Corporate HSE guidelines and guidance notes

In the Novartis Corporate Citizenship Policy, we pledge to operate in a manner that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable – and in the best interest of the company’s long–term success. Comprehensive, compulsory HSE guidelines define global standards and procedures to help us fulfill that commitment.

 

Guideline 1: HSE management

Establishes a framework to ensure that our health, safety and environmental protection standards are implemented and communicated through the company. The guideline outlines the HSE organization and defines the roles and responsibilities of various levels of the organization.

 

Guideline 2: Novartis Emergency Management (NEM)

Defines procedures to effectively manage unforeseen incidents that have potentially significant impact on people, the environment – or the property and reputation of Novartis.

 

Guideline 3: HSE protection in development and production

Harmonization of the approach used by Novartis units worldwide to manage contaminated and potentially contaminated sites in order to keep liabilities, reputation risks and environmental impacts at an acceptable minimum.

 

Guideline 4: Biosafety

Gives broad guidance for managing risk to human health or the environment resulting from activities involving biological agents. Applies to use of all types of biological agents, including recombinant organisms, in production, and transport. Also covers the inactivation and safe disposal of potentially infectious material.

 

Guideline 5: Occupational health

Provides a framework for safeguarding the health of Novartis employees and others on Novartis premises, including protection from chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic hazards. The guideline also encourages health promotion programs for employees.

 

Guideline 6: Warehousing

Summarizes the basic principles and rules to reduce warehousing risks. Applies to the storage of raw materials, intermediates, active ingredients, finished products and wastes.

 

Guideline 7: Waste management

Defines guidelines to minimize generation of waste, and to ensure that the remaining waste is treated, stored and disposed of in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

 

Guideline 8: Selection and management of third party contractors

Includes “Third Party Code” where Novartis describes its societal and environmental values supporting the UN Global Compact – which Third Party Suppliers are urged to support and promote. The guideline also outlines management systems required to implement these requirements – and to provide compliance assurance.

 

Guideline 9: Incident reporting and learning

Stipulates reporting of significant HSE accidents and incidents through a rapid–reporting system. Along with incident evaluation, using root cause analysis, the rapid–reporting system includes a database to facilitate best–practice sharing.

 

Guideline10: Contaminated sites management

Harmonization of the approach used by Novartis units worldwide to manage contaminated and potentially contaminated sites in order to keep liabilities, reputation risks and environmental impacts at an acceptable minimum.

 

Guideline 11: Transportation

Calls for an effective management system for transport; expertise in classification of goods, and for a comprehensive emergency response organization for transportation related incidents.

 

Guideline 12: Business Continuity Management (BCM)

Ensures the uninterrupted availability of all key business functions, processes and resources required to support essential business activities. BCM is an integral part of the Novartis risk management framework.