Sustainability > Sustainability Reporting

Good Environmental, Health and Safety Reporting Principles

Baxter has designed and implemented procedures to collect, compile and validate the environmental, health and safety (EHS) information included in Baxter's 2005 Sustainability Report with a goal of fulfilling the Good Environmental, Health and Safety Reporting Principles (GERP). Baxter developed GERP with the assistance of Ceres and other organizations and first published in accordance with GERP in 1998. Baxter engages an outside firm to audit the EHS portions of the company's report for conformance to these principles. Other organizations are invited to use the GERP to audit their EHS data.

Covered Operations. The report covers all operations worldwide, except as noted.

Adjustment of Past Years Data. The current and past years comparative data for operational changes, including goal baselines, have been adjusted according to the following policies:

  1. For facilities that are closed, sold or otherwise divested:
    1. If the facility's processes are not transferred to another Baxter facility but rather are transferred with the original facility to the new owner, are discontinued or otherwise cease, no data are reported on that facility for the year. Waste and emissions data from prior years, including base-year information, are adjusted to remove the facility's data.
    2. If the facility's processes are transferred to other Baxter sites, the information is included in the business unit's data and no adjustments are made to the base-year data.
  2. If a new facility is built or acquired, it is covered in the report following the first full year it is included in Baxter's EHS program.
  3. Companywide statistics for occupational injury and illness cases and lost-time are adjusted for acquisitions and divestitures of businesses with 3,000 or more employees.

Environmental, Health and Safety Aspects. Reported information includes the key worldwide EHS aspects of Baxter's operations as determined by Baxter's EHS personnel.

Performance Against Goals. The company has established EHS goals, and reports performance against these goals.

Comparative Data. Key data in the report are compared consistently across years and in some cases regions to illustrate performance.

Standardized Processes. Standardized processes are in place for data collection and data reporting, including:

  1. Definition of key terms;
  2. Identification of the data to be collected and who is to provide it;
  3. Methods used to estimate data, which are technically rational;
  4. Identification of how the data are to be compiled or calculated and who is to do so;
  5. Internal or external auditing processes used to verify data accuracy and reasonableness;
  6. Data review by top management at operating units, by senior corporate managers and by the board of directors; and
  7. Training affected personnel on the above processes, as appropriate.

Changes in Methodology. If changes are made from one year to the next in a method of estimating or of otherwise determining data, these changes are noted.

Absolute and Normalized Data. Key performance data are presented in absolute terms as well as normalized to production levels or other key, relevant measures of the organization's activities.

Presentation. Data are sufficiently complete and not presented using distorted graphic scales or in other ways that are misleading.

Stakeholders. The data are presented to accommodate the needs of various report stakeholders, including employees, customers, stockholders, academia and the public.

Deviations. If significant variations and deviations in performance occur, they are explained.

Record Retention. Supporting data are retained for at least one year from the date of publication of the report.