In 2022, Fresenius Medical Care rolled out a Global OHS Policy. This policy outlines the key principles in this area. In the reporting year the business segment also began reporting on a new global indicator: the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR). This indicator is defined as the total number of recordable work-related injuries per 200,000 hours worked in a year. To help it track and monitor accidents more efficiently, the business segment started to develop a global OHS IT management tool in 2022. The tool will initially be rolled out to all locations in North America and Latin America as well as global production sites. Fresenius Medical Care has set itself the target of using this tool in 80% of those locations by the end of 2023.
In 2022, Fresenius Medical Care continued with the global OHS risk assessment. A preliminary risk analysis identified injuries from needlesticks, slips, trips, and falls as the biggest risks for the company’s operations. Based on these findings, Fresenius Medical Care performed a global analysis on the risks derived from:
- insufficient safety standards in the provision and maintenance of the workplace, workstation, and work equipment,
- absence of appropriate protective measures to avoid exposure to chemical, physical, or biological substances, and
- lack of training and instruction of employees.
As agreed in the business segment’s project roadmap, it intends to further identify and prioritize high-risk areas and to develop specific risk mitigation measures.
In December 2021, a serious fire occurred at a Fresenius Kabi production site in China, resulting in the deaths of five employees and one other person being hospitalized. An investigation of the incident and the cause of the fire was initiated immediately; an investigation by authorities concluded in February 2022 that no misconduct by a Fresenius Kabi employee directly caused the fire. Nevertheless, the business segment has reviewed relevant SOPs and specified requirements related to fire safety. The implementation of the new SOP regarding fire safety has been accompanied with several training meetings and further awareness-raising measures conducted by the global EHS team. Further, Fresenius Kabi developed and deployed a safety program for slip, trip, and fall accidents in 2022.
Since the reporting year, Helios Germany has been developing a system for the comprehensive recording of occupational and commuting accidents for all German Helios clinics – with the aim of establishing it in 2023. At two clinics, the new data tool was successfully implemented in the existing HR management program on a test basis. In the reporting year, the division continued to examine whether an integrated management system for occupational health and safety should be introduced in Germany.
Helios Spain also implemented new occupational health and safety projects in 2022. Among other things, all training courses on occupational health and safety were updated and translated into inclusive language. In addition, the procedure against harassment and violence in the workplace was adapted in line with a new European directive. In addition, the division included sexual violence in risk assessments in line with the requirements of new Spanish regulations.
In the reporting year, improvements were made at Fresenius Vamed in the area of occupational health and safety. For example, the business segment in Germany initiated the implementation of DIN ISO 45001 together with the Helios Kliniken Group. The aim is to create a uniform occupational health and safety management system (ASM system) in order to optimize occupational health and safety in a standardized manner. In Switzerland, adjustments were made in line with the requirements for occupational safety according to H+ and a focus was placed on the safe handling of chemicals. In Austria, Fresenius Vamed implemented initiatives on addiction prevention, among other things.