Conference and workshop on duties to maintain safety on premises on April 18/19, 2024 in Heidelberg

We want to “meet new risks with expertise” and are therefore organizing a two-day event on the topic of operational responsibilities for owners and facility managers of residential buildings at the Arthotel in Heidelberg in April 2024. The conference will focus on new legal and technical requirements that the housing industry should observe in order to minimize its own risk of liability. Specifically, this concerns the new Drinking Water Ordinance, which has been in force since the end of June 2023, and the new Hazardous Substances Ordinance, which is available as a draft bill and is expected to be adopted in the course of 2024. In addition, current liability legislation is presented, as well as a “non-liable” compliance and risk management system. The following day’s workshop will focus on the operational implementation of the Drinking Water Ordinance and “problem areas in hygiene.”

After 8 years, we are returning to Baden-Württemberg with our series of events on “duties to maintain safety on premises”, where – in terms of headcount – most of our housing industry customers are located.

The conference will focus on the new challenges facing the real estate industry in times when there is less financial leeway for risk prevention and technical risk management than in the long boom period from the beginning of 2010 to the beginning of 2020.

The conference will begin with our top speaker Prof. Dr. jur. Josef Scherer from the Technical University of Deggendorf. As a professor and lawyer, he will introduce the current liability case law of the civil courts and then focus on proactive risk management. In his opinion, it is possible and sensible to implement an“indemnifying compliance and whistleblowing management system“in the company, which can provide for liability privileges in the event of damage. He advocates the development of greater risk competence at management level in the company.

An equally interesting lecture will be given by Reno SchüttManaging Director of GEWO Nordhorn, on the “perennial issue” of asbestos will hold. His field report also goes into detail about the stricter requirements, in particular the intended reversal of the burden of proof, which the new Hazardous Substances Ordinance will entail and which has therefore already found its way into the risk and sustainability reports of large housing companies (see GEWOBAG Berlin, for example).

Another report from the industry for the industry will be presented by Daniel Berstecherauthorized signatory and head of the branch offices of the GWG Group from Stuttgart, on the operational implementation of traffic safety obligations in the company’s of the company, which covers not only Baden-Württemberg but also Bavaria and parts of northern Germany.

Finally, our Executive Board member Marcus Pikarekthe main changes relating to the housing industry that the new new Drinking Water Ordinance and illustrate them with some practical examples.

On the second day, he will go into more detail on the topic of drinking water in a workshop with 4 creditable hours (further training in accordance with § 15b of the Real Estate Agent and Property Developer Ordinance). He will be supported by Claudia Wagner from Watch Industrial Waters GmbH is supporting him. She is an expert for cooling water and evaporative cooling systems as well as drinking water hygiene and focuses primarily on the problem areas of hygiene and the “ingredients” of a good risk analysiswhich has been called a written risk assessment since the end of June.

Further information on the agenda, procedure and registration will be provided at the turn of the year. A room contingent has been reserved at the hotel for overnight guests. A small number of parking spaces are available in the underground garage; there is also a public parking garage directly opposite the hotel.

The conference fee is primarily used for the lecture fees of the external speakers.

This event information is intended as a SAVE-THE-DATE reminder to avoid scheduling conflicts at an early stage. The plan is to have dinner together in a nice location in the old town of Heidelberg. The final lecture on the first day has also not yet been assigned.

After Stuttgart, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hanover and Würzburg, we are all very much looking forward to Heidelberg as the next venue for our safety conference.

Be our guest in Heidelberg!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.