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The SAFETEE HSE glossary explains 57 terms from occupational safety, construction site coordination and wind energy in 40 to 60 words each: from SiGeKo and risk assessment to LMRA, Safety-II and GWO. Every definition names its source, such as a German law, DGUV rule, standard or original author. It is written for clients, operators, project managers and HSE professionals.
Every definition names its source: law, accident prevention regulation, rule, standard or original author with edition.
Where we apply a term in projects, a link leads straight to the matching SAFETEE service.
It covers, among other things, the revised DGUV Regulation 2 and the amended section 22 of the German Social Code VII.
Notification of a construction site to the competent occupational safety authority under section 2 (2) BaustellV. It is needed if work lasts more than 30 working days with more than 20 employees at the same time, or exceeds 500 person-days. It is submitted at least two weeks before site set-up and displayed on site.
At SAFETEE: We check the thresholds at the start of safety coordination.
Battery energy storage system: stationary installation of many battery modules, usually lithium-ion, with inverters and controls that stores electricity from the grid or from wind and solar farms. Safety requirements for grid-integrated electrochemical storage are set out in IEC 62933-5-2 (edition 2.0, December 2025). Key hazards are fire, gas release and thermal runaway.
Behaviour-focused approach to occupational safety that goes back to applied behaviour analysis studies from 1978. Trained observers record safe and risky behaviour, hold feedback conversations and analyse the data to identify obstacles to safe work. It is critically discussed when BBS places responsibility one-sidedly on employees rather than on technology and organisation.
At SAFETEE: Our Behaviour Based Safety page shows how we combine BBS with leadership and organisation.
Source: Komaki, Barwick, Scott (1978), J. Appl. Psychol. 63(4); IChemE Symposium Series
Safety culture maturity model used since 1995 by DuPont, today dss+. It describes four stages: reactive, dependent, independent and interdependent, meaning team-oriented. With each stage the accident rate is expected to fall. The Bradley Curve is a proprietary model of a consulting provider, not a standard; it works better as a starting point for discussion than as a measuring tool.
At SAFETEE: Our safety methods page explains how we classify the Bradley Curve.
Source: dss+ Bradley Curve (Herstellerseite, abgerufen 29.09.2026)
Work inside tanks, silos, shafts and other confined spaces where lack of oxygen, gases, substances or restricted escape routes can quickly become dangerous. DGUV Rule 113-004 (issued February 2019) requires defined measures, set out in an entry permit or an operating instruction, including gas testing of the atmosphere and a standby attendant.
German ordinance of 1998 on safety and health protection at construction sites. It addresses the client: the client applies the principles of section 4 ArbSchG during planning, gives advance notice of larger sites, has a health and safety plan drawn up and appoints a coordinator once employees of several employers work on site. Responsibility stays with the client.
At SAFETEE: We put the BaustellV duties into practice in our safety coordination.
Coordination of safety measures when employees of several employers work at one workplace. Section 8 ArbSchG obliges the employers to cooperate and inform each other. Under section 6 of DGUV Regulation 1 they appoint a person who coordinates the work where activities endanger each other; for particular hazards this coordinator is given authority to issue instructions.
At SAFETEE: We take on coordination through our contractor management at plants and on sites.
Source: § 8 ArbSchG; § 6 DGUV Vorschrift 1; DGUV Information 215-830 (Ausgabe 07/2026)
Data centre construction site with extensive building services: electrical, cooling, ventilation, fire protection and emergency power are installed in parallel, while medium- and high-voltage and refrigeration systems go live step by step. Once several employers work on site, the client appoints a coordinator under § 3 BaustellV; electrical work is carried out de-energised as a rule under DGUV Regulation 3.
At SAFETEE: More on SiGeKo and HSE management for data centre construction on our Industrial construction & major projects page.
