BrazilMeet the winners of the global DSS Safety and Sustainability Awards
The Safety and Sustainability Awards by DuPont Sustainable Solutions recognise excellence in employee safety, operational excellence and green operations. This year, the top prizes went to players in Asia and the Middle East.
Since launching in 2002, the awards shine the lights on companies that excel in promoting initiatives that save lives, protect the environment, and inspire a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Among the former winners are renowned multinationals including Arcelor Mittal, Danone, Deutsche Post, Jacobs, Kuwait Petroleum, PSA (the parent of Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and others) and Reliance Industries.
Joining the list of illustrious winners are three companies which may have less of a brand recognition on the global stage, but according to the jury of the Safety and Sustainability Awards, have managed to set a new benchmark for excellence in their respective field.
Engro Fertilizers
Headquartered in Pakistan, Engro Fertilizers is a manufacturer of fertilizers – the largest player in the national market (estimated at 30% market share by analysts). A subsidiary of conglomerate Engro Corporation, Engro Fertilizers has made safety of its staff, particularly at hazardous manufacturing facilities, one of its top priorities.
Having already bagged several awards for its corporate social responsibility strategy over the years, including an award by the industry’s global body The International Fertilizer Association, Engro Fertilizers has now landed the Global Safety Innovation Award by DuPont Sustainable Solutions for its so-called Safety Beyond Excellence program.
This program led to an 87% reduction in the total recordable incident rate, resulted in a sharp reduction in operational upsets / fire incidents, significantly improved risk management and led to an increase in employee and stakeholder engagement. The benefits were realised through an overhaul of its safety systems, investments in digitisation initiatives, and the introduction of new capabilities. Meanwhile, according to the firm, the improved safety contributed to better financial performance.
The Pakistani company edged out Saudi Arabia-based Saudi Aramco, named the winner in the EMEA region, and Brazil-based Usina Coruripe, which took home the Americas award.
Dubai Municipality
The Global Sustainability Award by DuPont Sustainable Solutions went to Dubai Municipality, which according to the jury delivered a market-leading performance in wastewater recycling. In the emirate, Dubai Municipality is responsible for managing, disposing and treatment of wastewater from all residential and commercial entities.
Against a backdrop of a growing population, and need to enhance sustainability to meet public demands, the Dubai Municipality faced the double challenge of needing to increase capacity while greening its operations. The implementation of an integrated, sustainable wastewater recycling program delivered on its promise – more than doubling daily sewage treatment capacity on the same footprint (reducing waste dumping in the process) while using around 25% less power to operate.
Meanwhile, the municipality has also “made significant advances in implementing the principles of a circular economy”, said the jury.
Other winners of the Global Sustainability Award were Sterlite Technologies (Regional Winner Asia Pacific) and Grupo Boticario (Regional Winner Americas).
SMRT Trains
The third award, the Global Operations Improvement Award, went to SMRT Trains, the Mass Rapid Transit operator in Singapore. With an average daily ridership of 3.4 million (prior to the Covid-19 pandemic), the rail network forms the backbone of the country's public transportation system.
While the SMRT is the oldest and busiest rapid transit system by route length in Southeast Asia, the operator is according to the jury also one of the most technologically-advanced. In recent years, the company rolled out a number of tech-driven improvements to its operations for travellers and asset management, backed by a wider Kaizen management philosophy for continual improvements in workflows.
Key initiatives include: a laser track trolley for safer and more efficient running of rail wear and track assessment, the introduction of an automated track access management system, and the establishment of a mobile operation and maintenance system. These improvements have achieved a substantial reduction in manhours equating to savings of S$10.3 million/year while, at the same time, enhancing safety, reliability, well-being, efficiency, and quality.
Commenting on the awards, Davide Vassallo, the CEO of DuPont Sustainable Solutions said: “These awards celebrate the achievements of companies that have developed innovative approaches to protecting their people and improving their operations. We congratulate all winners on their outstanding performance.”
About the Awards
The DuPont Safety and Sustainability Awards was launched in 2002, initially as the DuPont Safety Award with the purpose of stimulating initiatives for safety enhancement and accident prevention in the workplace. As the award gained prominence, it evolved from an EMEA award to a global one, and added two areas of focus – operational improvement and sustainability – to its scope in recognition of the growing importance of both topics for competitiveness.
Having acted as the stewards of the awards since inception, DuPont Sustainable Solutions has taken full responsibility for the competition since going independent in September 2019.
