DGUV Regulation 2 (DGUV Vorschrift 2) sets how much support from an occupational safety specialist and a company doctor a business needs. Above 20 employees, the revised version requires standard support: basic support of 0.5 to 2.5 hours per employee and year plus a business-specific part. We calculate your requirement and provide the occupational safety support.
Dipl.-Ing. Marc Riegel
Geschäftsführer · Dipl.-Ing. Sicherheitstechnik
Managing Director · Dipl.-Ing. Safety Engineering
What does DGUV Regulation 2 (DGUV Vorschrift 2) regulate?
DGUV Regulation 2 (DGUV Vorschrift 2) is the accident prevention regulation that specifies the German Occupational Safety Act (Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz, ASiG). It determines how employers organise support from occupational safety specialists (Fachkräfte für Arbeitssicherheit, SiFa) and company doctors (Betriebsärzte), which form of support applies to which company size and how many hours of deployment are required at minimum. The duty to appoint them itself follows from §§ 2 and 5 ASiG. (ASiG, DGUV Regulation 2; as of 29.09.2026)
Each statutory accident insurance institution puts the regulation into force as its own statutory rule. The wording can therefore differ between the institutions, including the deployment times. The version of your own institution always applies.
What changed with the revised version, and from when does it apply?
The revised version raises the threshold for the simplified forms of support from 10 to 20 employees, allows digital support for up to one third of the time and standardises the minimum share of both specialists in the basic support (Grundbetreuung) at 20 per cent. It applies in stages depending on the accident insurance institution, for example at BGHM since 01.04.2025, at VBG since 01.12.2025 and at BGN and BG RCI since 01.01.2026. (DGUV, BGN, BG RCI, VBG; retrieved on 30.09.2026)
This matters for the construction industry: BG BAU puts the revised version into force on 01.01.2027. Until then, the previous version remains binding for construction and construction-related businesses (BG BAU; retrieved on 30.09.2026), in which the standard support (Regelbetreuung) under Annex 2 begins at more than 10 employees. Therefore first check which institution insures your business.
Overview: Revised DGUV Regulation 2 by accident insurance institution (selection, as of 30.09.2026)
- BGHM: revised version since 01.04.2025 · standard support under Annex 2 from more than 20 employees
- VBG: revised version since 01.12.2025 · from more than 20 employees
- BGN and BG RCI: revised version since 01.01.2026 · from more than 20 employees
- BG BAU: revised version from 01.01.2027 · until then the previous version, Annex 2 from more than 10 employees
Other institutions are implementing the revised version step by step. The statutes of your own institution always apply.
Which form of support applies to my business?
That depends on the number of employees and on the version applied by your institution. Under the revised version, businesses with up to 20 employees can use the standard support for small businesses under Annex 1 or, depending on the institution, competence centres; depending on the institution, the employer model (Unternehmermodell) is open to businesses with up to 50 employees. Above 20 employees, the standard support under Annex 2 applies. In the previous version this threshold is 10 employees. (BGN, BGHM; as of 29.09.2026)
Part-time staff are counted proportionally, following the rules of the regulation. What counts is the number of employees in the business, not the number of sites.
How do I calculate the basic support under Annex 2?
The basic support is the number of employees multiplied by the hourly value of the support group (Betreuungsgruppe): group I 2.5 hours, group II 1.5 hours, group III 0.5 hours per employee and year. The group depends on the economic sector code (WZ code) of the business. The occupational safety specialist and the company doctor each account for at least 20 per cent. (DGUV Regulation 2 Annex 2, BGHM; retrieved on 29.09.2026)
Overview: Deployment times of the basic support under Annex 2 (example values)
- Support group I (e.g. construction, mining, metal production): 2.5 hours per employee and year · 50 employees: 125 hours · 120 employees: 300 hours
- Support group II (e.g. mechanical engineering, logistics, healthcare): 1.5 hours · 50 employees: 75 hours · 120 employees: 180 hours
- Support group III (e.g. administration, retail, education): 0.5 hours · 50 employees: 25 hours · 120 employees: 60 hours
- Split: of which at least 20 per cent each for the occupational safety specialist and the company doctor, plus the business-specific support
Our deployment time calculator under DGUV Regulation 2 works with your own values. The sector examples are simplified; what counts is the assignment of your economic sector (WZ code) by your institution.
Checklist: Determining deployment times in five steps
- Clarify the institution: With which accident insurance institution is the business insured, and does the revised version already apply there?
