Content :

Health in the workplace - Actions

 

• Characterizing the risks
• TRIBIO committee
• Classifying occupational illnesses

Characterizing the risks

Identification of risks associated with specific substances

The COVALIS committee is a multidisciplinary team of independent specialists (occupational physicians, toxicologists, chemists and product managers) who are in charge of characterizing the risk associated with specific substances by evaluating their pharmacological and toxicological properties. Pharmaceutical active ingredients are assigned to one of five categories, corresponding to five occupational exposure levels. 
Each site HSE team informs and trains employees in how to make the best use of these data via instructions, procedures and labeling created specifically for each work area.

Since January 2006, a corporate industrial hygiene laboratory was created to supplement these measures, making it possible to confirm or validate upstream that exposure is in compliance with internal reference values or the values defined by national or international regulations. This laboratory is responsible for quantifying individual exposure to chemical agents and validating the technical control of industrial processing facilities and laboratories at the sites.  

TRIBIO committee

Assessing exposure to biological agents

The TRIBIO committee assesses and classifies all biological agents to which Group employees may be exposed according to several criteria (pathogenicity, biological stability, means of transmission, infection routes, existence of preventive measures or an effective treatment). Employees receive information and training about the type of risks and means of prevention, personal protective equipment and personal hygiene.

In order to constantly decrease the occupational exposure level, each site implements industrial hygiene programs on the basis of these standards and local regulations, while emphasizing Group protection measures as opposed to personal protective equipment.  

Health in the workplace

Classifying occupational illnesses

In view of the extended time-lapse prior to onset of this type of illness, extreme care must be taken to control exposure, and records must be maintained for long periods of time. 
In spite of variations between countries in reporting procedures, data analysis makes it possible to guide prevention programs and manage the consequences of past exposures. 
Illnesses and their causes have been divided into categories according to the CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council) classification system.