Young Employee of LHG Develops Innovative Safety Vest

The dock worker Jastin Dos Santos Costa from Lübeck Port Authority (LHG) has developed an innovative vest that is not only equipped with the usual reflectors but also features an LED chest light. It provides valuable services, especially during activities where dock workers are on foot, such as during loading operations on board.

(Lübeck) With Jastin Dos Santos Costa’s special vest, dock workers are better seen below deck, can work more safely, and perceive potential dangers more quickly. “We came up with the idea of equipping our vests with an additional lamp as part of an apprentice project. We need good light for our work, but all previous solutions were simply unsatisfactory,” reports the 22-year-old, who is simply called Costa by his colleagues. “On the fifth attempt, we found the best solution.”

Costa tested the new vests in the field with his LHG colleagues and found them to be excellent. The Trade and Goods Logistics Professional Association (BGHW) agreed with this assessment: With the “Golden Hand” award, it honors successful measures and actions in occupational safety and health protection – and in this context, also the warning vest. The jury was impressed not only by the age of the young inventor but also pointed out the transferability of the solution to other port facilities. This argument was particularly decisive in awarding Costa the prize.

Excited about the initiative of one of the youngest employees

“We are thrilled that one of our youngest has thought about the topic of occupational safety. We will have a lot of joy with Costa,” comments Michael Sorg, occupational safety specialist at LHG, on the award. LHG Managing Director Sebastian Jürgens adds: “We are proud that BGHW has recognized us for the second time after 2021. The ‘Golden Hand’ is considered proof of a good safety and health culture in companies.” In 2021, a special prize was awarded to a team of LHG workers who rescued an employee from the harbor basin during a shift.

Training Completed in Early 2023

Costa completed his training as a specialist in port logistics ahead of schedule at the beginning of 2023 and was subsequently taken on by LHG.

Explainer Video for the New Vest

Photo: © Bauer/BGHW / Image Caption (l. to r.): Jörg Eilers (occupational safety specialist at LHG) and Jastin Dos Santos Costa are pleased with the award presented to them by John Bötticher, jury member and board member of BGHW.