Section 5 of the ASchG regulates workplace evaluation. This section obligates employers to identify and assess hazards, as well as to determine measures and document them.
§5 ASchG Assessment of working conditions
(1) By assessing the risks associated with employees' work, the employer must determine what occupational health and safety measures are necessary.
(2) The employer must carry out the assessment according to the nature of the activities. For similar working conditions, the assessment of a single workplace or activity is sufficient.
(3) A hazard may arise in particular from
- the design and layout of the workplace and workstation,
- physical, chemical, and biological influences,
- the design, selection, and use of work equipment, in particular working substances, machinery, devices, and systems, as well as handling them,
- the design of work and production processes, workflows, and working hours, and how they interact,
- inadequate qualification and instruction of employees,
- psychological stress at work.
Legal provisions for evaluation in Austria:
The obligation to evaluate psychological strain at work has been explicitly anchored in the Austrian Occupational Health and Safety Act (ASchG) since 2013. Additionally, it is highlighted as a special evaluation obligation in Section 68 Paragraph 1 of the ASchG.
Employee Protection Act (ASchG, BGBl. 450/1994):
§ 4 (Hazard identification and determination of measures)
§ 5 (Documentation)
§ 7 (Principles of hazard prevention)