The winners of the 10th DuPont Worker Safety and Health Award were announced this past December 9. This is one of Latin America's largest awards in the segment of best practices in the work environment and honors companies and students who apply or suggest the company's technologies to improve the safety of industry professionals. This year, the event was held online.<\/p>\n
Maur\u00edcio Duval Macedo, general director of Cipa Fiera Milano, spoke during the event about the importance of the partnership with DuPont for the realization of the award, \u201cwhich has grown stronger each year.\u201d \u201cTogether, we pay this rightful tribute and recognition to the innovative projects of companies and students who have applied or recommended the PPE developed by DuPont's team of scientists, engineers, and visionaries worldwide,\u201d Macedo stated.<\/p>\n
During the event, the winners in the categories \u201cThermal Protection,\u201d \u201cCut and Abrasion,\u201d \u201cChemical Protection,\u201d \u201cStudent Project,\u201d and \u201cInfluencer of the Year\u201d were announced, along with the two new awards for this edition: \u201cLatin America International\u201d and \u201cBest Solution for the Coronavirus.\u201d The winners received trips to the USA, laptops, and wireless headphones.<\/p>\n
Check out the winning projects below:<\/p>\n
The world's largest company for industrial automation solutions, the 2018 Cut and Abrasion Category champion, now takes the trophy in the Thermal Category. Its project promoted an immediate improvement in the protection of electrical workers at the Jundia\u00ed (S\u00e3o Paulo) plant by replacing blended garments with innovative Nomex\u00ae Essential Arc suits.<\/p>\n
As a leader in the mass production of welded components, Painco realized that treated cotton uniforms were not providing its employees with optimal protection against thermal and arc flash hazards. By choosing DuPont\u2122 Nomex\u00ae Essential Arc, the company reduced the risk of full-body burns from 38% to 20%, extended the service life of the PPE from 50 to over 200 washes, and ensured greater comfort and mobility for its employees.<\/p>\n
Santo Ant\u00f4nio Hydroelectric Power Plant, the country's third-largest hydroelectric power generator, located on the Madeira River in Rond\u00f4nia, underwent a comprehensive occupational safety project that involved the implementation of DuPont\u2122 Nomex\u00ae Essential Arc technology. Santo Ant\u00f4nio Energia, which manages the plant, ensured greater protection for its employees, who also confirmed the high level of comfort offered by the PPE.<\/p>\n
The world's second-largest mining company has ensured greater protection and comfort for vulcanization workers at the Porto da Madeira Maritime Terminal, Brazil's largest port, in Maranh\u00e3o. For the project, the company began using gloves, sleeves, and protective clothing featuring Kevlar\u00ae Armor technology, achieving an extremely high level of protection, comfort, and dexterity.<\/p>\n
Upon realizing that knitted gloves were not protecting workers' hands against temperatures of up to 240\u00b0C, Parker Hannifin, a global leader in motion and control technologies, decided to look for PPE that would effectively address the protection-temperature-dexterity triangle. The solution was DuPont's Kevlar\u00ae technology, which in tests offered longer-lasting protection, greater dexterity, ergonomics, and cost savings.<\/p>\n
The multinational company, one of the world\u2019s leading manufacturers and sellers of tires, quadrupled (from 7 to 27 days) the durability of protective gloves by replacing leather PPE with Kevlar\u00ae\u00ae in the blade replacement process for a rubber extrusion machine in Itatiaia (RJ). DuPont technology enhanced protection against cuts, abrasion, and high temperatures, ensured flexibility and dexterity, and reduced costs by 68% in the long term.<\/p>\n
Automaker Nissan has raised safety standards against low-temperature injuries during the CO2 blasting process at its industrial complex in Resende (Rio de Janeiro). In this project, the facility implemented overalls featuring Tyvek\u00ae technology, which helped achieve a historic milestone of 400 days without lost-time accidents in the paint shop, reduce defect rates in the process, and generate cost savings thanks to the durability of the PPE.<\/p>\n