Source: § 3 BaustellV (Stand 29.09.2026); § 6 DGUV Vorschrift 3 (abgerufen 03.10.2026)
Accident prevention regulation “Principles of Prevention” of the German statutory accident insurance, adopted as a model text in 2013 and put into force by each accident insurer. It specifies employer duties: safety instruction at least once a year (section 4), cooperation of several contractors (section 6), safety representatives, first aid and the provision and use of personal protective equipment.
At SAFETEE: The SAFETEE Academy offers training on DGUV Regulation 1.
Accident prevention regulation on occupational physicians and safety specialists that specifies the ASiG and governs the scope and form of care. The revision (model text November 2024) enters into force in stages per insurer, e.g. BGN and BG RCI on 01.01.2026, BG BAU probably in 2027. It raises the simplified-care threshold to 20 employees and allows some digital advice.
At SAFETEE: We provide safety-related care under DGUV Regulation 2.
Source: DGUV Vorschrift 2, Mustertext (Beschluss 28.11.2024), Inkrafttreten je UV-Träger
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery. It replaces Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, has been in force since 19.07.2023 and applies on a mandatory basis from 20.01.2027. New elements include requirements on cybersecurity and self-learning control systems, stricter procedures for high-risk machinery, digital instructions for use and a definition of substantial modification.
Source: Verordnung (EU) 2023/1230; EU-Kommission, Seite „Machinery“
Personal protective equipment against falls from height, such as harness, lanyard, energy absorber and anchor device. It protects against fatal hazards and belongs to the highest risk category III of PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Under section 31 of DGUV Regulation 1 its use must be taught in instructions with practical exercises; every use requires a rescue plan.
Source: § 31 DGUV Vorschrift 1; Verordnung (EU) 2016/425; DGUV Regel 112-198/-199
Document that the coordinator compiles during the planning phase under section 3 (2) no. 3 BaustellV. It contains the safety and health information to be considered in later work on the structure, such as maintenance, cleaning or repair. It is specified by RAB 32 (issued 27.03.2003) and handed over to the client.
At SAFETEE: As part of our safety coordination we compile the file for the client.
Copenhagen-based organisation of wind turbine manufacturers and operators that sets common training standards for the wind industry. Best known is Basic Safety Training (BST, version V20 of 10.03.2026) with modules on first aid, manual handling, fire awareness, working at heights and sea survival. Certificates must be refreshed after two years.
Health and safety plan under section 2 (3) BaustellV. It is required when employees of several employers work on site and either advance notice is needed or particularly hazardous work under Annex II takes place. It contains the applicable safety provisions and special measures for such work; the coordinator draws it up and adapts it.
At SAFETEE: We draw up and maintain the SiGe-Plan as part of our safety coordination.
Source: § 2 Abs. 3, § 3 Abs. 2 BaustellV (zuletzt geändert 17.12.2025)
Safety approach that treats human error as normal and focuses on the conditions of work. It goes back to the US Department of Energy Human Performance Improvement Handbook (2009) and to Todd Conklin. Core ideas according to Conklin: error is normal, blame fixes nothing, learning is vital, context drives behaviour and how the organisation responds matters.
At SAFETEE: HOP is one of the approaches on our safety methods page.
Work involving ignition sources such as welding, flame cutting or soldering, especially in areas at risk of fire or explosion. For welding work, DGUV Rule 100-500 chapter 2.26 requires combustible materials to be removed; otherwise a written hot work permit defines extra measures such as covering, extinguishers and a fire watch during and after the work.
Management of health, safety and environmental protection in companies and projects. The term comes from practice and is not standardised; it typically combines occupational safety management under ISO 45001 with environmental management under ISO 14001. It covers risk assessment, safety instruction, inspections, incident analysis and key figures.
At SAFETEE: We provide HSE management on projects at large industrial construction sites.
Practical role for health, safety and environment in companies or projects, not defined by law. Typical tasks are risk assessments, safety instructions, inspections, incident investigations and reports to project management. The advisory role regulated by law is the safety specialist under section 6 ASiG; an HSE manager can also fill it if appointed accordingly.
At SAFETEE: Our HSE managers work within our clients’ project teams: HSE management on projects.
