• Project by apprentices from DPD's Bremen depot receives the "Golden Hand" accident prevention prize awarded by the BGHW employers' liability insurance association

• Innovative heel protector for goods trolleys increases workplace safety

• Official award ceremony in Aachen

Aachen / Bremen, 16 November 2017 – International parcel and express service provider DPD Germany is one of the winners of the 2017 "Golden Hand" accident prevention prize awarded by the employers' liability insurance association in the trade and goods logistics industry (BGHW). The award was for an innovative concept which helps to ensure workplace safety in parcel sorting and distribution operations. Two apprentices from the DPD depot in Bremen have designed innovative heel protection which reduces the risk of workplace accidents when goods trolleys (so-called "corlettes") are used. The "Golden Hand" is Germany's premier prize for safe and healthy working conditions in the trade and goods logistics industry, and this year more than 70 companies submitted entries for the award.

"At DPD safety in the workplace enjoys top priority, and this award from the BGHW is tremendous confirmation of this"

Dr. Jörg Schmeidler, Regional Managing Director with DPD Deutschland

"At DPD safety in the workplace enjoys top priority, and this award from the BGHW is tremendous confirmation of this", states Dr. Jörg Schmeidler, Regional Managing Director with DPD Deutschland. "I'm especially delighted that the prize-winning project was developed by two of our apprentices. This demonstrates to all up-and-coming staff at DPD that fresh ideas are taken seriously and rewarded."

The award-winning project was designed by apprentices Firat Altay and Siatwinda Siapanika from the DPD Depot in Bremen. The two apprentices realised that the use of goods trolleys involves an increased risk of workplace accidents. If someone is hit in the heel by the front edge of these trolleys it can lead to serious and painful injury. This risk has now been minimised, thanks to the development of a simple but highly effective mobile heel protector. DPD uses goods trolleys in particular for the transport of bulky packages in the sorting hall which can't be automatically sorted and distributed on the conveyor belt of the parcel distribution centres. Click here to see a video portrait of the project by the two Bremen apprentices.

At its 78 locations throughout Germany DPD is currently providing training for 292 apprentices and trainees in 15 different occupations. The spectrum of these occupations ranges from office staff via specialists in IT, warehousing or courier, express and parcel services (CEP) to commercial forwarding specialists and students at a vocational academy.

 

About the BGHW

The BGHW (Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik) employers' liability insurance association provides statutory insurance cover for companies in the retail, wholesale and goods distribution industries. Its insurance services cover approximately 5.5 million employees in around 400,000 companies throughout Germany. The "Golden Hand" accident prevention prize is awarded annually for especially useful and inventive projects in workplace safety and health protection.