The award, established by the National Safety Council (NSC) and underwritten by a five-year, $1 million commitment from ExxonMobil through its Foundation.
The award will recognize businesses that demonstrate the value they place on safety, health and environmental excellence and show how measurable achievement in SH&E performance is linked to productivity, profitability and other measures of business performance.
"SH&E excellence is a reflection of how companies value human life, their employees and their citizenship in the communities in which they live," said NSC President Alan C. McMillan. "We believe that SH&E systems are not simply a necessary cost of doing business, but are a direct contributor to improved business performance. We plan to demonstrate this linkage to the world's business leaders by sharing the stories of the winners of this award."
"ExxonMobil leads the energy industry in safety performance and we believe a company's commitment to the highest standards of safety, health and environmental care contributes to and is indicative of superior performance in other aspects of its operations," said Lee Raymond, chairman of ExxonMobil, in a statement. "It is because of this commitment that ExxonMobil established this global award with the National Safety Council, as an opportunity for companies worldwide to distinguish themselves among their peers and to serve as role models for others."
At the National Safety Congress in Chicago this week, Michael Henderek, global safety programs manager for ExxonMobil, noted that over a decade ago, ExxonMobil established a corporate-wide operations integrity management system to serve as the framework for setting the highest standards for safety, health and environmental protection.
"Since then, our performance has improved significantly," he said. "We have been the leader in the global energy industry in safety performance and have been cited by others for the extent to which environmental management considerations are integrated into our business."
He said the company is committed to the award because "a disciplined approach to the management if SH&E delivers to the bottom line. We want to encourage others to reap the benefits that we have achieved and we think those that do deserve public recognition."
He noted also that "no one country and no single company has a lock on outstanding SH&E practices. We want to learn from others. As companies across the globe showcase their best SH&E practices through the competition, we intend to learn from them."