Schaeffler Aerospace wins top award from the BGHM for its safety culture

• “Schlauer Fuchs” award specifically acknowledges lived “culture of prevention” at the company
• Top distinction from Employers’ Liability Insurance Association for the Wood and Metal Industries (BGHM) for Schaeffler Aerospace in Schweinfurt
• Third distinction following awards in 2019 and 2021

The Employers’ Liability Association for the Wood and Metal Industries (BGHM) has once again presented Schaeffler Aerospace in Schweinfurt with a “Schlauer Fuchs” (“smart fox” in English) safety award. In 2023, however, the accolade was not given for an individual measure but specifically for the “culture of prevention” implemented at the location. Schaeffler is thus one of a maximum of four companies a year that the BGHM recognizes at this highest level.

“This is an acknowledgment of the prevention approach that we have been taking in conjunction with our EHS department for years and that is supported by all employees. It’s an exemplary team performance,” says Dr. Peter Glöckner, Managing Director of Schaeffler Aerospace, explicitly thanking the workforce: “This is your award and recognition of your work.”

Ongoing commitment to improve occupational safety

In 2019 and 2021, the BGHM had already recognized individual safety measures at Schaeffler in Schweinfurt: firstly, for the significant increase in occupational safety associated with improved ergonomics for workers at a forging press, then in 2021 for an innovative solution that alerts deaf workers directly and without delay in the event of an alarm.

“We have achieved a lot in the last few years. These awards prove to us that we are on the right track and motivate everyone involved to keep working on improvements,” says Boris Kemper, Head of EHS at Schaeffler Schweinfurt.

Employee meeting with panel talk

To mark the presentation of the award by Karl Hönig, BGHM Manager, Prevention, District South-East, Schaeffler Aerospace organized an employee meeting with a panel talk between Karl Hönig, Valeri Chevalier, plant manager Schaeffler Aerospace, team leader Manuel Kiesel, and external consultant and industrial psychologist Günter Kirschstein.

Karl Hönig said: “On average, around 125,000 workplace accidents occur in the wood and metal industries every year. Most of these accidents could have been prevented through safe behavior. This is why it is so important to establish a culture of prevention in people’s minds. That has been successfully achieved here.”

Team leader Manuel Kiesel explained: “Changes often arise from seemingly small things. But if you look more closely, they then evolve into general behavioral changes and into bigger projects.” 

A further manifestation of the diverse initiatives to further improve worker safety at the entire Schweinfurt site is the “Strategy Workshop Safety 2024” launched by plant and campus manager Carsten Rheinsberg, which also aims to transpose successful measures from specific areas into others – in December 2023 the focus will also be on the prevention pathway that won an award for Schaeffler Aerospace.