Management, Policies & Standards
- At our state-of-the-art biologics plant in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, Richard Garcia, an environmental technician, checks a water sample at a stage-one station. The plant processes its waste water in three stages before sending it to the municipal waste water treatment plant.
EHS Policy
We updated our Global EHS Policy to achieve these objectives:
- Foster a work environment that promotes employee health and productivity and is ultimately free of injuries;
- Improve the efficiency and sustainability of our business activities and products, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water use and waste;
- Require contractors working on behalf of Abbott to conform to regulatory requirements and meet applicable internal EHS standards;
- Integrate sound EHS practices consistent with our management system into all aspects of the business, maintaining legal compliance; and
- Establish goals and strategies for the enterprise and report publicly on our progress.
EHS Standards
We have clear, consistent policies and standards requiring that we operate in a manner that protects human health and the environment. Our global standards include technical program requirements, metrics and audit and reporting mechanisms that serve as a baseline expectation for EHS performance worldwide. Every Abbott plant implements a plan based on these standards and is evaluated regularly.
Our management standards set minimum requirements in the following areas:
- EHS Policy and Program
- Strategic Planning
- Self Assessment/Risk Assessment
- Business Integration
- Training and Awareness
- Communication and Information
- Performance Measures
- Assurance Reviews
- EHS Global Standards
These technical standards allow Abbott to have consistent technical expectations in all our manufacturing operations around the world.
EHS Management, Performance & Training
Improving our performance requires clear lines of accountability and senior-level leadership and support. We have multiple levels of EHS management oversight within businesses and across the company. The Vice President for Global Engineering Services, a corporate officer, reviews metrics, key programs and progress with the Chairman and CEO on a regular basis.
We recognize that continuously improving our EHS performance demands clear lines of accountability and senior-level leadership and support. The following groups implement our EHS programs and initiatives:
- EHS Executive Council: This body sets priorities for all Abbott plants, and makes resources available to meet local needs. Chaired by a corporate officer, the council consists of our heads of manufacturing and senior EHS executives.
- Commercial EHS Executive Council: This council sets and implements EHS goals and objectives for our sales operations around the world. A corporate officer chairs this group.
- EHS Leadership Team: This group develops and implements programs and actions that are consistent with the priorities set by the EHS Executive Council and the Commercial EHS Executive Council. This team meets regularly to share best practices and discuss EHS issues with companywide implications. This group also builds awareness of EHS performance, promotes our EHS and Energy Excellence Awards, supports EHS training and conferences, and communicates our pollution prevention and injury reduction initiatives.
Energy and Water Policies
EHS has outlined two key sets of commitments in the following documents:
This outlines a number of aggressive and significant goals to further reduce our environmental footprint, including the commitment to a carbon-neutral fleet and to dramatically reduce our overall CO2 emissions.
This details Abbott's commitments to improve access to clean water in communities around the globe as well as our own commitment to reduce and manage efficiently the company's water use.
