Award-Winning Safety Campaign by VULKAN Trainees
Health protection and occupational safety play a key role in the VULKAN Group. Regular occupational safety training, the provision of appropriate protective clothing and workwear as well as measures to protect the health of the workforce and keep them healthy are the key management approaches that VULKAN uses. With the aim of making VULKAN employees even more aware of the issue of occupational safety and preventing accidents at work, VULKAN's trainees have been working on developing an occupational safety campaign since spring 2023 with the support of their trainers, which was launched in January 2024. VULKAN entered this campaign for the safety award of the German Employers' Liability Insurance Association for Wood and Metal (BGHM) and was awarded the “Smart Fox” in November 2024.
In order to carry out work at VULKAN as safely as possible and avoid accidents, it is important to regularly address the topic of occupational safety. In addition to the obligation to regularly take part in occupational safety training, industrial employees should now be made aware of important occupational safety issues through an occupational safety campaign.
The Concept
As part of this campaign, twelve different campaign motifs were published over a period of one year on the information PCs in the production halls at the Herne site as well as on the lock screens of the industrial employees and the information boards at the store floor stations. In addition, campaign motifs were positioned on a monthly basis as roll-ups at strategic points in the company, such as in front of break rooms and in the stairwell of the quay. They focus on various occupational safety categories, including cut injuries, eye protection, skin protection, hearing protection and the risk of slipping.
The Idea
“The idea for an occupational safety campaign was born against the backdrop of an increasing number of cut injuries in the company. I approached the trainees with the task of designing and implementing this campaign in order to sensitize and motivate VULKAN trainees to these issues,” says Jana Schulz, responsible for occupational safety at VULKAN in Herne.
The “Smart Fox” Safety Award
The commitment of the VULKAN trainees has now been rewarded: The representatives of the employers' liability insurance association who traveled to Herne on 18 November 2024 agreed that the campaign submitted was an “outstanding, great concept” and awarded it the “Clever Fox” safety prize. The evaluation was based on the criteria of operational safety technology, organization/motivation, health protection/ergonomics and innovative implementation. At the award ceremony, the trainees received a trophy, a certificate and a non-cash and cash prize, which was donated to the trainee fund.
“Safe workplaces and healthy employees are the BGHM's mission. That is why we use the award to promote projects that go beyond the prescribed level of accident prevention and effectively prevent accidents at work or occupational illnesses,” said Claus Pachurka, BGHM supervisor responsible for the prevention district West, at the event.
Sebastian Meise, CEO of the VULKAN Group, was delighted with the excellent initiative of the company's own young talent: “We train young people on a broad basis in order to produce specialists and managers from our own ranks. This also includes our own projects and important cross-company aspects such as occupational safety. Our trainees have shown great commitment to this topic and have demonstrated creativity and team spirit. I am delighted and proud that this commitment has been rewarded accordingly by the BGHM.”