sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

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Wood dust is primarily an issue for Lapeyre, which has
embarked on a campaign to prevent and reduce employees’
exposure at source. Lapeyre has been measuring levels
of wood dust at its sites since 1996. At the same time,
it has been investing in equipment to reduce wood dust
volumes through ventilation or suction and to protect
employees, and continues to build on these initiatives
even today. In 2000, Lapeyre developed a plan to medically
monitor and supervise employees who have been or continue
to be exposed to wood dust, regardless of their current level
of exposure. Initially introduced in the Group’s plants,
the plan was extended in 2003 to include in-store
woodworking workshops, where technical upgrades
have been introduced in tandem with revised measurement
procedures. Lapeyre is also taking steps to ensure that
its facilities comply with the European Union’s ATEX
Directive on explosive atmospheres as it applies to wood dust.
Diagnostic tools have been defined and campaigns
for reaching compliance targets are underway. Backed by
a significant investment, these campaigns will continue
for several years in Lapeyre’s plants and stores alike.
We are implementing the European Union’s REACH (1)
regulation, which came into force on June 1, 2007,
and seeks to identify the substances of greatest concern
with a view to phasing out unsafe applications.
Under the regulation, all such substances manufactured
or imported in Europe in quantities greater than or equal
to one ton per year per legal entity must be registered.
The IT Department has developed a computer application
to assist with drawing up an online inventory of chemical
products found at Group sites. In line with REACH,
inventories at European Union sites were updated
at the end of 2008. We submitted 533 pre-registration dossiers
in 2008 for 105 Group companies and 202 different substances.
From now on, in accordance with the “No data, no market”
principle, substances that have not been pre-registered
may not be manufactured or imported in Europe unless
or until they have been registered with the European
Chemicals Agency. The next step is to prepare these
registrations in partnership with other reporting companies
in Europe. We have decided to expand this substance
inventory to encompass all countries and Divisions from 2009.
The online inventories also feed data into an analytical
program designed to verify compliance with REACH
by Group entities in Europe. E-learning modules, available
to 1,000 potential users, have been developed to support
the program’s deployment. The program uses the Group’s
substance database, S’B@SE, which was brought online
in March 2008. In 2009, another resource – the Toxic Agents
Standard risk assessment software – will come online.
At the same time, several countries are on the verge
of adopting the UN’s Globally Harmonized System (GHS),
designed to establish a uniform international hazard
classification and labeling system. GHS implementation is
being monitored simultaneously by the REACH project team.
2008-2010 OBJECTIVE
Each Division monitors reductions in exposure levels
as part of its annual plan, and risk prevention resources
have been created by the Group. For example, the Toriman
application developed to support implementation
of the Toxic Agents Standard and the accompanying risk
assessment software will be integrated into an online
resource in 2009, with deployment in all industrial units
worldwide.
In addition, in compliance with the European Union’s
REACH regulation, substance inventories were updated
at all European sites at the end of 2008, using newly
developed computer applications. From 2009,
the Group has decided to expand its substance inventory
to include all countries and Divisions.
Enhancing workstation ergonomics
Although factory automation and the use of ergonomic
assist devices have gradually reduced risks for employees,
we remain attentive to problems of movement and posture
at each workstation. A specific Posture/Lifting/Movement
(PLM) method for identifying the risks inherent in handling
operations and work postures has been developed and
is being made available to EHS managers at the Sector
and Delegation levels for industrial and distribution facilities.
EHS guidelines have been issued, describing how
the method should be used and a training DVD is currently
being distributed.
Four manuals highlighting various hazardous scenarios are
available on the EHS intranet in French, English and Spanish.
Designed to encourage operator input, each manual comprises
a first section describing preventive action to be taken
at the workstation and a second section to assist employees
in observing and evaluating each workstation setup.
In order to eliminate or reduce potential risks, some sites
have revamped each workstation’s ergonomics, organizing
work activities so as to limit repetitive motion over time.
One example is the Innovative Materials Sector - Flat Glass,
where jobs frequently involve manual handling
and finishing tasks.
(1)
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization
and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and establishing a European Chemicals Agency..
Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report