Management Systems Certification
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) established ISO 14001 as a voluntary, international specification for environmental management systems. Following an internal assessment of our environmental, health and safety management system in 1996, we self-declared that our companywide EHS management system meets or exceeds the requirements of ISO 14001. We reviewed again in 2006 against the ISO 14001:2004 requirements.
Five of our manufacturing facilities have obtained third-party certification. In fact, our facility in Shanghai was the first within its business sector to become ISO 14001 certified in China. The five manufacturing facilities that are certified to ISO 14001 represent about 33 percent of our manufacturing operations. Each site makes its own decision regarding whether to seek certification.
We believe ISO 14001 certification provides significant benefits by:
- Supporting business growth through greater export and marketing opportunities
- Enhancing government relations
- Improving access to capital
- Demonstrating our commitment to – and accountability for – continuous EHS improvement
OHSAS 18001
The company's pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Anagni, Italy and Agen, France, are certified to OHSAS 18001, a voluntary international standard for health and safety management systems.