Was ist heute noch ein Tagewerk? Hohe Arbeitsintensität und Arbeitsschutz

High work intensity may lead to increased accident rates and work-related health risks for employees. For this reason, the state system regulating health and safety at work is generally required to prevent workloads endangering the well-being of employees. Due to its institutions and functioning, however, this implies considerable challenges because job requirements for employees are complex and result from multi-layered processes of coordination, control and work design in companies. In this context, the article discusses three conditions that influence how the occupational health and safety inspectorate may deal with health risks caused by high work intensity: its hazard-related approach, its commitment to a defined state of research in ergonomics and work sciences as well as its focus on the workplace level and the need for ex-ante specifications of generally binding protective measures that employers should take to combat stressors and hazards. Together with the right to carry out inspections and to impose sanctions, these three institutional givens define the scope of action for the state administration for health and safety at work concerning high work intensity.