Regional sites:
Specialized sites:
Gemalto
is always aiming to provide safer working environments for its employees, as
well as for others working at or visiting its facilities. We ensure
continuous improvement through our Human Resources and Health & Safety
Management systems. And we use the OHSAS 18001 standard to enhance these
systems and gain assurance.
Although our operations pose few serious safety risks, we ensure they take into account ever tougher legal requirements. We also challenge our practices through external benchmarking and independent assessments.
OHSAS 18001 certification
In 2010, we extended our OHSAS 18001 certification program to two new sites.
In March our Meudon headquarters, which houses around 1,000 employees,
successfully passed both OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 initial audits. In
November, our Chinese production site in Tianjin also added Health & Safety
to its existing Quality and Environment certification.
This means 14 sites are now OHSAS 18001 certified. This covers 57% of all Gemalto employees worldwide and 68% of Gemalto employees working at our 27 main sites (manufacturing and administrative headquarters).
Reducing lost time
Recorded accidents and injuries are a key indicator of safety system
efficiency.
Although 2010’s figures for “events with lost time” (LTI) are 5% higher than
for 2009, they still confirm a 25-30% reduction compared to 2007 and 2008.
There was also a significant 15% average reduction in the severity of
accidents measured in lost working days (LWD) – down to 12.1 days for 2010
from 14.2 days in 2009.
The “lost days” histogram shows that 51% of events were related to “minor
injuries”. These are injuries requiring absence of five days or fewer, and
mostly related to handling/moving activities. More than 80% of such cases
involved hands or feet.
As well as accidents in the workplace, these statistics also include
commuting accidents which often result in the longest absence.
To help reduce commuting and other driving-related accidents, in 2010 we
extended our “Defensive Driving” program by adapting it to local
environments and behavior. By the end of 2010, 2,030 people had attended
driving training sessions, of which around half were during the last year.
(To find out more see our Focus article)
Reducing risk from hazardous substances
The monitoring and management of hazardous substances forms part of our
Environment strategy . We continue to eliminate or minimize employee risks by
carefully managing all hazardous substances, and we comply fully with RoHS
regulations. In 2010 we also put in place a process in response to several
changes in REACH regulations. This was done in partnership with numerous
suppliers.
Safety training at Montgomeryville
Two upgraded training programs at our Montgomeryville site (US) are making
it safer for employees who work with hazardous chemicals and “out of
service” machinery that’s temporarily inactive. Both programs are required
under Federal Law and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA)
regulations.
We’re also reviewed and improved training for when a technician “locks out” or “tags” a machine being repaired or otherwise out of service. It is vital that employees follow these guidelines, because stored energy in the machine or a malfunction can severely injure anyone not following the correct procedure.
Montgomeryville is aiming to implement documented “lock-out / tag-out” instructions for every machine – an objective it has nearly achieved. All employees have already been trained in lockout/tagout requirements at the operators’ basic level. Technicians who carry out the process have also undergone advanced level training.
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As part of its commitment to health and safety, Gemalto has introduced a
Defensive Driving program for employees.
Read more...
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