Who is the “Betriebsarzt” (company doctor/occupational physician)?

The Betriebsarzt is the occupational or company doctor appointed by the employer to ensure the health and safety of employees in the workplace.
Their role is to make sure that workplaces, work processes and protective measures comply with occupational health, safety and legal standards, and to help prevent work-related risks and illnesses.

1. Legal basis and appointment of the company doctor

The German Occupational Health and Safety Act (Arbeitsschutzgesetz – ArbSchG) and the Occupational Medical Preventive Care Regulation (ArbMedVV) require employers to appoint an occupational physician (Betriebsarzt) to carry out preventive medical examinations and provide appropriate medical advice to employees (§ 2 para. 2 ArbMedVV).

Under the Occupational Safety Act (Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz – ASiG), companies are obliged to formally appoint a company doctor as part of their internal occupational health and safety organisation.
Together with other key stakeholders, the Betriebsarzt helps to prevent accidents and occupational diseases and to protect the health of the workforce.

2. Main tasks and responsibilities

a) Risk assessment and prevention

• Participating in the risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) by analysing workplaces and working conditions to identify hazards, such as:

  • chemicals and hazardous substances,

  • noise, vibration, heat, cold,

  • physical strain, repetitive tasks,

  • psychological stress and workload.

• Proposing preventive and protective measures, ergonomic improvements and organisational changes to reduce risks.

b) Occupational medical preventive examinations (Vorsorgeuntersuchungen)

• Carrying out mandatory, offered and requested medical check-ups according to ArbMedVV, for example in cases of:

  • exposure to hazardous substances,

  • heavy physical work,

  • noise, extreme temperatures,

  • night work or shift work.

• Performing pre-employment and regular check-ups where legally permitted and medically required.

c) Advice and training

• Advising the employer on:

  • workplace design and ergonomics,

  • choice and use of personal protective equipment (PPE),

  • organisation of working hours and breaks.

• Supporting the planning and implementation of training sessions, such as:

  • health and safety briefings,

  • training to prevent strain and stress,

  • organising and conducting first-aid courses within the company.

d) Vaccination and health promotion

• Planning and organising occupational vaccination programmes, e.g. against:

  • tetanus, hepatitis, typhoid in certain sectors,

  • influenza for at-risk groups.

• Advising on general health promotion, such as back training, stress management or workplace health programmes.

e) Reintegration and support after illness

• Supporting employees after long-term illness and participating in structured return-to-work programmes (e.g. BEM – Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement).

• Cooperating with the employer, health insurance funds and, where necessary, rehabilitation providers to enable a gradual return to work.

3. Cooperation with other parties

• Employer:
  The company doctor informs the employer about necessary protective and preventive measures, observed risks and recommended improvements – without disclosing confidential medical details.

• Works council (Betriebsrat):
  The works council must be involved in workplace regulations and can request support and expert opinion from the company doctor, especially in matters of health and safety.

• Occupational safety specialists (Fachkräfte für Arbeitssicherheit):
  The company doctor works closely together with safety specialists in the occupational safety committee (Arbeitsschutzausschuss) to turn risk assessment results into concrete measures.

4. Employee rights and medical confidentiality

• The Betriebsarzt is bound by medical confidentiality.
  They may only share general occupational-medical conclusions (e.g. “fit for work / fit with restrictions / not fit”) with the employer, but no specific diagnoses or private health data.

• Employees have the right, in the relevant cases, to:

  • free occupational medical check-ups,

  • sufficient time and privacy for examinations,

  • clear and understandable explanations of results and risks.

5. Benefits and importance of the company doctor

• Reducing sickness absence through early detection and prevention of work-related health risks.

• Improving working conditions through practical recommendations on ergonomics, workplace layout, lighting, noise reduction and workload.

• Legal compliance and protection for the company by fulfilling health and safety requirements and avoiding fines, penalties or compensation claims due to neglect of occupational safety.

By fulfilling these tasks, the Betriebsarzt helps to ensure that your workplace remains healthy and safe, supports long-term employability and contributes to achieving company goals in line with German occupational health and safety law.

Our team of writers and editors strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and multiple sources. However, errors may occur or some information may be incomplete or not definitively confirmed. Therefore, please regard the information in our articles as an initial point of reference and always contact the relevant authorities or professional bodies for binding and official information.