Prevention and corporate health management deliver success

Five companies receive the 2009 German Occupational Safety Award

03.11.2009

The 2009 German Occupational Safety Award was presented today in Düsseldorf at the launch of the 2009 A+A trade fair for occupational safety and health and occupational medicine. The winners are: ZF Sachs AG (Schweinfurt, Bavaria), Concert GmbH (Pritzwalk, Brandenburg), Mönninghoff GmbH & Co. KG (Senden, North Rhine-Westphalia), A.H. Winterberg GmbH & Co. KG (Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia) and Schiller Zahntechnik GmbH (Salzgitter, Lower Saxony).

"The winners are proof that investing in health and safety is a forward-thinking strategy that pays off, for both businesses and their staff," was the praise from Dr. Franz Josef Jung, German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. Further tributes came from Annelie Buntenbach, Member of the Managing Board of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB); Otto Kentzler, President of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts and Small Businesses (ZDH); Dr. Hermann Schulte-Sasse, State Councillor to the Senator of Labour, Women, Health, Young People and Social Affairs of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen; and Dr. Hans-Joachim Wolff, Chair of the Governing Committee of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).

Altogether, 144 businesses in four categories entered the competition. A jury of experts from businesses, government and industry associations chose the winning businesses. The jury assessed the businesses' products or processes according to criteria including effectiveness, economy, innovation, and scope for transfer to day-to-day operations.

The German Occupational Safety Award draws attention to positive real-case examples of workplace prevention measures, and the award winners serve as models to any businesses wishing to improve occupational safety and health whilst at the same time working more efficiently, announced the organizers of the competition: the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), the Commission for Occupational Safety and Safety Engineering of the German Federal States (LASI) and the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).

Mönninghoff, a manufacturer of prefabricated concrete elements, took the award in the category of "Product innovation" with its "quiet" concrete plant. The company replaced noisy steel moulds with quieter plastic substitutes. Whereas a specific product innovation was the deciding factor for the jury's choice of Mönninghoff, ZF Sachs was the winner in the "Safe and healthy in training" category. The automotive component supplier's "Fit for life" programme is aimed at the company's trainees. Company events on the topics of "Exercise and health" and "Dependency prevention" raise awareness, particularly among the younger employees. In addition, visits to the gym and safety training courses for drivers are subsidized. Fitness is also an important factor at Concert: the cellulose manufacturer has put a complete health programme in place as part of its strategy for growth, and has set up a health centre for its workforce. In addition, Concert has developed the course of training for corporate health managers, in conjunction with two partners. By contrast, Schiller Zahntechnik scored in the category of "Safe and healthy in SMEs". At Schiller, employees are at one and the same time role models and experts in workplace safety and health: the company has advisers on healthy eating. Each employee has an OSH-related function which is acknowledged by the company, and by company management in particular. Health and safety at the workplace is also an important topic for the management of the building cleaning company A.H. Winterberg. Environmentally friendly products, occupational safety and health and prevention training are therefore standard practice. The jury selected the company for the award in the category of "Systematic health and safety".

"The German Occupational Safety Award draws attention to positive real-case examples of workplace prevention. The businesses receiving the awards serve as examples to all other businesses who are seeking to improve occupational safety and health whilst at the same time working more efficiently," say the organizers of the competition: the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), the Commission for Occupational Safety and Safety Engineering of the German Federal States (LASI), and the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).

The German Occupational Safety Award is a part of the Joint German OSH Strategy (GDA) of the German national and regional governments and the accident insurance institutions. For the period from 2008 to 2012, the parties to the Joint German OSH Strategy have set themselves the targets of reducing the incidence and severity of occupational accidents in plants, of reducing musculoskeletal disorders, and of preventing skin disease. A preliminary status report with a number of papers is to be presented by the parties to the GDA on 4 November 2009 at the A+A 2009.

More information on the competition:

• www.dguv.de/arbeitsschutzpreis