3 An efficient and responsible Group Promoting a healthy, open and engaging work environment SAINT-GOBAIN UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2021 109 To face this unprecedented health crisis, Saint-Gobain set itself two priorities: protect employees, temporary workers and ■ subcontractors on site from health risks in accordance with the requirements of the health authorities, by incorporating local cultural specificities and by being able, depending on the country, to apply additional protection measures such as the use of remote working in advance of decisions by local authorities; prevent the risks of psychological impact, particularly ■ those related to lockdown measures and the switch to working from home. Thus, procedures were deployed by the Group, including individual protection measures such as the wearing of masks, social distancing, temperature measurement and dianostic tests and on-site preventive measures such as cleaning procedures, ventilation systems, management of high-risk situations on site such as canteens or public transportation for commutes, working from home, isolation and monitoring of the reporting of cases by country. To ensure prevention of psychological risks, the management teams used the Mental Well-Being tool (see this chapter, section 4.3.3) and guides to support the implementation of working from home, maintaining employee social bonds and motivation. Finally, general communications were set up directly on the intranet site accessible to all employees to give updates on the pandemic, general scientific information, prevention measures, videos and online training to help managers manage the crisis, and regular updates on Saint-Gobain’s situation. Health alerts specific to the implementation of internal measures such as travel restrictions starting January 2020 and news "flashes" informing employees of the situation were issued on a regular basis at a frequency appropriate to the management of the crisis. A health risk management indicator 4.2.1.2 In parallel with the indicators monitoring safety (total recordable accident rate, or TRAR) and the environment (EvE), Saint-Gobain has defined an indicator to control the risk to the health of its employees connected with their activities, in keeping with its health standards, initially targeting noise risks. This indicator will also take into account risks related to chemical agents from 2022. This health indicator (HICE, Health Indicator for Occupational Exposure) is applied to all sites affected by exposure to noise and/or chemical agents. It corresponds to the rate of significant potential exposure to these health hazards and aims to promote the prioritization of actions to reduce the risks of exposure to employees on the sites. The “HICE Noise” indicator was rolled out in 2021. It is communicated twice a year to the Group’s Executive Committee. At the end of 2021, it stands at a level of 17.5 which means that, on average, on each site, 17.5% of the work situations of employees and permanent subcontractors are subject to potential noise exposure. Since December 2021, each country or entity EHS coordinator has also been asked to validate the quality of the chemical product inventories and the risk assessments reported in SAFHEAR by the sites in their scope. This will make it possible to calculate from 2022 a “HICE Chemical Agents” indicator to help the sites manage their improvement actions in this area. Chemical risk management 4.2.1.3 For many years, Saint-Gobain has been committed to reducing and controlling the risks associated with chemicals (hazardous substances and products, and dust). Three complementary tools have been developed to support the sites in managing chemical risks: the internal standard and its implementation guide on ■ the assessment and control of the risk linked to chemical agents enables industrial sites to carry out a periodic assessment of exposure to hazardous substances according to precise minimum rules. It is supplemented by risk management guides (ventilation and personal protective equipment, examples of chemical management and storage procedures, activity-specific product inventories, etc.) as well as training kits; the SBASE database provides a list of chemical ■ substances and their classification. This database is updated on an ongoing basis in response to changes in the classification of the different regulatory frameworks such as REACH in Europe. SBASE is managed by the Group’s EHS Department; the SAFHEAR management tool allows each industrial ■ site to prepare and document its own inventory of the chemical substances and products used and also potentially generated during industrial production processes. In the second phase, it allows sites to make and document exposures. These data are consolidated worldwide. The inventory of products and substances used by Saint-Gobain entities is a continuous improvement process. In 2020, new indicators from the SAFHEAR tool were communicated to countries and entities to help them manage chemical risk according to the new risk assessment and control standard implemented in September 2019. Since January 2021, these indicators are communicated every three months to encourage the updating in SAFHEAR of chemical inventories and the results of risk assessments. At the end of 2021, 66% of the sites updated their inventory in SAFHEAR, following the new rules. The Group's objective is to have 100% of its sites covered by an up-to-date inventory by the end of 2025 (see chapter 4, section 2.1). Training, educational materials and technical assistance help develop the skills of EHS managers on site. In 2021, more than 450 people were trained in the standard and related tools, 24 tutorials were developed and 15 technical videos were made available.
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