GSK assesses environment, health and safety hazards associated with the research, development and manufacture of our products in order to meet ethical and regulatory requirements and to ensure the workplace is safe and environment unharmed.

Hazard Testing
In 2002, we identified basic or "core" EHS hazard information for all GSK materials and processes, following extensive benchmarking and assessment of regulatory and business needs. Core information includes such things as process reaction hazards, flammability, dust explosivity, possible adverse health effects, occupational hygiene analytical methods and environmental fate and effects.

Our in-house hazard laboratory tests flammability and dust explosivity properties. In 2002, the number of tests conducted and the sample throughput at our GSK testing facility increased by over 40%. We used innovative, in-house testing and a sequential, tiered approach for characterisation of occupational health effects to assess occupational health hazards for GSK materials and therefore required significantly fewer animals compared to traditional approaches. In 2002 we also integrated environmental hazard assessment with safety and health effects assessments. Assessments will continue with new Pharmaceuticals in R&D with a major, additional focus in 2003 on EHS hazard testing for existing products and processes.

Occupational and Environmental Exposure Limits
GSK develops occupational and environmental exposure limits for our materials in order to guide the design and selection of chemical control systems to protect our employees' health and the environment. During 2002, our experts established new occupational exposure limits for 45 materials and completed innovative approaches for the rapid development of data-driven environmental limits.

Distribution of EHS Hazard Information on GSK Materials
GSK provides EHS hazard information in a unified format to all operations using a global GSK intranet system called MSDS@gsk. This system provides material safety data sheets (MSDS) and related information for GSK materials and products and for key manufacturing and process chemicals. The information is updated and available almost instantaneously worldwide. Information on GSK products and materials is available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish; German and Italian versions are planned for 2003. To meet United States right-to-know requirements, in 2002, MSDS were completed for all pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products marketed in the United States. These MSDS are now accessible on the GSK internet site (gsk.com) helping distributors, hospitals and other companies handling our products to protect their own workers. In 2003, we will work on similar systems for GSK markets outside the United States.