Sustainability > EHS > EHS Program

Environment, Health and Safety Goals

Performance goals motivate continual improvement and demonstrate a company's commitment. Reporting progress against goals provides stakeholders a means to assess performance.

In 2005, Baxter reached the end of its 10-year Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) goals period, during which the company significantly improved EHS performance. In 2006, Baxter reflected on this progress and defined EHS goals for 2010.

Goals-Setting and Business Integration

Baxter's EHS organization applies a strategic planning process to determine long-term goals; to assess resources required to meet those goals; and to ensure business alignment. In 2004, EHS subgroups from Baxter's geographic regions and functions – compliance, environmental engineering, industrial hygiene, and occupational health and safety – developed draft performance targets. In 2005, Baxter senior leadership endorsed those goals. Senior management support is essential as these goals are companywide. Some are integrated into leaders' performance management objectives, which ultimately are a factor in compensation.

The following table summarizes Baxter's 2010 EHS goals.

2010 EHS GOALS
ENVIRONMENTAL (base year 2005)
  • Reduce total waste (non-hazardous and regulated) 30 percent indexed to revenue.
  • Reduce water usage 20 percent indexed to revenue.
  • Reduce energy usage 20 percent indexed to revenue.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent indexed to revenue.
  • Reduce environmental incidents by 50 percent.
PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP
  • Successfully apply the Product Sustainability Review in the new Baxter Product Development Process (PDP) for all new medical devices developed from 2006-2010. See Product Sustainability Review for more detail.
  • Implement an electronic product take-back program.
  • Develop an implementation plan to proactively eliminate certain hazardous substances1 in our products and packaging.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
  • Reduce work-related days lost rate to 6.0.2,3
  • Reduce days lost case rate to 0.23.2,3
  • Reduce recordable case rate to 1.27.2,3
  • Implement a case management program in 75 percent of facilities with 25 employees or more.
  • Implement at least one health and one safety leading indicator in 90 percent of facilities with 100 employees or more.
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
  • Ensure that 95 percent of manufacturing and R&D sites have current industrial hygiene risk assessments and monitoring plans.
  • Evaluate and define hearing conservation programs and then use engineering and administrative controls to reduce the need for employees to use hearing protection by 25%.
  • Specify the use of respiratory protection by establishing exposure criteria and then implement engineering and administrative controls to reduce the need for employees to use respiratory protection by 25%.

1At or below maximum concentration limits for homogenous materials as defined in the European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive for lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and brominated flame retardants.

2All rates based on 100 full-time employees (FTE) working one year. One hundred FTEs equals 200,000 work hours. Baxter applies U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recordkeeping practices worldwide.

3Recordable cases - Work-related injuries or illnesses requiring medical attention beyond first-aid, including cases with days lost.
Days lost - Number of days lost due to work-related injuries and illnesses.
Cases with days lost - Work-related injuries or illnesses that cause an employee to lose at least one full day after the date of the incident.