Wegweiser Employers · Duties for small businesses and households Deutsch

🦺 Occupational safety and work accidents

Assess hazards, report accidents: the Berufsgenossenschaft must be informed within three days if someone becomes unfit for work for more than three days.

work accident accident report (Unfallanzeige) Berufsgenossenschaft Unfallkasse risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) Arbeitsschutzgesetz accident insurance

In brief

Your employees are covered by statutory accident insurance. The responsible Berufsgenossenschaft or Unfallkasse bears the costs of work accidents. For this you must register your business there.

If an accident happens and the person is unfit for work for more than three days or dies, you must report the accident. The deadline is three days after you become aware of it.

You must also assess what hazards are connected with the work and take suitable protective measures. The most important results must be documented.

In a private household, accident insurance is included in the Haushaltsscheck.

Step by step

  1. Clarify the insurerIs it the Berufsgenossenschaft or the Unfallkasse? Ask the IHK or Chamber of Crafts if unclear.
  2. Assess hazardsFor each activity check: What can happen? Which measure helps?
  3. Report accidentsIf unfit for work for more than three days, report within three days.
  4. First aid and instructionMake sure employees know the hazards and emergency routes (details not evaluated).

Deadlines

one week
Notification of the business to the Berufsgenossenschaft§ 192 Abs. 1 SGB VII
within three days
Accident report after becoming aware, if unfit for work for more than three days or death§ 193 SGB VII
Watch out – common mistakes
  • The accident report is due once incapacity for work exceeds three days; if in doubt, ask the insurer to be safe.
  • According to § 6 Abs. 1 ArbSchG, documentation of the risk assessment depends on the type of activities and the number of employees; the text checked names no fixed threshold.
  • Accident insurance contributions for businesses (calculation) were not evaluated.
  • Commuting accidents and occupational diseases were not evaluated.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Notification of the business (§ 192 SGB VII)

Entrepreneurs must notify the responsible accident insurance body, within one week after the start of the business, of the type and subject of the business, the number of insured persons and the opening day or the day preparatory work began. The duty is deemed fulfilled if the business registration was submitted on time to the responsible office.

Accident report (§ 193 SGB VII)

Entrepreneurs must report accidents if insured persons are killed or injured so that they become unfit for work for more than three days. Under § 193 Abs. 4, the report is made within three days after becoming aware of the accident. The statutory text on the procedure in detail was only checked in extracts.

Risk assessment (§§ 5, 6 ArbSchG)

§ 5 Abs. 1: by assessing the hazards connected with employees' work, the employer must determine which occupational safety measures are necessary. § 6 Abs. 1: depending on the type of activities and the number of employees, the employer must have the necessary documents showing the result of the assessment, the measures set and the result of the review; for comparable hazards, summarised information is sufficient.

Private household

For mini-jobs under the Haushaltsscheck procedure, according to the Minijob-Zentrale statutory accident insurance is included in the flat-rate contributions (1.6 percent according to secondary sources).

Who is responsible
  • Responsible Berufsgenossenschaft or Unfallkasse
  • Minijob-Zentrale for household jobs
  • State authorities for occupational safety
  • IHK or Chamber of Crafts
Further reading
Registration, immediate notification and accident insuranceRegistering a home help: private household as employerAdvice and contact points for employers

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Occupational safety and work accidents“?
Assess hazards, report accidents: the Berufsgenossenschaft must be informed within three days if someone becomes unfit for work for more than three days.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • one week: Notification of the business to the Berufsgenossenschaft (§ 192 Abs. 1 SGB VII)
  • within three days: Accident report after becoming aware, if unfit for work for more than three days or death (§ 193 SGB VII)
What should I do first?
  • Clarify the insurer: Is it the Berufsgenossenschaft or the Unfallkasse? Ask the IHK or Chamber of Crafts if unclear.
  • Assess hazards: For each activity check: What can happen? Which measure helps?
  • Report accidents: If unfit for work for more than three days, report within three days.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • The accident report is due once incapacity for work exceeds three days; if in doubt, ask the insurer to be safe.
  • According to § 6 Abs. 1 ArbSchG, documentation of the risk assessment depends on the type of activities and the number of employees; the text checked names no fixed threshold.
  • Accident insurance contributions for businesses (calculation) were not evaluated.
Evidence
  • SGB VII §§ 192, 193, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • ArbSchG §§ 5, 6, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • Minijob-Zentrale, Abgaben bei Haushaltshilfen, retrieved 20 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.