Program Governance
Baxter's environment, health and safety (EHS) governance structure is designed to help the EHS organization realize its vision as it works to create value within the company and further Baxter's commitment to sustainability.
EHS Organization and Reporting Structure
Baxter's EHS organization, with staff throughout the company's global facilities, adapts to meet the changing needs of the business over time. Key milestones are listed below.
Key Milestones
1971
- Human Resources launches safety program.
1976
- Law department creates Environmental Affairs group.
- Facilities Engineering adds professional environmental engineering expertise.
- Human Resources creates Health and Safety group.
- Health and Safety group adds industrial hygiene expertise.
1980s
- Business units and facilities establish EHS staff.
1996
- Environmental Affairs group, Environmental Engineering group and Health and Safety group merge to form one EHS organization under the Law department.
2003
- Baxter restructures EHS to report primarily into Manufacturing organization.
- EHS reorganizes into Worldwide Resources organization and Regional EHS support.
- Compliance function of EHS, including audits, remains under the Law department.
2005
- Arthur J. Gibson joins Baxter as vice president, EHS.
2006
- EHS Leadership Team, a single body comprised of the direct reports of senior EHS professionals, replaces EHS Leadership Organization as policy-setting and overall program-management body.
- Regional EHS support staff restructured to report to vice president, EHS.
Baxter's EHS function, including various business EHS support teams, has reported to Global Manufacturing Operations since 2003. EHS auditing and regulatory compliance reports to the Law department to preserve the independence of the global auditing function (see chart).
The vice president of EHS generally meets with the Public Policy Committee of Baxter's Board of Directors annually to discuss EHS programs and performance. EHS also periodically provides performance updates to the Public Policy Committee during the year.
