Dedicated to safety
At Novartis, protecting the safety of our employees, our neighbors, and the environment is an integral part of our operating responsibilities. We are committed to providing our associates with safe workplaces, fair working conditions and a culture of mutual respect. This is based upon our Corporate Citizenship Policy, our Code of Conduct and the related framework of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Guidelines and Guidance Notes.
In order to prevent accidents, we have concrete systems in place to ensure that all our products and operations are safe and environmentally compatible – from research and development, through to production and distribution. Our Guidelines call for thorough investigation into root causes in the event of an accident. To lower the accident rate, Novartis applies a combination of technical and behavioral approaches, as described in the Safety Culture section.
Reducing accidents is a top priority for Novartis. Ongoing training programs for employees – as well as common agreed targets for each Division and Business Unit – aim to bring us closer to our goal of an accident-free environment for all employees. Each of our Divisions and Business Units carefully assesses potential risks to people and the environment through systematic risk analyses, which are compiled into risk portfolios. As well as detailing the risks and their potential impact, these documents also outline control measures and ongoing programs for improvement.
Reporting accidents
One of the most important data sets in occupational safety is work-related injuries and illnesses among associates – Lost Time Injury and Illness Rate (LTIR) – the rate of absenteeism due to occupational injuries and illnesses. The figure reported in previous years, called the Lost Time Accident Rate (LTAR), consisted of both injuries and illnesses leading to lost time. To accurately describe performance, the new term Lost Time Injury and Illness Rate has been adopted as of 2008.
Over the years, the number of occupational injuries and illnesses worldwide has diminished, as a result of systematic improvements in processes and protective measures. As the method of calculation for the LTIR has not changed compared to the LTAR, the comparison with figures from previous years is still valid.
Safety culture
Accidents and incidents are endpoints of a chain of events. The root causes can be technical, but human behavior can make a substantial difference to the occurrence and severity of accidents or incidents.
Occupational safety is influenced not only by technical and administrative controls, but also by the behavior of employees within their workplace. Programs emphasizing safe behavior (i.e. behavior based safety programs) support an integrated, holistic approach to personal health and safety.
Novartis strives to create a culture of:
- Continuous improvement: Promoting a safety culture is not a project; it is an ongoing effort that builds credibility. Although it means more work initially, it gives long-term results and leads to systematic improvement.
- Adaptability: Safety culture programs are adapted to the culture of the country, sites and departments. This is important in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. The program must fit the people and the environment involved in the program in which they live and work. Adaptation also means involving people who meaningfully integrate safety into their daily routine.
- Involvement and accountability: People on all levels are involved in order to create ownership. Without involvement, there is no commitment.
- Problem-solving, not blame: Novartis aims to create an open and honest culture where problems and risks can be identified and resolved by involvement of associates at all levels.
Health, Safety and Environmental Performance 2008
Health Performance 2008
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