ASA planner for the meeting cycle
Under section 11 ASiG, an occupational safety committee (ASA) is required above 20 employees and meets at least once per calendar quarter. What counts is the quarter, not an interval of three months: four meetings spread over two quarters do not meet the duty. Members are the employer, the occupational physician, the occupational safety specialist, the safety officers and two works council members, where they exist. Enter the last meeting, and the planner gives you the next four dates.
Please enter a date, the committee must meet at least once per quarter.
The occupational safety committee (section 11 ASiG) meets at least once per calendar quarter; mandatory from more than 20 employees. Minutes should be kept. Guidance, not legal advice.
How the scheduling works
The legal basis is Section 11 ASiG. An occupational safety committee must be set up above 20 employees and meets at least once per calendar quarter.
If you would rather not handle invitations, agenda and minutes yourself: what an external occupational safety specialist takes on in an office, including attending the committee.
cycle = 1 meeting per calendar quarter
what counts is the quarter, not an interval of three months
| Rule | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Setting up | more than 20 employees | section 11 ASiG |
| Cycle | at least once per calendar quarter | section 11 ASiG |
| Follow-up dates | three months after the last meeting each, four dates in advance | the planner's calculation |
| Participants | employer or decision-empowered person, two works council members, occupational physician, specialist, safety officers | section 11 ASiG |
That distinction is the most common planning error. Meetings in March and May cover the second quarter but leave the first uncovered if only the March one fell there. The planner therefore works in quarters, not in monthly intervals.
Who to invite to each date
- the employer or a decision-empowered appointed person
- two works council members, where one exists
- the occupational physician
- the occupational safety specialist
- the safety officers, where appointed
What the planner does not do
- The agenda. Without one the meeting turns into an exchange of impressions. What works: open measures from the previous quarter first, then new topics.
- The minutes. They are the only evidence that the committee met, and are regularly requested during an inspection. Every measure needs an owner and a deadline.
- The invitation. Fixing dates a year ahead is the most effective protection against losing a quarter.
Everything about the committee is in Occupational safety committee: required from when?.
What to record after each date
The minutes are the only evidence that the committee met. Usable ones contain five things:
- Date and duration of the meeting
- Participants with their function, and who sent apologies
- The points covered, not merely "occupational safety in general"
- The decisions taken
- An owner and a deadline for every measure
That last point is the difference between minutes that document a meeting and minutes that actually steer occupational safety. A topic appearing in four consecutive sets of minutes without closure shows an inspection exactly the opposite of what it should.
Legal basis
- Occupational Safety Act (ASiG) section 11: duty to set up a committee with more than 20 employees, composition and quarterly cycle.
- Occupational Safety Act (ASiG) section 5: appointment of the occupational safety specialist, who sits on the committee.
- SGB VII section 22: safety officers, to be appointed from 50 employees and members of the committee.
Frequently asked questions
Are four meetings a year at any interval enough?
No. What matters is that at least one meeting takes place in every calendar quarter. Four dates spread across two quarters do not satisfy the obligation.
Can meetings be held online?
Yes, the law does not require attendance in person. What matters is that all members can take part and that the discussion actually happens. An exchange of emails alone does not replace the meeting.
Must every scheduled date produce minutes?
The law does not expressly require them, but in practice they are the central evidence. Without minutes the meeting cannot effectively be evidenced, and they are regularly requested during an inspection.
What if we have no works council?
The committee must still be set up. It then consists of the employer, the occupational safety specialist, the occupational physician and the safety officers, where any are appointed.
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