Musculoskeletal disorders and trips and falls are among the key health and safety challenges in the manufacturing environment. For many years, Merck has therefore relied on an outreach-based, low-threshold approach that brings prevention directly to employees. In the current project, the training offered in mobile fitness buses has been expanded to include VR-based, neuro-centered training. The goal is not only to prevent musculoskeletal disorders but also to address functional abilities relevant to preventing trips and falls. Dr. Nils Balser, Senior Expert in Health Management at Merck, explains how the need for this initiative was identified using the company’s internal metrics system, how the measure is being implemented in day-to-day production, and what preliminary results are available. This is a practical example of how workplace health management and occupational safety can collaborate on a joint prevention strategy.

To conclude, the three speakers will engage in a discussion with one another and with the audience. The focus will be on the questions that remain unanswered after the three presentations: Where can the individual level be integrated into the risk assessment? Who bears the costs when a measure simultaneously reduces accident rates and days of work disability? And what is the first step that costs nothing? The perspectives from traditional occupational safety, workplace health management, and training science are deliberately not identical. Differing assessments are openly discussed rather than glossed over. Questions from the audience are expressly encouraged.