Human Capital Index

Content

Community Relations (RT-CH-210a.1)

Workforce Health & Safety (RT-CH-320.a1)

Efforts to assess, monitor, and reduce exposure of employees and contract workers to long-term (chronic) health risks (RT-CH-320a.2)

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 production sites’ neighbors. With the established community advisory panels, we promote open exchange between residents and our site management and strengthen trust in our activities. 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. BASF conducts regular audits every three to six years at all BASF sites and at companies in which BASF is a majority shareholder. BASF uses an audit database to ensure that all sites and plants worldwide are audited. Our Responsible Care audit system complies with the ISO 19011 standard and is certified according to ISO 9001. 130 BASF production sites are certified in accordance with ISO 14001 and EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme). In addition, 54 sites worldwide are certified in accordance with OHSAS 18001 or ISO 45001. In 2021, 143 environmental and safety audits at 71 sites were conducted based on the sites’ risk levels.

Safety in Production: Global safety standards; strengthening risk awareness; comprehensive incident analyses; global experience and information exchange; implementation of augmented reality solutions to enhance safety at around 340 sites as of 2021.

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 dialogue and the monitoring of changes in national laws.

Source

BASF Report 2021: Our Sustainability Concept: Our stakeholder management, p. 47-48
BASF Report 2021: Employees: International labor and social standards, p. 103
BASF Report 2021: Societal Engagement, p. 106
BASF Report 2021: Our Management Systems: Responsible Care audits, p. 117-118
BASF Report 2021: Health and Safety, Emergency Response, p. 119

More information on our societal engagement: Societal Engagement (basf.com)

Comment/Additional Information

BASF has been a member of the UN Global Compact since its establishment in 2000. As a recognized LEAD company, BASF contributes to the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the associated goals. For example, we support the UNGC action platforms, including the Sustainable Finance platform in the form of the CFO Taskforce for the SDGs, and the Decent Work in Global Supply Chains action platform.  BASF is also 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 for occupational and process safety as well as health protection. We stipulate mandatory global standards for safety, security, and environmental and health protection. A worldwide network of experts ensures these are implemented. As part of our continuous improvement process, we regularly monitor progress toward our goals.

BASF Report 2021: Sustainability Along the Value Chain: Stakeholder Engagement, p. 106

BASF Report 2021: Health and Safety, Emergency Response, p. 119

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

Our global corporate health management serves to promote and maintain the health and productivity of our employees. Our occupational health standards are specified in a binding global requirement, the implementation of which is the responsibility of our sites and subsidiaries. They are supported in this task by a global network of experts. The Environmental Protection, Health & Safety unit in the Corporate Center conducts regular audits to monitor compliance with the standards.

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 different 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 2021.

Our aim is to avoid work-related illness completely through appropriate prevention. In general, BASF does not differentiate between employees (BASF, leasing or contractors), as there is no differentiation in our company health and safety management system. 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 substitution of health hazards
• Implementation or improvement of technical/engineering 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 reporting year 2021, 36 work-related diseases were documented as recognized occupational diseases among our direct employees (excluding contractors and temporary 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.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Global Health Campaign 2021 was again devoted to the personal health of our employees. The program included a wide range of in-person and virtual seminars and interactive events on regeneration under the banner of “Recharge yourself.” Focus topics were physical activity, nutrition and relaxation. Worldwide, 444 sites took part, offering events such as workshops, courses, lectures or exercises.

Source

BASF Report 2021: Health and Safety, Emergency Response: Health Protection, p. 119-121
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