Ball Packaging, which has operated in the aluminum market for over 135 years, has instituted a comprehensive employee training project across all of its South American facilities to raise awareness about the importance of correctly using Tychem\u00ae 4000 protective clothing for effective chemical protection in the workplace. The success was so great that the project is set to be expanded globally.<\/p>\n
DuPont\u2122 Tyvek\u00ae 500 safety coveralls were the ideal solution found by ArcelorMittal, one of the leading steel-producing companies worldwide, to protect workers at a mine in Itatiau\u00e7u (Minas Gerais) against agents such as oil, grease, degreasers, and dust. The decision ensured greater protection and comfort for employees and a reduction in daily PPE replacements, resulting in significant cost savings.<\/p>\n
Sunshine Bouquet, a flower production and export specialist, realized that its dyeing and composting processes needed safer PPE. The company began using DuPont\u2122 Tyvek\u00ae garments, which neutralized chemical and biological risks without compromising employee comfort or mobility. The project brought the number of accidents in the company's dyeing area down to zero.<\/p>\n
The company specialized in providing high-quality equipment and services in drilling, workover, and oil extraction identified the need to incorporate more advanced technology in employee protection against electric arcs. After analyzing different materials, it chose Nomex\u00ae Comfort garments, which absorb much less moisture compared to cellulosic fibers, offer high protection, and provide better cost-effectiveness.<\/p>\n
The need to promote a safer production environment in its Human Pharma Laboratory led the Argentine Pharmaceutical Industry, which produces tablets and granules, to conduct abrasion, permeability, and chemical transfer tests on various materials used in PPE. DuPont\u2122 Tyvek\u00ae performed best in all categories, including comfort, tear resistance, seams, and flexibility.<\/p>\n
The student Juscilaine de Almeida Santos, from Genoma Rede de Ensino, in Betim, Minas Gerais, analyzed an accident involving a sodium hydroxide leak at ArcelorMittal. Following an extensive study, DuPont\u2122 Tyvek\u00ae 500 safety coveralls were implemented, proving to be superior to competitors in strength, durability, comfort, and material.<\/p>\n
How can we reduce cases of allergies caused by workers\u2019 exposure to industrial detergents? Student Gislaine K\u00e9li Fonseca Marino, from Senac in Santos (SP), found the solution while working on a project that implemented DuPont\u2122 Tychem\u00ae 2000 coveralls at a company that specializes in the maintenance and cleaning of chemical tanks. Result: 100% worker approval, zero absences due to allergies, and reduced costs.<\/p>\n
In a project by student Keith Ribeiro Alexandre, Senac in Santo Andr\u00e9 (SP) detected that gloves used for machine maintenance by employees of the transport company Testa Transportes, from S\u00e3o Bernardo do Campo (SP), were inadequate due to the high risk of cuts, punctures, and burns. Kevlar\u00ae gloves solved the problem, resulting in significant gains in protection and comfort.<\/p>\n
One of the country's main vaccine and serum production centers chose the Tyvek\u00ae Isoclean line to ensure safety, comfort, and quality for professionals who began handling SARS-CoV-2 virus samples daily in viral pathogenicity study, diagnostic, prevention, and disease treatment processes. The initiative follows the Butantan-DuPont partnership, which earned the institute first place in the Chemistry Category in 2018, in a project authored, as in this year, by Vanessa Evelin Jesus Vilches Sant\u2019Anna.<\/p>\n
Company:<\/strong>\u00a0ArcelorMittal<\/p>\n Number of likes:<\/strong>\u00a04,754 votes<\/p>\n Video:<\/strong>\u00a0https:\/\/we.tl\/t-1lU7KsHikz<\/a><\/p>\n In the awards\u201c most-liked video, the safety engineer and safety technician from ArcelorMittal in Serra Azul (MG) discuss a company case involving an emergency response team, risk management, and their controls. In protecting emergency responders against chemical hazards, the professionals\u201d conclusion is spot on: \"Use DuPont!\"<\/p>\n For more details about the award, visit the official website:\u00a0www.premiodupont.com.br<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n