External Programs

Global Environmental and Occupational Health e-Library

Working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Illinois at Chicago, Abbott helped develop the GeoLibrary, a Web-based global library of educational materials and practice tools in environmental and occupational health. The GeoLibrary gives health and safety professionals no-cost access to important training materials on environmental and occupational health. Particularly in developing countries, where access to formal health training is limited, the GeoLibrary's resources will give health and safety professionals invaluable online training resources on how to best address occupational and environmental health hazards.

In addition to a $50,000 grant from Abbott Fund, Abbott's Global Occupational Health Services department participated in a Steering Committee and provided technical support, contributed training materials, and assisted in publicizing the site to users. Abbott was the only corporate sponsor of the project, and WHO recently highlighted the GeoLibrary project as one of its first successful collaborations with a corporation in the field of occupational and environmental health. For more information, visit www.geolibrary.org.

CRASH Program

To stem the tide of traffic deaths among teens – the leading killer for that age group – Abbott has pioneered an innovative, "real world" program in Lake County, Illinois, to foster safety by engaging high school students in the science behind vehicle accidents. CRASH is a hands-on interactive classroom approach that integrates simulations of car crashes and crime scene investigations into the scientific curriculum. By creatively engaging teens in the topic of safe and responsible driving, CRASH aims to change perceptions of road safety and help reduce the staggering 44% vehicle crash fatality rate among teenage drivers.

Introduced in 2007, CRASH furthers Abbott's mission to enhance science education and to improve and serve the communities in which our employees live and work.

OSHA-Abbott Alliance

In 2006, we expanded our role in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Alliance program, which brings together organizations with safety and health expertise with OSHA to help prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace. Among 2006 highlights:

• We worked with the nursing home industry, a priority industry for OSHA, to develop practical programs and processes to help reduce injuries and illnesses suffered by employees.
• Abbott and OSHA collaborated with Georgetown University's Center for Business and Public Policy, which published eight new case studies for business schools to use to teach students about the business value of effective health and safety programs. The case studies were presented at a Georgetown University McDonough School of Business – sponsored seminar "Engaging Tomorrow's Leaders in Safety and Health: The Case Study Approach."
• Our expertise in contractor safety in Puerto Rico led to a regional alliance with OSHA Region 2 and Puerto Rico OSHA (PROSHA) to improve the safety and health of employees in the construction industry, which was identified as a priority on the island. In 2006, we held four training sessions at Abbott, OSHA and industry facilities in Puerto Rico and trained more than 150 construction professionals. We are working with PROSHA to explore expanding the training programs to technical and vocational schools.

For more information about the program, visit www.osha.gov.

Cool Globes

To help raise environmental awareness in our corporate back yard, we donated a Cool Globes sculpture to the Lake County Forest Preserves (LCFP) as a permanent display at the organization's Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. The Cool Globes program, which Abbott sponsored, featured sculpted globes, each five feet in diameter, onto which artists from around the world applied designs pertaining to environmental issues, especially climate change. Following the exhibit, the artworks were sold in a public auction to raise money for environmental education.

The Cool Globe we donated to LCFP, "Nature Nurture: Raise Future Environmentalists," was created by Chicago artist Nancy Pochis Bank. She used images of children, parents and nature to demonstrate that the earth's stewardship depends on our connecting children with nature. Abbott sponsored the commission of two additional globes, including one titled "LEEDS Buildings Worldwide – Ecological Creditors," which is on permanent display in the lobby of one of our Abbott Park office buildings.

Abbott Nutrition honored three aspiring young authors from Eastwood Elementary School in Sturgis, Michigan, with new bicycles as part of a community outreach program to raise awareness of safety and environmental issues. Middle-grade students who wrote essays on the topic were entered in a drawing for the bikes. One winning name was drawn from each grade. Dave Young, the Environmental Health and Safety manager for the site, presented the bicycles to the students. Dave said, "What better way to raise awareness about safety and the environment than to partner with the youth of our community? We hope that each student uses this experience as a learning tool to better understand how they can help the environment and stay safe!"