German law gives many risks a named owner inside the company. A 2022 overview by the Bavarian State Office for the Environment lists 18 kinds of Betriebsbeauftragte, company officers, from waste officers to animal welfare officers. A company needs a data protection officer when, as a rule, at least 20 people regularly work with the automated processing of personal data. The threshold was raised from 10 to 20 in 2019. A company with 50 or more employees must appoint safety officers. Some officers have a direct line upward. If the officer for emissions control cannot agree with the plant manager on a matter of particular importance, he may present his proposals or concerns directly to the management. If the management rejects them, it must inform him fully of its reasons.