In the majority of cases, health and safety issues are an intrinsic part of the job for employees, whether they are working on public highways, facing anti-social behavior on public transportation, carrying out difficult or dangerous tasks, or handling chemicals. Veolia Environnement pursues a proactive approach to preventing occupational risks and improving safety in each of its divisions. The company has also implemented a series of measures to support employees on sick leave following workplace accidents both during their absence and on their return to work.
About 30% of employee-training programs in 2010 focused on health and safety at work. Veolia Environnement has pledged to better protect its employees against occupational health and safety risks.
Enhancing safety
Preventing occupational risks
A framework agreement on workplace risk prevention, health and safety, signed in conjunction with all French trade unions in late 2008, sets out six key objectives for all countries in which the company has operations:
- workplace risk prevention, health and safety measures should be defined jointly, after consultation and with the involvement of the appropriate legal bodies, such as France's Committee for Health, Safety and Workplace Conditions (CHSCT);
- the risk-identification process should be improved to enable better risk assessment and control;
- occupational health and safety issues should be included in training and discussed in job interviews for all employees;
- access to health care should be facilitated and all employees should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own health and safety;
- employees should be encouraged to follow career paths so as to avoid their being faced with situations they do not feel able to handle;
- a better work-life balance should be encouraged.
