Kelvion receives award for outstanding workplace safety
The Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metal (BGHM) has awarded Kelvion the prestigious ‘Schlauer Fuchs’ safety prize. This award recognises companies that demonstrate innovative and exemplary initiatives to improve occupational health and safety. Kelvion was selected in recognition of its comprehensive safety programme, which has been successfully implemented at the Herne facility.
The award particularly acknowledges the sustainable integration of safety representatives into day-to-day operations. Through targeted measures, Kelvion has significantly enhanced employee safety and achieved a notable reduction in workplace accidents. In the manufacturing sector, occupational incidents – particularly slips, trips, falls and injuries from sharp objects – remain a persistent challenge. Kelvion has adopted a holistic, cross-functional approach that actively involves employees at every level to mitigate these risks.
With the guiding principle of distributing responsibility for health and safety across a broad base, Kelvion undertook a fundamental restructuring of the role of safety representatives. The cornerstone of this new safety framework is a multi-pillar system: designated and specially trained safety representatives have been appointed for every production department and office area. Quarterly workshops provide a platform for exchanging observations, discussing challenges and evaluating the progress of safety initiatives. These are complemented by rolling weekly inspections based on structured checklists. Open dialogue during day-to-day operations and the strong integration of safety topics within Occupational Safety Committee (ASA) meetings provide further impetus for continuous improvement.
The regular workshops form the backbone of the programme, facilitating close collaboration between safety representatives, occupational safety specialists and management. They also serve as ongoing training sessions, focusing on rotating topics such as ergonomics, risk assessments and the safe operation of transport equipment.
Safety is deeply embedded in Kelvion’s corporate strategy. The company is fully committed to its global ‘Zero Harm’ policy and continuously strives to further enhance safety standards across all Kelvion sites worldwide.