2023 Beckers Sustainability Award People with Impact: Proactive safety in UAE
The Sustainability Council awarded Pareethu Najeeb, Linto Varghese, and Jen Joy Alex for their pioneering work in developing the Earth Static Monitoring System at Beckers United Arab Emirates. This award recognizes their innovative approach to enhancing static electricity control and significantly minimizing fire risks, marking a milestone in proactive safety measures.
The team identified a critical need when they noticed that earthing resistivity in certain machinery could exceed safe levels without immediate detection. This, combined with the risk of fire accidents in chemical factories due to electrostatic charges, led them to choose the Earthrite Multipoint-II system as an ideal solution.
From left to right: Linto Varghese, Pareethu Najeeb, and Jen Joy Alex
Implementing this system posed challenges, especially since it wasn't part of the 2023 investment plan. The team's persuasive skills and commitment to safety were key in getting management's approval and budget inclusion.Effective communication and training were crucial. The team explained the drawbacks of the old earthing system, the workings, and benefits of the new system through presentations. They provided comprehensive training for operators, both in-house and externally, ensuring everyone understood the new system. The project's importance and static electricity risks were highlighted in Townhall meetings, underscoring the project's importance and the team's proactive approach.
This project exemplifies safety, teamwork, and problem-solving in establishing sustainable, future-proof operations, particularly beneficial for sites where ATEX equipment is not a regulatory requirement. We extend our congratulations to Pareethu Najeeb, Linto Varghese, and Jen Joy Alex for their exemplary contribution and for championing proactive safety and innovation.
About the Beckers Sustainability Awards
Every year, Beckers awards sustainable behavior with its Beckers Sustainability Award. The categories are aligned with our 2030 Goals, with awards going to projects that feature people, products and operations that are making an impact. The Beckers Sustainability Council decides on a shortlist and judges them according to their effectiveness in advancing our 2030 Goals. It also takes into account their impact on our business, their level of innovation, their passion and commitment, and the transferability of the projects and ideas. We would like to acknowledge the outstanding engagement and creativity showcased by all participating employees. The entries underscored a commendable level of maturity and engagement from teams across many departments and sites, totaling 31 nominations.