DuPont Recognizes Five Companies for Safety Leadership Focusing on Employees, Customers and Local Communities

GENEVA, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DuPont today announced the recipients of the DuPont Safety Awards at the 2007 DuPont Leaders Forum on Safety and Sustainability. The five winners were recognized for their initiatives to enhance safety for critical stakeholders including employees, customers and local communities. Winners include E.ON Benelux (The Netherlands), Scottish Power Energy Networks (Scotland), Sonae Sierra (Portugal), Endesa (Spain) and Addax Petroleum (Switzerland). The awards were presented by James R. Weigand, vice president and general manager -- DuPont Safety Resources.

"These projects exemplify the necessary balance between managing traditional safety issues while needing to adapt to regional dynamics, particularly in developing economies and emerging markets in our region," said Ian Hudson, president -- DuPont Europe, Middle East & Africa. "This year's Leaders Forum highlights the critical importance of safety and sustainability in key growth areas, such as Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East."

Hosted in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Institute for Management Development (IMD), the 2007 DuPont Leaders Forum is a thought-provoking conference that explored the overall theme Safety: A Driver for Sustainability.

Keynote speakers included: Mark Vergnano, group vice president -- DuPont Safety & Protection; Dr. Claus Conzelmann, vice president, Safety, Health & Environment, Nestle; Jean-Michel Cousteau, environmentalist and explorer; Dr. Peter Lorange, president, IMD; Dr. Jukka Takala, director, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work; and Bjorn Stigson, president, WBCSD.

The Leaders Forum on Safety and Sustainability is one of DuPont's ongoing initiatives to expand thinking and foster collaboration and actions that promote safety in every corner of the world. The annual event offers a unique platform to discuss how a safety culture improves a company's performance and shareholder value. About 200 delegates from 25 countries focused on the strategic business value of safety leadership.

The event also featured workshops where panelists addressed a variety of safety and sustainability issues. The workshops allowed participants to share first-hand experiences, listen to case studies and explore cutting-edge ideas from peers and experts.

The workshops included: -- How Can Safety Strengthen Sustainability Strategies? -- Does Safety Require Stakeholder Engagement to be Sustainable? -- How Can Safety be Integrated to Achieve Sustainable Operations? -- Does the Business Case for Safety Differ from Sustainability?

DuPont Safety Resources is the authority on safe workplaces, with a proven track record in consulting and training in workplace safety and operational excellence. Leveraging the company's 205-year history of safety knowledge and experience, DuPont helps leading-edge companies gain sustainable improvement in insurance and operating costs, security, productivity, product quality, public image and employee morale.

DuPont -- one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 18 years ago -- has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.

DuPont 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 including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

For further information, please visit http://www.leadersforum.dupont.com/ FACT SHEET DuPont Safety Award Winners

The DuPont Safety Awards recognize outstanding achievement in fostering safety and protection at work and at home. Notable projects and programs are reviewed and adjudicated by a panel of impartial, distinguished experts in their respective fields. They look at entries for design and innovation, results, replicability, risk and scope.

Awards are considered in five categories: Performance Improvement; Innovative Approach, Visible Management Commitment, Sustainable Business Impact and Cultural Evolution. There is no obligation to make an award in every category. If there is no award candidate in a particular category whose work merits this recognition, no award is given.

The 2007 DuPont Safety Award Winners by Category: Performance Improvement E.ON Benelux, The Netherlands for the project Going for Safety Excellence -- Electricity generating company recognized for rigorous approach to contractor safety. -- Lost time due to safety incidents significantly improves company's operational performance. Innovative Approach ScottishPower Energy Networks, Scotland for the project PowerWise -- Leading energy company recognized for educational safety program. -- 'Powerwise' reaches out to more than 100,000 school children across Scotland, England and Wales. Visible Management Commitment Sonae Sierra, Portugal for the project Personae -- International shopping center specialist recognized for commitment to safety and health. -- First company in the shopping and leisure sector to take such an innovative initiative -- highlighting concern for employee and customer safety and welfare. Sustainable Business Impact ENDESA, Spain for the projects Apollo and Delfos -- Spanish electric utility company recognized for achievement of excellence in occupational health and safety -- Revised 100 percent score on occupational health and safety from Dow Jones Sustainability Index Cultural Evolution Addax Petroleum, Switzerland for the project Redefining Stability -- International oil and gas company recognized for promoting safety strategy in Africa and the Middle East. -- Successful strategy to be rolled out in other challenging environments such as Gabon and Iraq.