Health and Safety Audits

Target:

Undertake internal Health and Safety audits of all major operations worldwide by the end of 2003. All major sites worldwide to have an audit score of at least 60%.

Achievement:

As at end July 2003, 72 of 107 major sites had completed at least one audit and 48 had achieved a score of at least 60%.

Internal Health and Safety Audits

We have developed a comprehensive self-assessment questionnaire (AuditMaster™) to help our businesses undertake Health and Safety audits of their operations. These questions are built on the framework provided by our global ‘best practice’ safety manual. Audit results are displayed graphically to enable businesses to identify areas for improvement and to track corrective actions.

Lost Time Incident (LTI) Data

Lost time incident data for work-related injury and illness is collected quarterly. The data collected for the Americas is based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reporting requirements and differs slightly from that collected in the UK and Continental Europe. In 2003, we extended our data gathering to include our other facilities located outside these regions. We will review the LTI data collection arrangements we use to track injury and illness statistics to assess whether we can introduce a single worldwide system based on common definitions.

We track the number of incidents resulting in days away from work caused by workplace injury and occupational illness and express this as a frequency per 1000 employees. In 2003, our estimated lost time incident rate reduced to 13 incidents per 1000 employees from 17.6 incidents in 2001. Our consolidated lost time incident rate reflects the sale of the polymer business and other divestments during 2003.

Injury and illness frequency rates reported by our North American businesses over the last two years and calculated according to OSHA requirements are shown below.

Note: incident rates are expressed per 100 full time equivalent employees.

Business Driving

Risk assessment guidelines for driving on Group business are part of our global best practice safety manual. During 2003, Smiths worked with one of the UK’s leading motoring organisations, the RAC, to develop guidance on business driving. Smiths Aerospace has used the guidelines to develop their own transport guide to improve driver safety and reduce the environmental impact of car travel through journey planning, speed reduction and taking regular breaks.

Safety Awards

A number of Smiths’ businesses were recognised with local awards for their Health and Safety performance in 2003 including:

• Smiths Aerospace in Germantown was awarded a ‘1,000,000 hours without a Lost Time Incident’ by the Maryland Safety Council, US.
• Flexible Technologies’ two facilities at Abbeville and Honea Path, South Carolina, US received Commendations of Excellence for Safety Recognition awards from the local Chamber of Commerce. The Abbeville facility received a second award, from the South Carolina Department of Labour and Licensing and Regulation for a 40 per cent decrease in its lost time incident rate over a two-year period.

John Crane competes with the best in Finland

John Crane Safematic received a commendation following its overall third place rating among 40 participants in its sector, in Finland’s occupational health and safety competition. The three-year competition, which started in 2002, currently has 185 participating companies representing 27,000 employees. External assessors conduct annual audits of participants and score their health and safety practices, staff awareness and knowledge and lost time incident rates. John Crane Safematic scored 83% in 2002, with the winning company scoring 84% that year.