German Safety Inspections Expose Worsening Technical Failures as New Officer Rules Take Effect
04.06.2026 - 08:05:23 | boerse-global.de
Newly released inspection data shows German industrial and construction systems are becoming less reliable, just as a stricter legal requirement for safety officers comes into force. The TÜV-Verband’s Baurechtsreport 2026, published on June 3, found that 35.9% of all tested installations had significant defects in 2025 — a jump of nine percentage points from the previous year. Only 26.9% of systems passed without any complaints.
Ventilation systems were the worst performers: 44.2% suffered serious faults. Fire extinguishing systems saw a sharp deterioration, with 40.6% flagged as defective, up ten percentage points from 2024. Safety power supplies (35.2%) and safety lighting (35.0%) also recorded high failure rates. The quality of new installations is declining too: first-time inspections showed significant defects in 26.3% of cases in 2025, compared to 19.7% a year earlier. The TĂśV-Verband is calling for nationally uniform standards and stricter enforcement to fix problems after they are identified.
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New Law Mandates Safety Officers for Medium-Sized Companies
The Bundestag passed an amendment to §22 SGB VII on March 26, 2026, which took effect on May 29, 2026. Under the new rules, companies with 50 to 250 employees must appoint at least one safety officer. Larger operations with more than 250 workers are already covered by the DGUV Vorschrift 1 criteria. Firms with 20 to 50 staff must appoint an officer only if specific hazards are present, while businesses with fewer than 20 employees remain exempt.
The legislative change was driven partly by the deteriorating inspection results. Employers now face a tighter deadline to recruit qualified personnel or train existing staff to fill the role. The shortage of safety experts is already acute, and the expanded obligation will likely intensify competition for skilled workers.
Circular Economy Strategy Becomes a Management Task
On the same day the TÜV report was released, the federal cabinet adopted the action program for the Nationale Kreislaufwirtschaftsstrategie (NKWS). The Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) welcomed the plan but pressed for more binding measures — including extended producer responsibility for textiles and tougher penalties for illegal waste disposal. Local authorities are already responding: in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, more than 20 towns and cities have hired climate protection managers. The city of Bützow recently advertised for the role, becoming the second municipality in its district to establish a dedicated climate management position.
Training and Recruitment Efforts Accelerate
The demand for qualified personnel is pushing industry bodies and training providers to find new solutions. DEKRA Akademie has expanded its course offerings to train “befähigte Personen” — authorised individuals who can carry out weekly rack inspections under DIN EN 15635. In the construction sector, the association BAUVERBÄNDE.NRW has teamed up with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on the “WE-Fair” initiative, which promotes transparent and fair placement standards for international apprentices. Since 2022, 65 young people from Africa have been placed in construction training companies in North Rhine-Westphalia.
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The industry must also contend with volatile material prices, the phased introduction of Building Information Modeling (BIM), and compliance with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Juggling affordable construction with tighter safety and environmental requirements is becoming a major balancing act for German businesses.
