Health and safety data, assured by Ernst & Young LLP, covers 97% of our workforce. As the majority of our business is US-based, we report against US Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines for work-related incidents and illnesses that result in greater than one day of lost time from work (we use an average of 220, eight hour work days per year to calculate total hours worked). Read the Ernst & Young LLP Assurance Statement.
Increases in 2008 health and safety rates result from better reporting following feedback provided by Ernst & Young LLP during their assurance of 2007 data. Our challenge has been to harmonise reporting, as some offices have traditionally used local regulatory frameworks rather than group guidelines.
In 2008 there were no fatalities. We are a predominantly office-based company. Stress was responsible for the highest number of reported cases (14) – 42% of lost days. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/Repetitive Strain Injuries were the second highest cause of lost days, along with slips, trips, and falls. Wellness, stress reduction, and absenteeism are the main areas where we will be increasing attention in 2009. An inherent limitation in reporting occupational illness is the difficulty in isolating work-related illnesses from illnesses that are related to other factors. In order to continue improving understanding of the health issues affecting our employees, we have begun a trial to capture absenteeism rates at a key Dutch location. Full breakdown of health and safety cases by type.
As a measure of improving conditions, we achieved a 24% drop in workers’ compensation claims in the US (117 in 2008 versus 153 in 2007).