During recent decades the tuberculin skin test has proved to be an enormously useful tool for control of tuberculosis. Recently the German tuberculin manufacturer has given up production. T herefore n ew p roducts from I taly, Denmark and (starting in 2006) Great Britain have to be evaluated. The present article discusses guidelines for prevention of tuberculosis which will have to be rephrased on the basis of immunological considerations and must include risk assessment at the workplace as required by European (and German) legislation.