Systematic investigation of accidents and near misses to understand their underlying causes and prevent recurrence. HSE UK describes four steps: gather information, analyse it, identify controls and implement them. Good investigations look for causes in technology, organisation and working conditions rather than for culprits. In Germany, accident investigation is one of the safety specialist’s tasks.
At SAFETEE: After incidents we prepare expert statements.
Source: HSE UK HSG245 (2004); § 6 ASiG
German ordinance of 2015 on safety and health when using work equipment. Employers assess hazards before use, including for CE-marked equipment, and define protective measures and inspections by qualified persons. Installations requiring monitoring, such as lifts or pressure systems, are additionally inspected by approved inspection bodies according to Annex 2.
At SAFETEE: BetrSichV duties are central to our operator liability advice.
Source: BetrSichV §§ 1, 3, 14–16 (zuletzt geändert 18.12.2025)
International standard for occupational health and safety management systems, first published in 2018 as the successor of OHSAS 18001. It follows the plan-do-check-act cycle and the common ISO structure, can be certified and was amended with climate aspects in 2024. A revised edition went through the draft ballot in 2026; publication is expected in 2027.
Source: ISO 45001:2018 + Amd 1:2024; ISO/TC 283 und Zertifizierer zur Revision (Stand 09/2026)
Two types of occupational safety metrics. Lagging indicators measure what has already happened, such as the number and rate of injuries and illnesses. Leading indicators measure preventive activities and their effectiveness, such as completed inspections, reported near misses or implemented measures. OSHA recommends formulating leading indicators as SMART and looking at both types together.
Short risk check that workers carry out at the work location immediately before starting. It checks whether the planned protective measures fit the actual situation and sharpens risk awareness. The SCC scheme requires a defined procedure (checklist document 003, question 2.3); identified risks and measures are documented, and the LMRA is repeated when the task changes.
At SAFETEE: With SAFETEE LMRA, a site photo becomes a structured LMRA.
Lockout, tagout, tryout: procedure by which machines and plant are isolated from all energy sources before maintenance, secured with a personal lock, tagged and tested for zero energy. It is regulated in the US standard OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147. In German electrical engineering, the five safety rules of DIN VDE 0105-100 serve a comparable purpose.
Dangerous situation or event in which injury or damage was avoided only by chance, for example a trip stopped by a handrail at the last moment. The DGUV recommends reporting and analysing such events because they reveal risks before anyone is hurt. ISO 45001 counts them among incidents.
Source: DGUV, „Fehlerkultur – Noch mal Glück gehabt“ (06/2022); ISO 45001
National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health: British awarding body founded in 1979 that grants internationally recognised occupational safety qualifications. Well known is the International General Certificate for managers and newcomers, rated at SCQF level 6, with a revised syllabus since February 2026. Assessment consists of an open-book examination and a practical risk assessment.
Source: NEBOSH, International General Certificate (Spezifikation 2025)
Physician with occupational medicine expertise whom the employer appoints in writing under section 2 ASiG. The occupational physician supports the employer on safety and accident prevention in all health protection matters, advises on workplace design and hazards and provides occupational health care. Verifying sick notes is explicitly not one of these tasks.
German act of 1973 on occupational physicians, safety engineers and other occupational safety specialists. It requires employers to appoint occupational physicians (section 2) and safety specialists (section 5) in writing, as far as the type of business, number of employees and organisation require. DGUV Regulation 2 of the accident insurers specifies how much care is needed.
At SAFETEE: Safety-related care under the ASiG is part of our services: care under DGUV Regulation 2.
The core law of workplace safety in Germany. It obliges employers to take the necessary measures for safety and health, check their effectiveness and provide a suitable organisation (section 3). Section 4 sets principles such as combating hazards at source. Further key duties are the risk assessment, its documentation and safety instruction of employees.
At SAFETEE: Our services overview shows how we support employers with these duties.
