A new digital inspection license for industrial trucks, rolled out on July 3 by Wosatec, lets safety workers run checks on everything from manual pallet jacks to autonomous mobile robots using nothing more than a QR-code–enabled web app—even offline. The tool supports testing under DGUV Vorschrift 68 and FEM 4.004, and it arrives as German businesses face a raft of updated electrical safety standards that took effect in early July.
Those standards, detailed on July 4 by Rahn-Elektrotechnik, tighten the rules for testing portable electrical equipment under DGUV Vorschrift 3 and the Betriebssicherheitsverordnung (BetrSichV). The prescribed procedure is now more explicit: inspectors must perform a visual check for external damage, then take measurements of protective-conductor resistance, insulation resistance, and leakage current. Only after those steps can they proceed to a functional test and legally watertight documentation. Companies themselves must set the exact inspection intervals based on a site-specific risk assessment.
The requirements for fixed installations and machinery are equally rigorous. On July 2, e-safety24 GmbH laid out the specifics for permanent electrical systems. Most checks can be carried out while the plant is running, but machinery demands additional scrutiny under DIN EN 60204-1. Critical safety functions—emergency stops, guard-door monitoring, light curtains—are the main focus. The process includes a review of existing documentation, measurements of protective-conductor continuity and loop impedance, and testing of residual-current devices (RCDs).
Beyond individual equipment, the political debate over safety versus red tape is heating up. The TÜV-Verband, in a statement on July 3, gave a cautious welcome to the federal government’s goal of cutting bureaucracy, but warned against weakening proven safety inspections. “Innovations such as AI and autonomous driving must be promoted without pitting safety against efficiency,” said managing director Joachim Bühler. Less bureaucracy is desirable, he added, but eroding safety standards creates real risk.
Meanwhile, technological prevention is gaining ground. CBS ArcSafe introduced a remote-switching kit for ABB circuit breakers on July 3, allowing operators to open or close them from up to 15 meters away, protecting staff from potential arc flashes.
But new risks are emerging. Security researchers at Team82, part of Claroty, have identified vulnerabilities in devices such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and climate controllers. In theory, those flaws could trigger operational shutdowns, with industry experts estimating the cost of downtime in data centers at several hundred thousand euros per hour.
Rounding out the picture, the Gartenbau-Versicherung released an information brochure on July 2 focused on preventing electrical fires. It provides specific checklists to help companies spot the dangers of aging or faulty electrical installations before they cause damage.
