Health and safety

The safety of all our 533,000 employees and those in our care is of paramount importance. The CSR Committee is fully committed to supporting the achievement of the Group’s goal of zero harm. However sadly, in 2019, 20 employees (24 in 2018) lost their lives in work-related incidents. As part of its normal cycle of work, the committee received regular health and safety reports, including updates regarding on‐going initiatives, details of future plans and summaries of incidents. During the year under review, the committee monitored the global programmes raising awareness across the spectrum of health and safety risks as well as those focused on specific initiatives. During 2019, as part of the health and safety team’s continued efforts to reduce road traffic incidents and related fatalities, the committee received regular reports on initiatives being implemented across the Group. Such initiatives included driver training conducted in Colombia, Peru and Brazil, as part of a programme aiming to reduce high potential incidents and the creation of a motorcycle safety video for Thailand, which, owing to its success, is being translated for use across other regions. 2019 was the first year with zero motorcycle fatalities across the globe.

The committee also received a presentation from the Regional President of the Africa region on challenges faced and initiatives being implemented in the region. During 2020, the CSR Committee will be provided with an update on progress in the Africa region. The committee will also focus on deep-dive updates of high-risk countries provided by the management of those businesses. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic and its devastating effects on the communities the Group serves, the committee has added the review of the Group’s initiatives and health and safety response as a key area of focus.