Source: Arbeitsschutzgesetz §§ 3–6, 12
Advisory body that employers with more than 20 employees must set up under section 11 of the German ASiG. Members are the employer or a representative, two works council members, occupational physicians, safety specialists and safety representatives. The committee discusses occupational safety and accident prevention matters and meets at least once every quarter.
Safety engineer, technician or master craftsperson whom the employer appoints in writing under section 5 ASiG. The SiFa advises employers and managers, checks plant and processes, inspects workplaces, investigates accident causes and trains employees (section 6 ASiG). Responsibility for occupational safety remains with the employer; the extent of care follows from DGUV Regulation 2.
At SAFETEE: Our safety specialists provide care under DGUV Regulation 2.
Written, workplace-specific instruction from the employer on how employees handle a piece of work equipment or a hazardous substance safely. It describes hazards, protective measures, emergency behaviour and first aid in an understandable form and language. Section 14 of the German Hazardous Substances Ordinance requires it explicitly; it also forms the basis of the verbal safety instruction.
Source: § 14 GefStoffV (zuletzt geändert 17.12.2025); § 12 BetrSichV
Umbrella term for the duties of whoever operates plant and work equipment. They include the risk assessment (section 3 BetrSichV) and inspections (sections 14–16 BetrSichV), organising occupational safety and liability for damage to third parties under section 823 of the German Civil Code. Tasks can be delegated in writing to reliable, competent persons; selection and supervision remain a management duty.
At SAFETEE: We advise operators on duties, delegation and organisation: operator liability advice.
Source: §§ 3, 14–16 BetrSichV (18.12.2025); § 13 ArbSchG; § 823 BGB
Gradual shift of an organisation towards its safety boundaries through many small decisions, each of which seems reasonable on its own. Sidney Dekker described this in 2011 as drift into failure, building on Jens Rasmussen (1997). A related idea is Diane Vaughan’s normalisation of deviance from her analysis of the Challenger disaster (1996).
At SAFETEE: Our SAFETEE Culture Model describes how culture, leadership and framework conditions interact.
Source: Dekker, Drift into Failure (2011); Rasmussen, Safety Science 27 (1997)
Term shaped by German case law for liability arising because a company has not organised its processes so that duties are reliably fulfilled. The yardstick is the selection, instruction and supervision of the people deployed. Statutory reference points are section 130 of the Administrative Offences Act on supervisory duty and section 831 of the Civil Code.
At SAFETEE: We clarify how duties can be properly organised and delegated in our operator liability advice.
Documented procedure by which hazardous work such as hot work, confined space entry or work on energy sources is authorised before it starts, monitored during execution and handed back afterwards. The permit records location, task, protective measures, fire watch, responsible persons, validity and signatures. It is based on an on-site risk assessment.
Source: HSE UK HSG250 (2005); BG RCI Fachvortrag Erlaubnisschein (2019)
German rule for occupational safety on construction sites “Suitable coordinator”, issued 27.03.2003, specifying section 3 BaustellV. A coordinator needs construction expertise, occupational safety expertise and coordinator-specific knowledge, plus at least two years of professional experience in planning or executing construction projects, graded by complexity. Forward-looking, cross-trade thinking and social skills are also required.
At SAFETEE: More on the coordinator role on our safety coordination page.
Risk Assessment and Method Statement: a combination of risk assessment and work procedure commonly used in the British construction industry. The method statement describes step by step how a task is carried out safely and translates the protective measures of the assessment into concrete instructions for those doing the work. RAMS is an industry term, not a German legal term.
Source: HSE UK, Construction – risk assessments and method statements (abgerufen 29.09.2026)
Replacement of older wind turbines with new, usually more powerful turbines at the same site. Section 16b of the German Federal Immission Control Act simplifies approval: only requirements that change compared with the previous state are examined if the new turbine is built within 48 months of dismantling and stands no more than five times its total height away.
At SAFETEE: More on coordination on wind farm sites on our SiGeKo for wind farms page.
