Coordinating Group on Hazardous Substances (KOGAS)

In its capacity as one of the statutory accident insurance institutions’ prevention committees, the "Koordinierungskreis Gefährliche Arbeitsstoffe" (Coordinating Group on Hazardous Substances, KOGAS) deals with occupational safety and health (OSH) topics such as: effects of hazardous substances on workers, OSH measures, substitute substances, classification/labelling, air limit values, measurement strategy, risk assessments, occupational medicine in connection with hazardous substances, toxicological assessment of hazardous substances, epidemiological aspects of exposure to hazardous substances and information on substances. KOGAS is intended to help the accident insurance institutions form an opinion on how to interpret and evolve the "Gefahrstoffverordung" (Ordinance on Hazardous Substances) and the body of regulations which supplement it. KOGAS also supports the collaboration between Germany’s Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the prevention committees of the statutory accident insurance institutions. KOGAS is supervised by the "Berufsgenossenschaftliche Institut für Arbeitsschutz" (BG Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, BGIA) and managed by the "Berufsgenossenschaftliche Zentrale für Sicherheit und Gesundheit" (BG Central Office for Health and Safety at Work, BGZ). It consists of: representatives of the statutory accident insurance institutions with seats on the "Ausschuss für Gefahrstoffe" (Committee on Hazardous Substances, AGS), representatives of BGZ and BGIA, representatives of relevant "BGs" (institutions responsible for statutory accident insurance and prevention) or expert committees/groups with guest status and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs with guest status. KOGAS’ tasks are outlined below (only available in german). KOGAS – an important interface KOGAS provides support for cooperation between the prevention committees and the AGS, which advises the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. It develops a harmonised opinion on what protection measures the accident insurance institutions feel should be taken to tackle current OSH problems involving hazardous substances. The standpoint established within KOGAS on specific OSH issues in the field of hazardous substances is presented to external parties, particularly the AGS, where it serves as the statutory accident insurance institutions' contribution to pertinent debate. However, KOGAS also sets up its own working groups. The "Dermal hazards" task force, for instance, was used to produce a BG information sheet concerning the addition of sector-specific aspects to the planned "Rahmen-TRGS" (Framework Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances). Overview of OSH rules, regulations and information sheets relevant to the area of hazardous substances BG regulations, rules and information sheets can be searched in the BGVR database. "Technische Regeln für Gefahrstoffe" (Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances, TRGS) can be downloaded on the website of the Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, BauA), as can information sheets regarding the work of the AGS. A list of all the relevant documents can be downloaded. Latest news News on the AGS from the BGZ KOGAS coordinating group; as at 15 March 2006 (PDF file: 78 KB) (only available in german) News on the new Ordinance on Hazardous Substances from the BGZ KOGAS coordinating group (PDF file: 34 KB) (only available in german) Contacts Supervision: Berufsgenossenschaftliches Institut für Arbeitsschutz (BGIA) Dr Helmut Blome Tel. +49 (0)2241 2312705 Fax +49 (0)2441 2312234 E-mail Management BG-Zentrale für Sicherheit und Gesundheit (BGZ) des HVBG Dr Stefan Dreller Tel. +49 (0)2241 2311322 or 2311340 Fax + 49 (0)2241 2311233 E-mail