(Photo: © erpeewee/123RF.com)
Read aloud:
31 October 2025
At the end of July, the Ministry of Labor presented a draft bill for the implementation of the EU Asbestos Directive into national law. Construction associations and the painting and decorating trade consider implementation in this form to be simply disproportionate and unacceptable.
There is no way around implementing the EU directive . Germany had two years to transpose it into national law. That deadline expires at the end of this year. The question, however, is what is feasible in practice and where adjustments can be made to prevent craft businesses from being paralyzed by excessive bureaucracy.
"In its current form, this would affect not only extensive demolition work , but also, for example, removing tiles during a bathroom renovation," says Norbert Kluger, hazardous materials expert at BG BAU . According to the EU directive, "asbestos removal" must be officially approved by the authorities . This has enormous implications for the progress of renovation work if a permit has to be obtained from the authorities before every minor renovation task in an asbestos-containing building. The scope of information required when reporting asbestos-related activities is also being expanded . Specifically, this means that the names of the employees must be documented, as well as proof of expertise for the on-site supervisors and proof of specialist knowledge (i.e., basic knowledge of asbestos) for the employees, plus the date of their last preventive medical examination.
These certificates (i.e., proof of expertise/specialized knowledge) do not yet exist in the aforementioned trades, as painters and varnishers, electricians, and plumbing, heating, and air conditioning (HVAC) companies have not been affected so far or did not feel affected by the regulations. " This will be a major challenge for the trades and the authorities ," says Kluger. Corresponding training courses are not yet available on the market.
The German Construction Industry Federation (ZDB) conducted a survey of training institutions , with sobering results. While there are courses for the "comprehensive certificate of competence" with 17 teaching units, which usually has to be completed by the supervisor on site , the smaller specialist knowledge certificate with ten teaching units for employees has not yet been adopted by the educational institutions.
Operations management
Operations management
Operations management
But how can this mess be resolved without paralyzing construction sites in Germany? Maintaining proportionality and increasing training opportunities is the suggestion of the German Association for Painting, Design, and Building Protection . Routine tasks in the area of functional maintenance, such as removing wallpaper, should not be affected by the new regulations . Employee turnover must be taken into account when requiring documentation, otherwise the bureaucratic burden will become unmanageable.
To manage the enormous training requirements, it must be possible for supervisory staff who possess the required expertise to conduct in-house training. However, due to a current lack of available training opportunities, the necessary expertise cannot be achieved by the end of the year.
Read more about occupational safetyPhoto: © VHWould you like to learn more about occupational safety?
In the Digithek of the Verlagsanstalt Handwerk you can compact and free in the Suu:m issue "Occupational Safety" rummage.
The edition is also available as Download available.
Just click here and read!
For work involving asbestos in low- or medium-risk areas, a transitional period for demonstrating expertise will be introduced until December 5, 2027. During this transitional period, the supervising person must demonstrate their expertise and take measures to prevent or minimize, as far as possible, the generation, release, and spread of asbestos fibers and potentially asbestos-containing dust.
As part of the implementation of the EU Asbestos Directive, a permit requirement is planned for companies carrying out demolition work in low- or medium-risk areas. The permit will be granted following a company-specific notification, provided the employer demonstrates that the necessary personnel and safety equipment are available and that compliance with the relevant occupational health and safety regulations is guaranteed. The permit will then be issued for a period of six years.
Furthermore, as part of a one-to-one implementation, supplementary information is required when notifying the authorities of activities involving asbestos. Specifically, this information includes a list of the employees expected to be deployed, as well as... Proof of expertise and recent preventive care.
Source: ZDH
Asbestos in Existing Buildings: Guidelines for Tradespeople A guide to handling asbestos in tradespeople's work is available free of charge as a PDF on the BG BAU website . In addition to information on protective measures and disposal, the guide includes a checklist for these measures. bgbau.de
DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!
Newsletter
Write a comment