sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

Putting EHS at the heart of product innovation
Research and Development lies at the heart of new product
design and at every stage of the process, our Research and
Development teams consider a potential product’s impact on
human health and the environment during its manufacture
and use right up until its disposal. In 2008 an EHS sign-off
procedure was added to the process for managing Research
and Development projects (known as “Saint-Gobain EHS
Stage-Gate”). At each major “gate” in the process, project
managers must now submit to the steering committee an EHS
checklist that identifies each issue to be addressed during the
course of the project, whether relating to raw materials,
the manufacturing process, the use of the product or the end
of its life cycle.
Putting EHS at the heart of process innovation
Our Research and Development teams also study ways
of improving EHS performance as it applies to processes
used within the Group. The Saint-Gobain Recherche
and Saint-Gobain Conceptions Verrières research centers
regularly join forces to improve the environmental
performance of glass-making processes, for example through
enhanced combustion to minimize nitrogen oxide (NO X )
emissions; techniques to treat stack gases, save energy
and reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions; and product
and process waste recycling. Research is also being conducted
into non-glass activities in pursuit of similar objectives –
for example, to reduce the quantity of water used
by the Gypsum Division to manufacture plaster.
Working together to meet new EHS challenges
The best example of this type of teamwork is the research
underway since 2005 into the risks posed by ultrafine particles.
Although we are not actively involved in this field, some of our
research requires us to manipulate such particles and we have
therefore compiled an implementation guide for Research
and Development teams with a view to restricting their use to
certain sites, creating specially equipped facilities to protect
Research and Development staff and setting out procedures
for handling ultrafine particles (see pages 80-81).
THE GROUP REWARDS EUROPEAN
START-UPS FOR INNOVATION IN ENERGY
AND THE ENVIRONMENT
On the occasion of the Fourth European Research
and Innovation Exhibition (SERI), held in Paris on June 5-7,
2008, Group executives interviewed representatives
from European start-ups selected on the basis of their
submissions to take part in Saint-Gobain’s competition to
recognize innovation in housing construction. Three prizes
were awarded, including two relating to energy and
the environment. The Housing and Energy Efficiency prize
was awarded to Gap Solution, an Austrian firm that has
developed a system of prefabricated components that
capture solar energy. The system can be used to update
existing building exteriors with new insulation in
compliance with the “PassivHaus” standard. The Housing
and Environment prize went to Plantover, a French
company that has developed vegetation panels for
covering walls, facades, partitions and (soon) ceilings,
thereby enhancing insulation and improving indoor air
quality. The winning companies each received a check
for Ð15,000 and have been given the opportunity,
along with five other participants, to work with Group
teams under commercial or technological partnerships.
Saint-Gobain and its NOVA External Venturing unit will be
organizing the competition again in 2009.
Accurate EHS reporting
Since 2004, the Group has used a centralized EHS reporting
system known as Gaïa (see Reporting Methodology).
A customized audit system
Our EHS audit system includes EHS cross-auditing
and self-diagnostic processes, initiated by the EHS
Department, and a self-assessment process, initiated
by the Internal Audit and Control Department.
EHS audits
EHS audits provide the most in-depth and reliable
assessments of EHS performance. They are performed
by teams from outside the audited Sector who have a
thorough knowledge of our EHS policies. These integrated
audits incorporate our core environmental, industrial health
and safety concerns and are based on procedures that are fully
consistent with the OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 standards.
A 20-step audit is used for our manufacturing operations,
while a 12-step audit, adapted from the 20-step version
in 2005, is applied to our distribution activities. Between
January 1 and November 30, 2008, we conducted 451 12-step
audits and 184 20-step audits. Industrial sites are audited
at least once every three years. In 2008, audits were conducted
in about 30 countries, most recently in the United States
and Sweden.
MANAGEMENT REPORT
45
Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report