DuPont announces new format for safety awards and opens calls for applications

After celebrating the 10^th edition of the annual DuPont Safety Awards in Istanbul, Turkey last year, DuPont has announced it will broaden the awards’ scope to include sustainability. The new 2013 DuPont Safety and Sustainability Awards are now calling for applications, which should be submitted by 10 September 2012. The winners, selected by an independent panel of judges, will be announced at the award ceremony in Dubai in March 2013. Further details, as well as the application form, can be obtained by contacting the independent organising committee at [email protected] .

“We took the decision to expand the awards in recognition of the clear need for improved sustainability in business today. At DuPont, we believe there is a global need to improve sustainability. We have shown that it is not a hindrance, but a key ingredient to growth, especially in times of economic insecurity,” Johan van der Westhuyzen, Middle East Regional Director for DuPont Sustainable Solutions, explains. “These awards help to advocate sustainability and reward companies for innovative, effective programs or projects that have succeeded in making their workplaces cleaner, and greener.”

As such, the annual DuPont Safety and Sustainability Awards welcome entries from all companies or organisations that can demonstrate significant achievements in safety or sustainability in one or more of the following six categories: 

Safety Performance Improvement,

Innovative Approach to Safety,

Visible Management Commitment to Safety,

Sustainable Corporate Footprint,

Cultural Evolution in Safety or Sustainability,

Stakeholder Engagement for Sustainability. 

In December 2012, the jury will announce a shortlist of three finalists per category based on criteria such as design & innovation, scope, results, replicability and risk. The winner for each category will be presented with a trophy and a certificate at the award ceremony.

Since its launch in 2002, the DuPont Safety Awards have attracted a growing number of applicants, with 2011 entries up nearly 50 per cent on the 2010 event. Last year’s entries came from a wide range of industry sectors across Europe, the Middle East and Africa – from the UK to Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, France, the United Arab Emirates and Italy. The winners of the 2011 edition included cement manufacturer CEMEX, mining company Anglo American, contracting firm Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC, fertilizer producer Egypt Basic Industries Corporation and metal manufacturer Emirates Aluminium (EMAL), all of whom showed tremendous achievements in the field of workplace safety.

“Our enhanced safety performance has allowed us to become a more sustainable company. It has also highlighted how an effective approach to safety can have a positive effect on the business bottom line," said Saeed Fadhel Al Mazrooei, President and CEO of Emirates Aluminium. Mr. Al Mazrooei added "we are proud to have received a DuPont Safety Award in recognition of our efforts."

“We are quite pleased to have been named as finalists for the safety award in 2011 for our Safety, Security, Health & Environment Management System (SHINE) project, and be recognised on an international scale for our efforts", said Mr. Hussain Esmaiel, KPI President. "Such recognition helps to bolster motivation, both within our organisation, and also among our peers in the industry, and also clearly demonstrate that improved safety, and indeed sustainability, lead to business success."

Judging this year’s entries are a panel of independent experts in safety and sustainability including Dr. Janet L. Asherson, Advisor Environment, Health & Safety at IOE- International Organisation of Employers and Walter Stahel, Vice Secretary General and Head of the Research Programme for the International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics.

“Over the last decade, the DuPont Safety Awards have grown substantially. They are now widely recognized among industrial companies as a benchmark for workplace safety. Furthermore, they have served as a means of stimulating safety initiatives across our region,” states Mr. Van der Westhuyzen. “We are immensely proud of this initiative, and pleased to announce its expansion.”

The Safety and Sustainability Awards are sponsored by DuPont, a global company widely recognised for its excellent safety and sustainability performance. For over 30 years DuPont has leveraged safety and sustainability as a catalyst to achieve sustainable growth and improve its bottom line.