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Safety in the workplace - Actions

 

To reach its goals, sanofi-aventis has taken several initiatives to:  

• Develop a safety culture
• Improve subcontractor safety
• Improve road safety for medical sales representatives
• Promote learning from experience

Developing a safety culture

H.S.E culture training for managers

"Safety Culture" training was developed to strengthen and harmonize a shared platform of basic knowledge and know-how. It was developed through collaborative efforts by the H.S.E specialists at sanofi-aventis and researchers from the "Cindyniques" Center of the École des Mines (engineering school) in Paris in 1999. 

The program targets Industrial Affairs managers. Training, which lasts two and a half days, addresses the most important HSE principles: regulatory aspects governing production, the HSE management system, the role and responsibilities of the players involved in H.S.E, how to organize feedback and report learning experiences, and the language and tools of H.S.E.

The "Safety Culture" program is led jointly by a teacher-researcher from the "Cindyniques" Center and two H.S.E experts from different plants, which makes training interactive and encourages participants to speak a common language. Case studies of production incidents and accidents offer a way to apply the lessons learned during training sessions.

H.S.E experts or managers who have already received training are responsible for cascading information on the sites.

By creating a common reference for all HSE players, by comparing experiences at different plants, and by ensuring the continuity of training through cascading on the sites, "Safety Culture" training contributes to achieving tangible safety improvements.  

Subcontractor safety

Improving safety during operations entrusted to subcontractors

In view of the increase in lost-time occupational injuries involving subcontractors (among other things, in connection with the number of construction projects in progress at our sites), specific audits were conducted and resulted in the development of a subcontractor safety program.

This program was implemented at the Group's vaccine sites and research centers.
It is based on five points:

• consideration of the safety factor when choosing a subcontractor firm;
• subcontractor accommodations at the sites;
• analysis of intrinsic risks specific to the construction site and related protective measures;
• contractor work site audits and inspections;
• review of annual results.

Improving road safety for medical sales representatives

Safety within Pharmaceutical Operations

In light of the troubling number of motor vehicle accidents involving medical sales representatives (five fatalities in 2006), the Group adopted a long-term approach to reverse this trend. The motor vehicle risk prevention program is based on: 

• decisive involvement from management. During the annual “Sales Champions” ceremony, which is held to award the Group’s best medical sales representatives, the Executive Vice President of Pharmaceutical Operations officially launched the program. Statistics show that these representatives are those with the lowest number of accidents. As a result, they will serve as ambassadors to the local motor vehicle risk prevention committees. Improved behavior on the road depends to a large degree on management’s involvement and ability to be convincing and supportive;
• a dedicated communication campaign. The roll-out of a global communication campaign for the affiliate Directors also offered an opportunity to emphasize the need to change behaviors at every level;
• adapted standards and training. To bolster this campaign, the Group’s motor vehicle risk prevention committee distributed the “Golden Rules of Good Driving”. The rules are outlined in a brochure, and the primary messages of the campaign will be distributed to the various affiliates. The affiliate Directors and regional managers will be able to use this material as a basis from which to address the problem of motor vehicle risk for their medical sales representatives.  

In addition, several training modules are being developed to support the program.  

2007 Results

Unfortunately, despite various efforts, one motor vehicle fatality occurred in 2007. Nonetheless, the motor vehicle accident frequency rate with lost time decreased by 8% and significant improvement was reported in the number of motor vehicle accidents (down 25% over 2006).  

• Go to the European Road Safety Charter

Promoting learning from experience

Better prevention by sharing learning experiences

Major incidents and accidents occurring at the Group's sites are analyzed by those involved at the local level and are consolidated at both the function and the Group level. Several hundred events are thus analyzed on an annual basis for all industrial and research sites. Learning Experience Reports (known as PRESS sheets) are distributed to the entire site HSE network after significant events analysis by the Corporate H.S.E Department, and may lead to the modification of internal standards. 

Sanofi-aventis is determined to reduce the number of accidents by learning from incidents and accidents.