Environmental, Health and Safety Priorities
Baxter sets goals and marks its environmental, health and safety (EHS) performance against those goals on a course toward continual improvement. Baxter's EHS organization pursues partnerships to integrate EHS principles into the business and to better meet the expectations of stakeholders.
Baxter's EHS organization takes a comprehensive approach to managing a variety of EHS issues and traditionally has prioritized its efforts through its strategic goal-setting process.
To provide sharper focus, the EHS organization has identified four key initiatives that define areas of greatest impact and that better reflect stakeholder interests. These initiatives will guide Baxter's EHS organization into the future. They transcend today's EHS risk-management model and help frame tomorrow's broader challenges and opportunities.
- Improve health and safety — A healthy and safe workplace benefits workers and the company alike. Baxter's efforts in hazard identification and risk assessment, health and safety management systems, leading indicators and safety culture focus on preventing injuries and illness.
- Enhance product stewardship — Customers increasingly consider environmental impacts across the life cycle when selecting products, and Baxter works to improve product environmental performance (see Product Responsibility). For example, EHS partners with Baxter's medical device R&D organization to conduct Product Sustainability Reviews for all new medical devices and is supporting the development of a new product stewardship database.
- Reduce carbon footprint — Global climate change is harming the planet's web of life and the natural environment. Baxter demonstrates leadership by reducing emissions, supporting sustainable energy alternatives, promoting cross-industry initiatives and engaging in public policy debate.
- Conserve water — The world is facing a water crisis. Baxter strives to use this resource as efficiently as possible in its products and operations, and is enhancing its water conservation, reuse and wastewater treatment capabilities worldwide.
During its annual strategic planning process, the EHS organization evaluates its progress in these areas, the resources it needs to reach defined targets, and next steps, taking into account stakeholder feedback. The organization will report results to Baxter's Sustainability Steering Committee, which provides oversight and ensures accountability.
Read more about Baxter's 2006 environmental performance and health and safety performance.
Scope of Baxter EHS Reporting
- Baxter's 2006 environmental performance data are based on 118 reporting locations, of which 61 are manufacturing, 30 are warehouse and nonmanufacturing, and 27 are administrative, clerical or other. Several of the reporting facilities comprise multiple locations that report as a single entity. For example, in 2006, 37 renal distribution facilities reported as a single entity. Similarly, Baxter's 61 North American plasma collection centers reported as a single entity in 2006.
- Baxter 2006 health and safety performance data are based on 278 reporting locations.
- Regional breakdowns for EHS data are as follows: the North America region comprises Canada, Puerto Rico and the United States; the Latin America region comprises Dominican Republic, Mexico and facilities south of Mexico; the Asia region comprises Australia, China, India, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore; the Europe region comprises facilities in Europe, Tunisia and Turkey.
- In total, the EHS information reported covers 100 percent of Baxter's operations. Reporting of air toxics includes emissions of outsourced sterilization operations used by Baxter.
- Environmental data are revised to reflect acquisitions, divestitures and plant closings as well as to incorporate any corrections necessary due to additional data verification activities (such as Climate Leaders, Chicago Climate Exchange and ERM CVS audits).
