Safety Prize of the ISSA Section Machine and System Safety awarded 

© AUVA / Richard Reichhart

The global ‘Vision Zero’ initiative of the International Social Security Association is based on the premise that all accidents, injuries and work-related diseases can be prevented. A key focus is on the identification of hazards and the assessment and control of risks.

For the ISSA Section on Machine and System Safety, improving machine safety has always been a central concern. Although significant progress has already been made, there are still too many accidents with machines occurring worldwide, which not only cause human suffering but also lead to considerable costs for social security systems.

For this reason, the ISSA Section on Machinery and Systems Safety organized its ‘Safety Award’ for the second time from October 2024 to June 2025, with the aim of promoting good practice, showcasing innovations and thereby encouraging other manufacturers to follow this way.

An international jury assessed the submitted machines according to specific criteria, such as unique selling points, geographical reach, applicability, risk reduction, additional costs for the user and ergonomics. The jury examined whether innovative technology had been used and whether a cross-sector solution had been implemented. The exemplary and outstanding solutions from the three winners of the 2025 Award convinced the international jury.

The award ceremony took place as part of the AUVA Prevention Forum in Innsbruck during the opening on 19 May 2026, and the findings were explored in more detail during a ‘Deep Dive Workshop’.

The winners were:

• Kleemann – Wirtgen Group, Göppingen
• Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer, Wolfenbüttel
• Sick AG, Waldkirch

Ewald Schemitsch from Kleemann – Wirtgen Group, Holger Burgtorf from Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer and Michael Kaspar from Sick each received a glass trophy and a certificate. The awards were presented by the Section’s President, Jürgen Schulin, the Deputy Director-General of AUVA, Roland Pichler, and AUVA’s Head of Prevention, Georg Effenberger.

By holding the award ceremony at the Prevention Forum, AUVA highlighted the common objective of ISSA and AUVA to improve occupational safety and health, which, in a globalized world, shall not be stopped by national borders.