Ecos' relationship with DuPont began in 1997 when the company decided to pursue a sustainable business approach in a number of key areas. After 200 years of operating, the company has a proud workplace safety and health record and is regarded as one of the safest companies in the world. DuPont has created vast safety and health knowledge in a huge variety of fields that mirrors the diversity of its operations and Ecos has worked closely with DuPont to explore the business possibilities of using and building on that knowledge.

One of the company's key sustainable growth strategies is a reduction in the material intensity of its operations and promotion of knowledge intensity in order to add significant shareholder and societal value while at the time reducing its ecological footprint. In 1999 DuPont established a new business unit - DuPont Safety Resources (DSR) - based on marketing its vast knowledge of workplace safety and health solutions globally.

DSR offers an innovative, market-based response to the appalling on-the-job injury and death rates growing internationally. It is estimated that more than 178 people die from work-related injuries and illnesses in the US alone. On top of this, studies suggest that up to 16,000 people a day are injured or get sick through their work.

Globally, work-related injuries and illness statistics are even more alarming. Each day about 3,300 people die and more than 1.1 million are injured or get sick. The cost, in both dollars and human suffering, is horrendous. Worst of all, much of the carnage is preventable as large industrial companies such as DuPont, Alcoa and General Motors can attest to.

Sadly, society continues downgrade workplace safety as a priority. In most countries there is little public pressure on companies to reduce their safety and health incidents in the same way there is to reduce their toxic emissions. Faced with this situation, DSR contracted Ecos Corporation to research and design a comprehensive stakeholder engagement program aimed at better understanding why workplace safety and health remains a "hidden epidemic" and what can be done to elevate it to a status commensurate with the problem.

In March 2001 as a direct result of this stakeholder engagement program, stakeholders from the corporate world, labour, academia, government, the non-government community sector, workplace safety organisations and the financial community met at Georgetown University to discuss workplace safety and health. Ecos and DSR played critical roles in organising this Workplace Safety Summit, the first of its kind held in the US.

The event was hosted by The McDonough School of Business and co-sponsored by DuPont, the American Red Cross, The Georgetown Business Ethics Institute and The National Safety Council as well as a workplace accident victim support organisation and a leading socially responsible investment institution. The keynote speakers at the event included US Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill. More than 130 workplace health and safety stakeholders attended.

As a direct result of the Summit stakeholders have committed themselves to working collaboratively to raise public awareness of the issue. Business and academia are working together to clearly articulate the strong business case for a safe and healthy workplace. Labour, business, academia, safety professionals and a number of safety advocates are also working together toward a joint declaration of intent on workplace safety - an effort to raise the profile of the issue inside the boardrooms of the US and put it on the national public policy agenda.

This non-traditional approach to raising the issue, working with collaborators and establishing new stakeholders has led to more creative and innovative thinking within DSR. It has opened up new and exciting opportunities to grow a knowledge intensive business while at the same time adding substantial societal value by assisting business to dramatically reduce workplace injuries and fatalities.

DuPont has more information on Safety Resources.