| GlaxoSmithKline assesses environment, health and
safety (EHS) 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 the environment
unharmed.
Hazard Testing
In 2003, we gave priority and applied significant efforts to identify gaps in core EHS hazard information for materials used in existing processes. This included information related to flammability, dust explosivity, possible adverse health effects, occupational hygiene analytical methods and environmental fate and effects. The number of tests conducted and the sample throughput at our testing facility increased by over 88%. Data gaps for most priority GlaxoSmithKline materials were closed.
Our in-house hazard determination laboratory (HDL) conducts tests for flammability and dust explosivity properties of materials handled within research & development and manufacturing facilities. A new test, Sustained Combustibility, was added to the list of studies currently available from the HDL. This test enables us to provide flammability data for GlaxoSmithKline products enabling more accurate classification of these products for transportation. This new addition ensures that we meet current regulations for transport and in some cases it provides a cost saving when the handling requirements for the known hazards are not as costly as the handling requirements for unknown hazards.
We continued to refine and use innovative in-house testing and a sequential, tiered approach to assess occupational health hazards for GlaxoSmithKline materials. This approach rapidly identifies indicators of potential hazard for chemicals at early stages of product development and reduces the number of animals required for each assessment. Extensive environmental hazard information was developed for existing materials and these data will be extremely useful to assess potential environmental impacts of GlaxoSmithKline products and processes.
Efforts in 2004 will focus on new pharmaceuticals in research & development and supporting European manufacturing processes affected by the implementation of the EU regulations applicable to explosive atmospheres (Directive 99/92/EC, ATEX 137).
Occupational and Environmental Exposure Limits
GlaxoSmithKline 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 2003, our experts established
new occupational exposure limits for fifty materials and completed
innovative approaches for the rapid development of data-driven environmental
limits.
Distribution of EHS Hazard Information
on GlaxoSmithKline Materials
GlaxoSmithKline uses a global intranet system called MSDS@gsk
to provide EHS hazard information in a unified format to all operations.
This system provides material safety data sheets (MSDS) and related
information for GlaxoSmithKline materials and products and for key
manufacturing and process chemicals. The information, available
in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, is
updated regularly with new information available to the company
worldwide by the day after the update. In 2003 the MSDS data integration
project was completed which saw over 4,000 documents from the heritage
companies converted to the GlaxoSmithKline format or archived. Of
these, over 1,000 are now available throughout the company as MSDS
for GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products
sold in a number of key markets worldwide . For US-marketed products,
the approximately 300 MSDS are also available on an external website
for direct access by external customers.
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