk assessment as well as the psychological risk assessment.
Note: The obligation to conduct a risk assessment applies from the first employee. The documentation obligation only kicks in at 10 employees. However, smaller companies are well advised to document anyway – it provides protection during workplace inspections.
Mandatory Content
Under §6 ArbSchG and GDA guidelines, documentation must include:
- Activity groups: Which work areas were assessed?
- Identified hazards: Which psychosocial risks were found and how were they rated?
- Protective measures: Which measures were decided upon?
- Responsibilities and deadlines: Who is responsible for which measure by when?
- Effectiveness review result: Were measures implemented and are they working?
- Date of assessment: When was the assessment conducted?
- Signature of responsible person: Who was accountable for the assessment?
How Long to Retain Documentation
ArbSchG sets no explicit retention period. Legal experts recommend at least 5–10 years, as occupational disease statutes of limitation can extend up to 30 years and the documentation serves as evidence in liability cases.
Common Documentation Mistakes
Too vague: "There is time pressure" vs. "68% of customer service staff report elevated time pressure (COPSOQ scale: 3.8/5)".
No deadlines or owners: Measures must be assigned to specific responsible persons with concrete deadlines.
Missing effectiveness review: Documentation without evidence of effectiveness review is considered incomplete by authorities.
Outdated documentation: Assessment must be updated when working conditions change materially.
Automated Documentation with SafeMind
SafeMind generates complete documentation automatically as a timestamped, legally compliant PDF that meets all §6 ArbSchG requirements – including all mandatory fields, anonymized data, the measures plan, and effectiveness review evidence.
