DuPont News

Companies Report Success in Driving Safety Culture at Workplaces

SEOUL, Korea, June 30 PRNewswire-FirstCall — Driving a safety culture across organizations, extending it beyond the workplace and keeping it top of mind with a commitment to collaboration and sharing are critical for keeping employees safe, according to a DuPont-sponsored survey of signers of the World Safety Declaration (WSD).

The survey results are the basis for the 2008 WSD Report, "Instilling a Safety Culture Across Continents: How Collaboration, Commitment and Accountability Help Organizations Achieve Measurable Results in Workplace Safety," which was issued by DuPont at the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work here. The WSD was created by DuPont in 2005 to provide companies with a framework to find common ground in identifying and improving workplace safety.

Among the leading areas of progress reported by WSD signers:

— Driving safety cultures across companies represents the greatest area of improvement, but continues to be an ongoing challenge as organizations strive to keep safety top of mind;

— Driving line management accountability for safety was next, indicating that companies are effecting a shift in their organizations, and:

— Reducing occupational accidents and injuries remains the bottom line focus of all safety programs.

"We are very pleased with the 2008 report and the survey results, in particular, because they reinforce the growing focus of safety as a cultural practice in companies around the world," said Mark P. Vergnano, group vice president — DuPont Safety & Protection. "Safety is a practice that knows no boundaries, in language or country. It is inherent to DuPont and to a growing list of companies. We will continue to strive to help others to better protect their employees, their customers and their communities."

DuPont is participating as a premier sponsor of the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. The company's involvement includes:

— Participating in the Safety and Health Summit, an exclusive gathering of leaders representing labor, government, safety and health professional associations, and businesses;

— Conducting a symposium on "Sharing Best Practices for a Safer and Healthier World";

— Presenting a technical session on "Successful Safety and Health Management System in Enterprises";

— Hosting a series of roundtable discussions on "Protecting Lives"; and

— Joining other charter signers of the World Safety Declaration in presenting a workplace safety report to Congress attendees.

Held every three years, the World Congress brings together several thousand key leaders and influencers of workplace safety policy from industry, government and labor who present and discuss emerging safety research, trends, best practices and innovations in the workplace. Today's World Day for Safety and Health at Work was established by the International Labour Organization in 2003 to emphasize the prevention of illness and accidents at work.

In 2005, a cross-industry coalition of companies from around the world publicly pledged to advance workplace and home safety practices globally over a three-year period by signing the first-ever "World Safety Declaration: Global Industry Commitment to Workplace Safety." The declaration, unveiled at the XVII World Congress of Safety and Health at Work in Orlando, Fla., in Sept. 2005, called for participating companies "to effect real-world change to achieve an attainable goal of increased safety and injury reduction." One of the declaration's goals is to recognize that safety enhancements in workplaces and homes are achievable objectives that can be defined, evaluated and measured, despite the differences of geographies and environments around the world. The companies also committed to reporting their progress, successes and challenges at this year's event in Korea.

Today, 48 organizations from 14 countries have signed the World Safety Declaration, including: Aker Solutions; Ansell Limited; ASIMCO Technologies; BE&K; Borealis; British Petroleum; Calvert; CEMEX; CH2M HILL; China Academy of Safety Science and Technology (CASST); China National Gold Group Corp.; China National Logging Corporation; China Nonferrous Metal Mining Ltd.; China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation; China State Construction Engineering Corporation; Ciba; DuPont; EDP; Endesa; Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp.; Firminech; Fluor; Fortum; Gamesa; General Electric; Hindustan Unilever; Huaibei Coal Mine Group; Intel Corp.; KONE; MOL; National Safety Council; Nestle, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.; Plastic Omniun; PetroChina Company Ltd.; Portugal Telecom; Protect Plus; Reliance Industries Limited; Rohm & Haas; State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS); Shaw Group; Sonae; South North Power Corporation; SUAL; TATA Chemicals; TATA Steel; Unilever; and Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes Company.

The World Congress on Safety and Health at Work is the world's largest international event related to occupational safety and health. Its aim is to contribute to the prevention of occupational accidents and the protection of workers' health through the exchange of information, knowledge and experiences on new technologies related to safety at work, on preventing occupational diseases, and on safety and health cooperative projects. The International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) are organizers of the event.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets that include agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

For a complete copy of the 2008 World Safety Declaration Report visit: www.worldsafetydeclaration.com

For a list of signers of the 2008 World Safety Declaration: http://tinyurl.com/6lskhx

SOURCE DuPont

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