In 2009/2010, we launched the “Safety Confidence” program in Darmstadt and Gernsheim. Employees and supervisors are further sensitized to potential accidents and risks through training and campaigns. The goal is to further strengthen our safety culture. Comparable programs will be carried out at sites around the world. One example is the site-based safety competitions held in Latin American companies such as in Brazil and Mexico. Moreover, in the regional EHS Forums in Europe, Asia and North America, lively exchanges took place on occupational safety, especially on the safety culture and safe behavior. In 2009, nine pharmaceutical production sites received an award for zero accidents per one million working hours. This Safety Excellence Award went to 24 sites in 2010.
In 2009/2010, the Merck Serono R&D site in Rockland, Massachusetts (USA) was significantly expanded, without any work-related accidents occurring throughout the entire construction phase. In order to achieve this, all 2,000 employees working on the construction participated in a training course; weekly safety meetings were held, and safety inspections were carried out. Thanks to this achievement, Harvard University included Merck Serono as a best practice example in its “Safety in Design and Constructions – a Life-cycle-approach” training program.
