Business Overview 2006 - Synthes

Synthes. Annual Report 2006
Sustainability. Health, Safety and Environment
As a manufacturer of medical devices we are required to comply with
a number of environmental and safety legislations set out by the countries
in which we operate. In the USA, Synthes continues to strive to
exceed all USA Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)
and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements through
best-practice policies for maintaining the safety of all employees
and for protecting the environment. In Europe we comply with ISO
9001:2000 and ISO 13485:2003 for quality management and ISO
14001:2004 for safety and environmental issues.
Preventive measures and training
programs for workplace safety
Synthes is totally committed to providing a safe working environment
in the interest of the health of its employees. We provide numerous
tools to assist in manual tasks with respect to weight, danger of injury
and repetitiveness of tasks, and in handling hazardous materials.
All our machines for milling, drilling or grinding are properly secured
in order to prevent any kind of misuse that might endanger health.
All these measures are complemented by a variety of regularly scheduled
safety training programs which are mandatory for all affected
employees. In all our production plants we provide the equipment
necessary to protect our employees from excessive noise levels, vibrating
tools or chippings which could imperil their eyes or other organs.
Finally, all types of adverse incidents are reported and tracked,
providing a system for continuous improvement of health and safety
measures at each workplace at Synthes.
Commitment to minimizing environmental impact
Synthes continuously assesses the environmental impact of its operations.
During the construction of the new headquarters in West Chester,
Pennsylvania, for example, we paid special attention to energy
efficiency and waste reduction by utilizing environmentally-friendly
equipment and fixtures. We will also consider further ecological issues
when planning the construction of the new office building in
Solothurn, Switzerland, and the expansion of our manufacturing facilities
in Raron, Switzerland.
Given the nature of our manufacturing processes, we are fortunate
that our operations have minimal impact on the environment. Nevertheless,
we are committed to continuously improving our environmental
performance by ensuring that we use fewer resources and
produce less waste while manufacturing more and more products.
Whenever possible, we reduce the number of chemicals involved in
our processes, and select the most environmentally-friendly and least
harmful products for the benefit of our employees and the environment.
In addition, we seek to reduce pollution and emissions by optimizing
the use of raw materials and other supplies, such as cooling
liquids and lubrication solvents, and, where possible, utilizing biodegradable
materials.
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