A good environmental management system requires regular and robust verification to ensure it operates effectively. Our Management Awareness and Action Review System (MAARS), is a global system for identifying and mitigating environment, health and safety (EHS) risks. It enables our Family of Companies to proactively address EHS issues and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and our standards. The process includes self-assessment, independent assessment, action planning, corrective action tracking and training.
Every site conducts annual regulatory compliance self-assessments, which are supplemented by an independent compliance and management system assessment on a regular basis. Worldwide Environment, Health and Safety tracks performance on these assessments and reports aggregated assessment results to the Executive Committee and Science, Technology & Sustainability Committee, composed of non-employee Directors, assists the board in identifying and comprehending significant emerging science and technology policy and public health issues and trends that may impact the Company’s overall business strategy. They also review the Company’s policies, programs and practices on environment, health and sustainability.
Ninety-three percent of our manufacturing and R&D sites continue to maintain third-party certification to the International Standards Organizations (ISO) 14001 Environmental Management System, and 20 percent have achieved third-party certification to the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series specification (OHSAS 18001)*. Achievement of third-party certification to ISO 14001 is required for all manufacturing and R&D sites; however, Company acquisitions have 36 months after the date of acquisition before they must comply with that portion of the WWEHS standards. As of the end of 2012, seven sites were not certified; five were acquisitions that are still working to obtain certification.
Johnson & Johnson has established Worldwide Environmental Health and Safety standards. These standards address 27 different topics and are designed to ensure that all Johnson & Johnson companies achieve and maintain a consistent and high level of EHS performance. The standards are reviewed and, if necessary, revised on an annual basis. To identify and mitigate environmental, health and safety risks, we maintain a global process known as the Management Awareness and Action Review System (MAARS). MAARS is the process used by every manufacturing and R&D site to conduct the required annual assessments for compliance with legal requirements and the Johnson & Johnson EHS Standards and the third-party assessments required for manufacturing and R&D sites every three years. The process includes self assessment, independent assessment, and corrective action planning and tracking. Performance on these assessments is tracked by WWEHS, the segment and operating company EHS Leadership, and the leaders and EHS professionals at the audited facility. Closure of findings is tracked at the corporate and facility levels, as well as at the sector and operating company levels. We continue to implement, track and maintain an incident notification process that alerts management to EHS non-compliances and accidental environmental releases within 72 hours of occurrence.
To learn about the results of our assessments, visit our compliance and certification sections.
External Manufacturing Standards
For many years, Johnson & Johnson has set expectations for suppliers that manufacture finished products or active pharmaceutical ingredients for our companies. Our Responsibility Standards for Suppliers outline expectations for appropriate business conduct, and labor, employment, environment, health, and safety practices. Since establishing our standards in 2006, 98 percent of our external manufacturers have been assessed against and are in conformance with our standards. As a practice, if we discover minor violations of our Standards, we will work with the supplier to identify areas and strategies to improve performance. If significant violations are identified that cannot be resolved, the relationship with the supplier may be terminated.
*Does not include acquisitions that have been part of the Company for less than three years and small R&D sites with limited operations.