BfR app "Poisoning Accidents Among Children" receives German Prize for Online Communication
The app "Poisoning Accidents in Children" developed by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) was awarded the German Prize for Online Communication 2014 in the Category "Mobile and Apps" on 21 May. "I am pleased that the prize honours a product which, far more than just a technical gadget, may help save human lives, notably children", says BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. "We hope that the prize will further raise awareness for poisoning accidents and that it will help parents quickly make the right decisions in case of emergency."
The mobile product “Poisoning Accidents in Children” was the BfR’s first ever app to be launched. Within five months after its release in August 2013, it had been downloaded 100,000 times. It offers background information on chemicals, drugs, plants and mushrooms that can lead to poisoning accidents in children and contains tips on how to prevent accidents. In case of emergency, parents and caregivers can find out, among other things, what the poisoning symptoms of a product are and what first aid measures must be taken. In the event of an emergency, a call to one of the nine competent German poison information centres can be made directly from within the app. Once installed on a mobile, the app can also be used without internet access, meaning that all information can be accessed anywhere, anytime. The smartphone app which is available for the operating systems Android and iOS can be downloaded from the relevant app stores free of charge.
More than 500 applications were received for the German Prize for Online Communication. The BfR app “Poisoning Accidents in Children” was nominated as one of six submissions in the category “Mobile and Apps”. All nominated candidates personally presented their submission and communication strategy to the jury in form of a brief demonstration. After the presentation, the jurors cast their votes. The German Prize for Online Communication has been awarded annually by pressesprecher magazine since 2011 to honour outstanding projects, professional campaign planning and trail-blazing strategies in digital communication. The jury is composed of representatives from the worlds of science and research, corporate communications and online PR. In awarding prizes, the jury takes into account creativity, innovation, strategic approach, appeal to target group, result and efficiency of the submitted products.
About the BfR
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientific institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. It advises the Federal Government and Federal Laender on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks.