The DuPont Safety Resources (DSR) team in Australia helped Bunnings Building Supplies – one of the country's largest retailers – reduce their workplace injuries by 40 percent in one year at stores in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The absentee rate was reduced by 60 percent, which had a significant impact on the company's productivity.

Bunnings Building Supplies employs more than 20,000 people and has more than 225 stores across Australia and New Zealand. The company took the lead in establishing a 'zero harm' culture in the retail industry and contacted DuPont in 2003 to assist with this reform.

"We worked closely with Bunnings to develop a strategy to implement the elements of DuPont safety excellence and adapt them to the unique needs of a retail environment," said DuPont project manager, Les Mapstone.

Bunnings is on track to achieve a 30 percent reduction in injuries during their second year of working with DSR. The company plans to extend the safety improvement program across all stores.