TRGS 400 | Risk assessment for activities involving hazardous substances

The Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances (TRGS) reflect the state of technology, occupational safety and health and occupational hygiene as well as other sound work-scientific knowledge relating to activities involving hazardous substances including their classification and labelling. The Committee on Hazardous Substances (AGS) compiles or adapts the rules and they are announced by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) in the Joint Ministerial Gazette (GMBl). The TRGS concretizes within its scope the requirements of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV). Provided the Technical Rules are complied with, the employer may assume that the relevant requirements of the Ordinance have been met. If the employer chooses a different solution, he must at least attain the same degree of safety and health protection for the workers.

The German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAUA) has now published the 400 TRGS (Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances) dealing with risk assessment for activities involving hazardous substances. TRGS 400 describes procedures for gathering information and the risk assessment according to Article 6 GefStoffV. It incorporates the specifications of the German Hazardous Substances Ordinance within the framework specified by the German Occupational Safety and Health Act (Articles 5 and 6 ArbSchG).

The official version of the 400 TRGS (in German) in available on www.baua.de