Sustainability
Human Capital Index
Community Relations (SASB Code: RT-CH-210a.1)
Accounting metric
Discussion of engagement processes to manage risks and opportunities associated with community interests
Information
We have a particular responsibility toward our sites’ neighbors. We promote open exchange between residents and our site management and strengthen trust in our activities with established community advisory panels. Our globally binding requirements for community advisory panels are based on the grievance mechanism standards in the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We keep track of their implementation through the existing global database of the Responsible Care Management System.
Responsible Care Management System:
Regular audits help to ensure that standards for safety, security, health and environmental protection are met. We conduct regular audits every three to six years at all BASF sites and at companies in which BASF is a majority shareholder. An audit database ensures that all sites and plants worldwide are regularly audited. Our Responsible Care Management system complies with the ISO 19011 standard and is certified according to ISO 9001. Worldwide, 132 BASF production sites are certified in accordance with ISO 14001 (2021: 130). In addition, 59 sites worldwide are certified in accordance with ISO 45001 (2021: 54). Several BASF sites also have an ISO 17020-accredited inspection body for user inspection or an ISO 17025-accredited analytical laboratory for environmental emissions analyses. In the BASF Group in 2022, 115 environmental and safety audits were conducted at 73 sites (2021: 143 audits at 71 sites).
Safety in Production:
Process safety is a core part of safe, efficient and thus sustainable production. We meet high safety standards in the planning, construction and operation of our plants around the world. These meet and, in some cases, go beyond local legal requirements.
Our global requirements provide the framework for the safe construction and operation of our plants as well as the protection of people and the environment. Our experts develop a safety concept for every plant that considers the key aspects of safety, health and environmental protection – from plant design to the end of the production phase – and that sets out specific safety measures.
In order to maintain the highest level of safety at our plants worldwide across their entire life cycles, we carry out implementation checks to verify that our protection concepts, safety reviews and resulting safety measures have been carried out in all our plants at timely intervals based on risk potential. We regularly update our plants’ safety and security concepts, taking into particular account new findings, technological opportunities and regulatory developments.
To reduce process safety incidents, we focus in particular on technical measures, digital solutions and on a leadership culture that places even greater emphasis on process safety and dealing openly with mistakes. In addition, we are continually refining and expanding our training methods and offerings to increase risk awareness and strengthen our safety culture.
BASF has committed itself to observing international labor and social standards, which it has embedded in its Global Code of Conduct. This encompasses internationally recognized labor norms as stipulated in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy of the International Labour Organization (ILO). BASF is committed to complying with these standards worldwide and implements them through a Compliance Program, a Group-wide guideline for compliance with international standards, close stakeholder dialog and the monitoring of changes in national laws.
Source
BASF Report 2022: Our Sustainability Concept: Our stakeholder management, p. 47 - 48
BASF Report 2022: Our EHSQ Management Systems, p. 123 - 124
BASF Report 2022: In Focus: Occupational Safety, Process Safety and Health Protection, p. 126
BASF Report 2022: In Focus: Responsibility for Human Rights, Labor and Social Standards, p. 110
More information on our societal engagement: Societal Engagement (basf.com)
Comment/Additional Information
BASF has been a member of the United Nations’ (U.N.) Global Compact since its establishment in 2000. We contribute to the implementation of the U.N. Agenda 2030 and consistently support the U.N. Global Compact’s 10 principles of responsible business conduct and the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, we are participating in the pilot phase of the U.N. Global Compact’s new reporting format and are active in 13 local Global Compact networks.
The safety of our employees, contractors and neighbors, and protecting the environment is our top priority. This is why we have set ourselves ambitious goals environmental protection health and safety. We stipulate mandatory global health and safety standards. A worldwide network of experts ensures these are implemented. As part of our continuous improvement process, we regularly review our performance and progress with audits.
Source
BASF Report 2022: Our Sustainability Concept, p. 45
BASF Report 2022: We Value People and Treat Them with Respect: Stakeholder Engagement, p.113
BASF Report 2022: Our EHSQ Management System, p. 123
BASF Report 2022: In Focus: Occupational Safety, Process Safety and Health Protection, p. 125
Workforce Health & Safety (SASB Code: RT-CH-320a.1)
Accounting metric
(1) Total recordable incident rate (TRIR) and
(2) Fatality rate for (a) direct employees and (b) contract employees
Information
(1) Total recordable incident rate: 0.3 accidents per 200,000 working hours
(2) Fatality rate: 1 fatality
(numbers include BASF employees, temporary employees and contractors)
Source
BASF Report 2022: In Focus: Occupational Safety, Process Safety and Health Protection, p. 125 - 126
Efforts to assess, monitor, and reduce exposure of employees and contract workers to long-term (chronic) health risks (SASB Code: RT-CH-320a.2)
Accounting metric
Description of efforts to assess, monitor, and reduce exposure of employees and contract workers to long-term (chronic) health risks
Information
BASF’s global corporate health management serves to promote and maintain the health and productivity of our employees.
BASF employees and managers have access to various offerings to maintain or improve their health through the global health promotion program. The program comprises three elements:
- BASF Health Check (regular individual offering for our employees)
- Global Health Campaign with new prevention topics every year
- Local health promotion offerings at BASF sites
Health promotion is one of five core elements of the Health Performance Index (HPI), which BASF uses to measure its performance in occupational medicine and health protection every year. The program applies only to direct BASF employees. The other elements are Recognized Occupational Diseases, Medical Emergency Preparedness, First Aid and Preventive Medicine. Each component contributes a maximum of 0.2 to the total score, meaning that the highest possible score is 1.0. We aim to reach a value of more than 0.9 every year. With an HPI of 0.96, we once again reached this target in 2022 (2021: 0.96).
Our aim is to avoid work-related illness completely through appropriate prevention. Regular site inspections or workplace visits are the basis for the overall occupational health assessment. Qualified risk assessments are the basis for evaluations and improvements to be derived. Occupational medical expertise is already incorporated into the planning of technical and organizational innovations in the company. The results of occupational medical examinations regarding possible health hazards from the workplace are analyzed. Relevant findings from examinations and site inspections are taken into account when revising the health risk assessment.
Chemical, biological and physical hazards (including noise, vibration, radiation, exposure to heat and cold at the workplace), ergonomics and psychosocial hazards are assessed and controlled in regular operations. According to the hierarchy of control, the following measures are part of our health risk management:
- Elimination or reduction of health hazards (substitution)
- Implementation or improvement of technical control measures
- Optimization of work organization (including minimization of frequency and duration of activities)
- Availability and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
In the 2022 reporting year, 38 (2021: 36) work-related diseases were documented as recognized occupational diseases among our direct employees worldwide. Deaths from work-related recognized diseases are not reported to BASF Group. The main work-related recognized diseases are occupational asthma, hearing loss, skin disease, musculoskeletal disease and cancer.
The Global Health Campaign 2022 was dedicated to the motto “Good morning – regeneration through sleep”. The program included a wide range of virtual and in-person seminars and interactive events on the different factors that influence restful sleep. Over 440 sites took part, offering events such as workshops, courses, lectures or exercises.
Source
BASF Report 2022: In Focus: Occupational Safety, Process Safety and Health Protection, p. 127
GRI and Global Compact Index: 403-6 2018 (Promotion of worker health), 403-10 2018 (Work-related ill health)
Comment/Additional Information
More information on our Corporate Health Management: Health Promotion