Statistics show that there has been a significant decline in the number of occupational and commuting accidents over the last 100 years. Nevertheless, they also show that decline to have slowed over the last few years when compared with the twentieth century. Hence, the approaches taken to prevention to date may not be sufficient for the achievement of effective further progress towards the goal of Vision Zero- a world without serious or fatal accidents either in or on the way to and from the workplace or school.

It is now almost twenty years since the term “culture of prevention” was first used within the context of occupational safety and health in Germany. It heralded a newly developed appreciation for the fact that safety awareness among managers and employees alike is of key importance to the success of workplace prevention activities. The DGUV and its members tackle the topic of “prevention culture” in their new campaign.

They are the only organisation with responsibility for prevention and insurance cover all the way from preschool childcare, school, further education and working life right through to nursing care. This puts them in a position to credibly communicate and emphasise the message of prevention culture throughout all phases of human life. This message is: “Safety and health are values for every individual, organisation and society as a whole. They are to become an integral part of all actions. Preventative action is worthwhile and meaningful.”

Therefore, the goal of the campaign is to highlight safety and health as values for every individual, organisation and society as a whole as well as to integrate them into societal mindset and action. In order to reach this goal, the campaign encompasses six fields of action: “Leadership”, “Communication”, “Participation”, “Error Culture”, “Social Climate/Organisational Climate” and “Prevention as an Integral Part of all Tasks”. The campaign is scheduled to start in 2017 for duration of 10 years.