Roche Diagnostics has been named "One of America's Safest Companies" by Occupational Hazards magazine for its efforts to provide a safe and healthy workplace for employees. Roche Diagnostics was one of 18 U.S. companies who received the award this year out of approximately 120 entries.
This year's list of America's Safest Companies was chosen based on recommendations by industry professionals, recognition by industry associations, participation in programs such as OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program, state and local awards, and Occupational Hazards' research into the occupational health and safety philosophy and programs of companies. All companies will be profiled in the November issue of Occupational Hazards magazine.
"We are thrilled to be named one of America's safest companies as we take safety, health and environmental issues very seriously at Roche," said Don Pearson, manager of health and safety. "Although the award focused primarily on workplace safety and health, there is more to the story than that. Roche's commitment to sustainable development has stimulated initiatives to preserve the environment, promote employee wellness, improve off-the-job safety and elevate the level of safety and environmental performance of contractors and other business partners."
Among the items Roche highlighted in its award submission were:
· An injury rate that is half the industry average
· An innovative and holistic approach to prevention of sprain/strain and ergonomic injuries
· Strong, visible support from top management
· High levels of employee involvement
· Quality and variety of employee communications and training
· History of prior safety and environmental awards
Since 2002, Occupational Hazards magazine has recognized more than 100 companies as America's Safest Companies. These companies have ranged from tiny operations using innovative solutions to huge corporations that are benchmarked for safety by dozens of other companies each year. Regardless of size or industry, the America's Safest Companies program is open to companies that can clearly demonstrate that their safety includes:
· Support from management
· Involvement of employees
· Innovative solutions to safety challenges
· Injury and illness rates lower than the average for their industries
· Comprehensive educational programs for employees about safety-related topics
· Evidence that prevention of fatalities, injuries, and illnesses is the cornerstone of the safety process
· Good communication with workers about the value of safety
· A way to substantiate the benefits of the safety process
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world's biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2007, sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 36.8 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.3 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2007. Worldwide, the group employs approximately 79,000 people.
