Safety is one of our four fundamental principles. With our global safety management system we minimise risks for human beings and the environment. Another focus area is the protection of our company property. Our global SHEQ function coordinates the implementation of our safety standards in our business units worldwide. Safety representatives are appointed at regional and local level. Our safety standards align with our global SHEQ Policy.

Through our Group-wide integrated management system we systematically identify and assess risks, implement local and global safety standards, and define areas of responsibility. Using defined monitoring mechanisms we check whether our safety standards have been put in place.

We also rely on transparent incident reporting mechanisms to evolve and improve our safety systems. We record all incidents and near-misses – whether they be related to accidents, explosions or leaks – that occur at our sites or during transport.This includes incidents that occur in connection with the use of our products by customers. The lessons learned from our incident reporting are then sent to our global communication networks so that we can learn from them and prevent similar incidents from happening again. Whenever necessary, we adapt our safety measures. In 2010 we communicated over 130 such incident reports. They include a description of the incident, key causes and learnings. We made them available to our employees and posted them on our site safety notice boards.

We involve contractors, customers and suppliers as well as authorities and local communities in our safety activities.

Raising safety awareness among employees

We sensitise our employees to potential hazards through regular training sessions (for example, safety videos) and a risk matrix. Our aim is to foster a sense of safety awareness and responsibility among all managers – beyond the responsibility of our safety officers. At Linde Gas Germany, for example, managers at all levels are obliged to conduct a set number of safety talks with their team members every year. 

We highlight examples of best practices in safety. Each year, for example, Linde holds its Linde Group Safety Awards, recognising selected sites in three separate categories: The Site Safety Award for the best location or facility, the Company Safety Award for the best company within the Group, and the Improvement Award for the site or company that has made most progress in reducing lost time injury rates.

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