Regional governments are participating in a nationwide week of action against crash accidents
The regional councils of Darmstadt, Gießen, and Kassel will be conducting increased inspections of scaffolding on construction sites throughout Hesse from June 8th to 12th, 2026. This is part of a nationwide action week under the Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy (GDA), which aims to reduce the number of serious fall accidents in the workplace.
Falls from height remain among the most frequent causes of serious and fatal workplace accidents in Germany. According to occupational safety authorities, they accounted for approximately 31 percent of fatal workplace accidents between 2009 and 2023.
Defects were found at many construction sites
The inspections build on activities of previous years, during which numerous technical and organizational deficiencies were identified at construction sites.
“Falls with often serious consequences occur repeatedly in connection with improperly erected or insufficiently secured scaffolding,” explains Isabel Fritsch, head of an occupational safety department at the Darmstadt Regional Council.
According to current findings, only 21 percent of the inspected construction sites fully met the occupational safety requirements in connection with scaffolding.
Missing documentation and improper modifications
The most frequent complaints included missing assembly instructions and inadequate technical safety measures. Furthermore, scaffolding was often modified or rebuilt by users themselves, creating additional hazards.
Occupational safety authorities therefore want to raise awareness of the risks of working at heights and sensitize companies to safe working conditions.
Information for companies and employees
The Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy focuses this year and next on the prevention of fall accidents. The aim is to sustainably prevent serious accidents on construction sites and other workplaces.
Further information on safe working on scaffolding and on construction site safety is available online from the relevant authorities.
(DARMSTADT – RED/RPDA)
Featured image: In keeping with the action week from June 8th to 12th, during which increased inspections will take place at construction sites throughout Hesse: an exemplary erected scaffold. Photo: Gießen Regional Council