- Count employees: Part-time staff proportionally, following the rules of the regulation.
- Determine the support group: Assignment via the WZ code in the annex to Annex 2.
- Calculate the basic support: Employees × group value, of which at least 20 per cent each for the occupational safety specialist and the company doctor.
- Determine the business-specific part: Review the occasions and tasks under Annex 2, set the effort and document it.
Worked example (example values): A group II business with 120 employees arrives at 120 × 1.5 = 180 hours of basic support per year. Of this, at least 36 hours go to the occupational safety specialist and at least 36 hours to the company doctor. The remaining 108 hours are distributed as needed. The business-specific part is added. Our deployment time calculator does the calculation for your values.
What belongs to the business-specific support?
The business-specific support covers tasks that go beyond the basic support and result from the particular circumstances of the business, such as new plant, changed processes, particular hazards or restructuring. The employer determines its scope itself, based on the task areas in Annex 2, and documents it. The regulation does not specify a fixed number of hours for it. (DGUV Regulation 2 Annex 2; as of 29.09.2026)
In practice this part is the key to effective support. A business with installation sites, work at height or many external firms needs considerably more here than a business with purely office work. Anyone who sets and records the effort with reasons can explain it clearly to the supervisory authority and the accident insurance institution.
Which further duties depend on company size?
From more than 20 employees, an occupational safety committee (Arbeitsschutzausschuss) must be set up, which meets at least once a quarter (§ 11 ASiG). Under the amended version of § 22 SGB VII, safety officers (Sicherheitsbeauftragte) must in principle be appointed from regularly 50 employees since 29.05.2026; before that the threshold was more than 20. For 21 to 49 employees the duty remains if there is a particular risk to life and health. (ASiG, SGB VII; as of 29.09.2026)
Who may provide the support?
The support is provided by occupational safety specialists with safety engineering expertise (Fachkunde) and company doctors with occupational medicine expertise, either employed or as an external service. The revised version opens the training to become an occupational safety specialist to further fields of study and requires further training to be documented in the annual report. (BG RCI, VBG; retrieved on 29.09.2026)
Important in daily practice: travel time does not count as deployment time (BGHM). Digital advice is possible for up to one third of the standard support; at VBG only if the business is personally known beforehand.
How does SAFETEE support you?
We provide occupational safety support under DGUV Regulation 2: calculating your requirement, delivering the basic support, accompanying business-specific occasions and documenting everything transparently. You will find the calculation method, the deployment time calculator and our offer on the page Support under DGUV Regulation 2. We are happy to clarify questions about your institution via the contact page.
From how many employees does the standard support under Annex 2 apply?
Under the revised version from more than 20 employees, under the previous version from more than 10. Which version applies depends on the accident insurance institution: BGN and BG RCI have applied the revised version since 01.01.2026, BG BAU only from 01.01.2027. The statutes of your own institution always apply.
How many occupational safety specialist hours does a business with 50 employees need?
That depends on the support group. In group II it is 50 × 1.5 = 75 hours of basic support per year, of which at least 15 hours for the occupational safety specialist and 15 for the company doctor. The rest is distributed as needed, and the business-specific part is added.
Do the new thresholds already apply to construction businesses?
No, not yet. BG BAU puts the revised version into force on 01.01.2027. Until then the previous version remains binding for the construction industry and construction-related services. The standard support under Annex 2 therefore still begins there at more than 10 employees.
May the support also take place digitally?
Yes, within limits. Under the revised version up to one third of the standard support can be delivered digitally, in justified cases more, but no more than half. VBG additionally requires that the business is personally known beforehand. On-site inspections therefore remain a fixed part of the support.
Does travel time count as deployment time?
No. Under the regulation, travel time of the occupational safety specialist and the company doctor is not credited as deployment time. What counts is the time in which the specialists actually perform their tasks in or for the business, such as site inspections, advice, contributing to risk assessments and meetings of the occupational safety committee.
What happens if the deployment times are not met?
The accident insurance institutions supervise compliance with their accident prevention regulations and can order measures. The consequences of a breach in an individual case depend on the facts. Ask us: we review your support documentation and show how you can close gaps transparently. Often it is enough to justify and document the business-specific support properly.
Who determines the support group?
The group follows from the economic sector of the business, assigned via the WZ code in the annex to Annex 2. What counts is the assignment by your accident insurance institution. Group I covers sectors with high hazards, group III those with lower hazards, each with its own hourly value per employee.
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