Plan defined in advance for how workers are rescued in an emergency, for example after a fall arrested by fall protection, from confined spaces or from a wind turbine. It covers alarm, rescue procedures and routes, equipment and personnel. DGUV Rule 112-199 (issued July 2022) deals with rescue concepts; effectiveness must be checked before work starts.
At SAFETEE: Rescue plans are part of our coordination for SiGeKo in wind farms.
Source: DGUV Regel 112-199 (07/2022); DGUV Information 203-007 (08/2021)
Systematic identification and evaluation of the hazards of an activity, together with the protective measures derived from them (section 5 ArbSchG). It covers the workplace, work equipment, substances, processes, qualifications and psychological stress, among others. Results, measures and effectiveness checks must be documented (section 6 ArbSchG). It is the basis of almost all other safety duties.
At SAFETEE: We prepare and review risk assessments as part of our HSE management on projects.
Source: §§ 5, 6 ArbSchG
The set of characteristics and attitudes in an organisation and its people that gives safety the priority its significance warrants. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s INSAG coined the term after Chernobyl (INSAG-1, 1986); the definition is in INSAG-4 (1991). The DGUV speaks of a culture of prevention: how naturally safety and health are considered.
At SAFETEE: With the SAFETEE Culture Model we develop safety culture on three levels.
Source: IAEA INSAG-1 (1986), INSAG-4 (1991); DGUV, Kultur der Prävention (28.11.2025)
Employer duty to inform employees about the hazards and protective measures at their workplace (section 12 ArbSchG). It takes place on hiring, with new tasks, work equipment or technologies and before starting work. Under section 4 of DGUV Regulation 1 it is repeated at least once a year and documented; for temporary workers the hiring company gives the instruction.
Employees who, alongside their job, support colleagues and the employer on safety, for example by watching for defects and the use of protective equipment. Since 29.05.2026, section 22 of the German Social Code VII requires them in companies with regularly 50 or more employees, previously more than 20. The works or staff council is involved.
Source: § 22 SGB VII (Fassung 2026, in Kraft 29.05.2026); § 20 DGUV Vorschrift 1
Two views of safety according to Erik Hollnagel. Safety-I sees safety as having as few unwanted events as possible and learns mainly from accidents. Safety-II sees safety as a system’s ability to succeed under varying conditions and therefore also learns from what goes right every day. The two views complement each other.
At SAFETEE: Safety-II is a focus of our safety methods page.
Source: EUROCONTROL, From Safety-I to Safety-II: A White Paper (09/2013)
SCC stands for Safety Certificate Contractors: a certifiable management system for safety, health and environment, originally developed for contractors in the petrochemical industry. It is based on the SCC checklist (document 003). Levels are SCC*, SCC** and SCC Petrochemical; SCP is the variant for temporary employment agencies. The programme owner in Germany is VAZ e. V.
In the wind context, the service lift in the tower of a wind turbine that takes staff and material up to the nacelle. The European standard for lifts in wind turbines is EN 81-44 (2024). Users need training, for example under the GWO Service Lift Training Standard; DGUV Information 203-007 also requires qualification for self-rescue in case of lift faults.
Source: EN 81-44:2024; GWO Service Lift Training Standard; DGUV Information 203-007
Health and safety coordinator under section 3 BaustellV. The client appoints the SiGeKo once employees of several employers work on the site. During planning the coordinator aligns safety measures, prepares the health and safety plan and the file for subsequent work; during execution the coordinator monitors their application and updates the plan.
At SAFETEE: We take on the SiGeKo role on construction sites and in wind farms: safety coordination.
Care model under DGUV Regulation 2 provided by occupational physician and safety specialist. Under the revision, companies with more than 20 employees receive basic care with fixed hours (group I 2.5, II 1.5, III 0.5 hours per employee and year, at least 20 per cent per profession) plus company-specific care as needed. Smaller companies fall under Annex 1.
At SAFETEE: The calculator on our DGUV Regulation 2 care page shows the basic care for your company.
