GDA Hazardous Substance Check

The GDA Joint German OSH Strategy () institutions - the German government, the federal states and the German social accident insurance institutions - launched the 3rd GDA period in mid-2021.

Three key areas with work programmes () were prepared for the next five years.

The GDA Hazardous Substance Check has been developed by the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions and is provided as part of the work programme Safe Handling of Carcinogenic Substances, set up under the Joint German Occupational Health and Safety Strategy (German: Gemeinsame Deutsche Arbeitsschutzstrategie, short ‘GDA’).

The GDA Hazardous Substances Check can be used to identify hazards from carcinogenic hazardous substances at the workplace and to take effective protective measures. With this new tool, small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, are provided with support when starting a risk assessment process.

The GDA Hazardous Substance Check

• helps to protect the health of employees,
• offers companies the opportunity to identify any need for action,
• helps small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, to carry out, complete, improve or update their risk assessment, step by step, using nine moduls,
• provides specific, compact and easily understandable information on the special duties and measures to be taken in connection with hazardous substances,
• provides an overview of sector-specific practical assistance,
• helps the relevant persons to meet their corporate responsibilities and to systematically comply with statutory health and safety requirements,
• also provides information for employees and their representatives with a view to creating awareness and getting them involved, so that they can be proactive in contributing their experience.

You can find more information about the Hazardous Substances Check in this brochure:

GDA Hazardous Substance Check Brochure (PDF, 2.2 MB, non-accessible)