Aim of the study: The aim of this pilot project was to develop and evaluate practicable concepts for promoting health at the workplace to improve individual cardiovascular risk profiles under the motto “Healthy...because I want to be“. Methods and collective: After a detailed health check-up, the study participants were informed of their individual cardiovascular risks by the examining physician. Over the next four months the participants were helped to follow a healthier diet, improve their level of physical activity and to stop smoking. The effects of this intervention were measured and evaluated in a second check-up after an additional eight months. Results: After the first check-up 174 of 227 workers were included in the study. One hundred and nine employees (48 % of the workforce) participated in both check-ups. Eighty-one of these took part in the intervention programme. The risk factors adiposity, smoking, hypercholesterolaemia and hypertension were affected favourably to varying degrees. The score for cardiovascular risk, calculated from the BMI, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and smoker status, decreased from 6.77 to 6.67 (p = 0.07). The risk score of shift workers was also lowered, but was significantly higher than that of non-shift workers at both check-up dates (p = 0.009). Conclusions: The cardiovascular risk of employees in power plants can be reduced by health-promoting intervention programmes. Improvements were achieved in this study by getting the employees to give up smoking and to increase their level of physical activity. This is reflected by the risk score, practicable way of summarising the effectiveness of workplace health-promoting measures aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk. Shift workers need special attention in workplace health-promotion schemes, as they are at higher risk.