Health & Safety Policy
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Statement of Policy
The health and safety of our employees and of all others who may be affected by our
business activities is of the utmost priority. GKN is committed to providing a safe working
environment that supports accident prevention and minimises exposure to health risks.
Its aim is to eliminate work related illnesses and injuries. We must comply with the
requirements of the legislation in each jurisdiction in which we operate and, by a
systematic approach to the assessment and management of accidental risk, must actively
pursue the goal of “zero accidents”.
The following general principles will be applied by all GKN companies. In addition to our
everyday activities, these principles hold true in all our dealings, including change
management, acquisitions and divestments, business with our suppliers and customers,
the welfare of our contractors and the care of visitors to our operations.
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General Principles
1. The principal components of an effective health and safety system are the visible
leadership and commitment of managers and the active participation of all
employees.
2. Each company will actively encourage employee participation in establishing and
maintaining a safe working environment.
3. Each company must have procedures to ensure that any unacceptable workplace
health and safety risks are promptly recognised and controlled.
4. Each job will be the subject of risk assessment and an agreed safe system of work
will be defined so as to ensure that the performance of the work does not cause injury
to health.
5. Health and safety considerations are intrinsic to the adoption and introduction of any
new technique or process.
6. New hire training and appropriate refresher training will be provided for all employees
to ensure that they are able to undertake the work safely from the outset and
throughout their GKN career.
7. Each company must have procedures to ensure that all visitors are suitably briefed on
the health and safety aspects of their visit and, where appropriate, are supervised
while on GKN premises.
8. Arrangements will be agreed with contractors and suppliers working on GKN property
to ensure that there is always clarity on duties and responsibilities so as to enable
them to conduct their business without risk to themselves or others.
9. GKN companies should also engage in dialogue with their local health and safety
enforcement agency, local authorities, the community in which they work, trade and
industry bodies, and academic and professional organisations with a view to
promoting health and safety at work.
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Practice
Each company must have:
a named senior Executive responsible for the implementation of the general principles
set out in this Policy
• a statement setting out the health and safety arrangements (including any health and
safety committees)
• a system of risk management to ensure the risk assessment of all activities
• an established process for contractor management, including risk assessment and
clarification of duties on shared tasks
• incident investigation arrangements to follow up and learn from unplanned events
• health and safety objectives and plans which are made known to all employees of the
company
• health and safety induction and continuation training for all employees and provisions
for a suitable number of trained safety staff to be present at all times during working
hours
• arrangements for access by all employees to occupational health services
• measures of health and safety performance.
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Measures and Metrics
Health and safety measures and metrics are used in GKN to enable health and safety
performance to be monitored, trends to be identified and targets and objectives set.
The following performance measures must be recorded by each company and reported in
accordance with timetables specified by GKN plc:
• Accident Frequency Rate
• Accident Severity Rate
• Serious Accident Rate
• Fatalities
• Occupational Ill Health cases
• Occupational Ill Health cases with lost time and the total amount of time lost
Divisions and individual reporting units must set any additional metrics necessary to meet
local statutory requirements. Further metrics which are pertinent to the company and
which will enable it to focus on specific issues to ensure further improvement and
progress will be at the discretion of local management.
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Assurance
Companies must conduct regular internal reviews of their health and safety arrangements
and performance.
They must also arrange for the periodic external audit of their health and safety
procedures to ensure compliance with this Policy and relevant legislation.
This Policy must be read in conjunction with the GKN Code, the other GKN Policies and
the requirements regarding their implementation.
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