Source: DGUV Vorschrift 2, Anlagen 1–2 (Neufassung, z. B. BGHM Ausgabe 04/2025)
Mnemonic for the order of protective measures: substitution, technical, organisational and finally personal measures. The formula itself is not in the law, but it summarises the principles of section 4 ArbSchG: combat hazards at source, link technology and organisation, and use individual protective measures only as a subordinate option. Internationally it is known as the hierarchy of controls.
Source: § 4 ArbSchG
Node in the power grid that connects different voltage levels, such as 380 and 110 kilovolts, and links generating plants such as wind farms to the grid. Its core is the transformer, plus switch bays, circuit breakers, busbars and protection equipment. Work on them follows DIN VDE 0105-100, with defined responsibilities and the five safety rules.
Source: TransnetBW, Umspannwerke (Broschüre); DIN VDE 0105-100; BG ETEM
Thermal runaway of a battery cell: an overheated or damaged lithium-ion cell releases heat that damages neighbouring cells, causing a chain reaction. Triggers include internal short circuits, mechanical damage, extreme temperatures or improper charging. Consequences are fires, explosions and toxic gases such as hydrogen fluoride; for large storage systems IEC 62933-5-2 addresses this hazard.
Source: OSHA Fact Sheet FS-4480, Lithium-ion Battery Safety (01/2025)
Short safety briefing on site, usually before work starts, on one topic such as ladders, lifting or falls. HSE UK describes it as a short presentation on a single aspect of health and safety. German regulations do not define the term; it complements the instruction under section 12 ArbSchG and DGUV Regulation 1 but does not replace it.
Planned, periodic shutdown of an industrial plant, for example in refining or chemicals, to carry out maintenance, inspections and modifications together. At times dozens of contractors with thousands of fitters work at the same time within a few weeks. BG RCI points to the increased accident risk of maintenance; planning, work permits and contractor coordination decide whether it runs safely.
At SAFETEE: We support the coordination of many contractors during shutdowns through our contractor management.
Source: BG RCI, Instandhaltung (Schwerpunktaktion 2023–2024)
Global training records database of the wind industry, operated by the Global Wind Organisation. Training providers upload completed GWO courses, participants see the verified status and validity of their certificates, and employers check before deployment whether the required training is in place. Each module gets its own record, including each refresher.
Source: GWO, WINDA (abgerufen 29.09.2026); BST-Refresher-Standard V19
Pair of terms from the Safety-II approach. Work-as-Imagined is the idealised view of work in plans, procedures and instructions under normal conditions. Work-as-Done is what people actually do in a specific situation, including sensible adjustments to changing conditions. Safety improves when the gap between the two is known and taken seriously.
At SAFETEE: The signature graphic on our safety methods page shows exactly this gap.
It explains technical terms from occupational safety, construction site coordination and wind energy briefly and with sources. Clients, operators, project managers and workers quickly find what a term means, the relevant source and, where it fits, the matching SAFETEE service.
The definitions are as of 29.09.2026; entries added later state their access date in the source. Every statement was checked against the legal text, DGUV regulations, standard or original source. When a regulation changes, we update the entry and its date.
No. The entries summarise regulations and methods in plain language and point to the source. The current wording of the regulation always prevails. We are happy to advise on how it applies to your company or project.
The SiGeKo coordinates occupational safety on a construction site with several employers under the Construction Site Ordinance and is appointed by the client. The safety specialist advises one employer in their company on an ongoing basis under the ASiG.
HSE stands for health, safety and environment. The term is used internationally and is not standardised; in practice it usually combines occupational safety management under ISO 45001 with environmental management under ISO 14001.
The revised DGUV Regulation 2 enters into force in stages per accident insurer and raises the threshold for simplified standard care to 20 employees. Since 29.05.2026, section 22 of the German Social Code VII requires safety representatives in companies with regularly 50 or more employees.
Yes, please. Tell us via the contact page which term is missing. We check source and relevance and add it to the glossary in the next update.
Tell us which term is missing or how a topic applies to your site or company. Our contact page lists the right contact person for every service.
