E.ON Benelux wins 2007 DuPont Safety Award
Rotterdam/Geneva , 19 October 2007 - E.ON Benelux, the electricity generating company, has won a DuPont Safety Award for Performance Improvement for its innovative Going for Safety Excellence project, the ambition of which was for the company to be among the best energy companies in the world, especially in the field of safety, health and care for the environment.
In 2002 the management team decided to ensure that safety was promoted to its number one priority based on this ambition. The company adopted a measurable, practical and transparent approach that included both employees as well as contractors. Working with DuPont, several projects were completed including: raising employee and management involvement; implementing safety awareness training; driving contractor safety; and safety communication and organization.
“Since 2002, safety results have improved steadily. For example, in 2006/7 we shut down two large power plants at a cost of around € 200 million, involving, at times, up to 1,500 contractors on site. This potentially difficult operation contained zero lost-time accidents,” said Joost van Dijk, CEO E.ON Benelux. “To achieve this result, many safety improvements were implemented, but perhaps the most significant was focus on contractor safety.”
“We introduced a new rigour to our contractor permitting, as well as testing all contractors for safety on entering the site. Also, each day more than 40 safety observations were held, based on which specific measurements could be taken in specific areas to improve safety bottlenecks. Additionally, we upgraded surveillance equipment to keep a better watch on enclosed spaces and high-risk areas. From the communication point of view, safety kick-off sessions were introduced as well as weekly contractor safety meetings and a weekly magazine. Safety improvement is a joint effort of both E.ON and contractors, where communication is key and everybody can learn from each other”
“The DuPont Safety Award considers contributions or projects in the fields of safety in the workplace or in society in general,” said Ian Hudson, President DuPont EMEA. “The efforts E.ON Benelux has made to achieve safety excellence for both employees and contractors, have resulted in the company being able to improve their safety systems and operations as well as their bottom line.”
About 200 senior representatives from over 25 countries, ranging from a wide variety of industry sectors, including construction, energy and transportation, met in Geneva this week at the 2007 Leaders Forum on ‘Safety: A Driver for Sustainability?’ to share first hand experience, listen to case studies and explore cutting-edge ideas from peers and experts. The annual event also featured the presentation of the prestigious DuPont Safety Award for individual and collective safety and sustainability initiatives in Europe, the Middle East and Africa