Occupational health and safety
- Global standards for corporate occupational health management
- 2017 global Health Campaign focusing on lung and respiratory health
BASF Corporate Health Management system promotes and maintains the health and productivity of its employees. Supported by numerous emergency drills and health promotion measures, our worldwide standards for corporate health management are specified in a directive implemented by a global network of experts.
BASF’s 2017 global Health Campaign focused on lung and respiratory health. Based on a self-evaluation in the form of a questionnaire, employees received individual recommendations and were offered lung function testing. If pathological symptoms were indicated in the testing, they were provided further consultation with a physician. In Greater China, the Health Campaign took place at almost all production sites and offices, including a “smoking cessation program” at certain sites. Respiratory protection devices used at production areas were checked in terms of model selection, fit testing and equipment hygiene maintenance, etc. We also carried out a Chemical Health Risk Assessment Program covering all chemicals at production areas in 2017. These activities complemented the health checks offered to employees regularly, and chemical management at the workplace.
In 2017, BASF audited a number of sites with respect to occupational health in Greater China. In addition, for several sites with low to medium health risks, health performance control visits were arranged.
For more information on occupational medicine, health promotion campaigns and the Health Performance Index, see basf.com/health.
- Employees and contractors instructed on safe behavior
- Global Safety Days focus on order, cleanliness and housekeeping discipline
The safety of employees, contractors and neighbors is the top priority at BASF. To this end, we have set ambitious goals for occupational safety and constantly monitor progress towards these goals with a set of comprehensive preventive measures.
In order to prevent work-related accidents, BASF promotes risk-conscious behavior and safe working practices for every individual, while constantly refining and enhancing safety requirements. In 2017, complementary training sessions on safe procedures were held to strengthen risk awareness among its employees and contractors. We implemented measures such as systematic hazard assessments, specific and ongoing qualification measures and safety initiatives. To further eliminate risks from the source, BASF analyzes accidents, incidents and their causes in detail, from which hazard analyses and risk minimization measures were derived as prevention tools. In addition, regular dialog sessions at sites were conducted for best practice sharing and, most importantly, the cultivation of a safety culture.
Guided by its global safety initiative, BASF has been cultivating safety culture through various campaigns. With activities at more than 30 sites and offices in Greater China, our 2017 Global Safety Days focused on order, cleanliness and housekeeping discipline to help reduce the risk of accidents. A total of 6,300 employees and contractors attended the campaign.
Globally, BASF has set its goal to reduce the lost-time injury rate per one million working hours to 0.5 at most by 20251. In 2017, the lost-time injury rate per million working hours at BASF sites in Greater China was 0.3 (2016: 0.5). The rate for contractors increased to 0.5 in 2017 (2016: 0.4). Unfortunately, an operator from a contractor company passed away after a traffic accident at one site in 2017. Following the accident, we immediately organized comprehensive traffic safety optimization programs including refresher training on traffic safety for employees and contractors on site. Additional measures were reviewed based on the cause of the accident.
For 2018, BASF will adapt its reporting on accidents and incidents to the recommendations of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and the German Chemicals Industry Association (VCI). To implement these recommendations, we also have to convert our targets. Consequently, Its goal from 2018 onward is to reduce occupational safety incidents to a rate of no more than 0.1 per 200,000 working hours by 2025.
