Environment, health, and safety
Global EHS team
3M’s global environment, health, and safety (EHS) team provides direct onsite support to our operations. This team helps identify and manage EHS risks, evaluate and support compliance with regulatory requirements and 3M policies and standards, identify opportunities for improvement, and share best practices.
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Staff professional developmentAs part of our commitment to maintain high-quality EHS professional development of our teams, the global EHS team hosts topic-specific meetings and workshops where we share our knowledge and learn from our EHS cohorts. To maintain our expertise and stay up to date on the most current science, we provide scholarships for professional certification training courses, cover recertification dues, and more.
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EHS awardsOur quarterly Triple Zero status recognizes sites that display excellence in employee safety and spill and fire prevention. Other EHS awards include the 3M EHS Achievement Award for innovation and leadership and the 3M Pollution Prevention Program.
Employee health and medical services
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Culture of healthEmployees may take advantage of our voluntary health and well-being programs and services, which vary globally based on availability and need. Examples include optional free vaccinations, healthy cafeteria options, onsite fitness centers and medical care, telehealth, and adoption and foster care support.
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Preventive approachWe offer several preventive programs including hypertension management, cardiovascular risk reduction, stress management, physical fitness, smoking cessation, nutrition consultation, and cancer prevention.
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CPR & AED training3M supports volunteer first responder teams by providing CPR/AED (automated external defibrillator) training to employees. Our corporate headquarters and many of our global distribution centers, R&D labs, and manufacturing sites are staffed with AED-trained personnel and supplied with AEDs.
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International travelWe help prepare 3M employees for international business travel through comprehensive travel health consultations that include a personal health history review, immunizations, travel medications, and travel health education. We assist all employees who may require medical treatment while traveling outside their home country.
Business resilience
Each manufacturing site, distribution center, and administrative site, as well as several functions and business groups, has a business resilience plan that covers EHS, security, IT continuity, business continuity, and medical response.
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Workplace and employee security3M Global Security has invested in security intelligence monitoring systems, resources, and other tools, including geolocations, to help gather risk intelligence and provide threat mitigation to protect 3M’s people, property, assets, and operations. 3M’s Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) monitors risks and intelligence sources worldwide 24/7. It has indicators for early detection of escalations, such as civil unrest, protests, weather events, and crime, as well as supports local operations in severe situations.
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Incident and crisis managementLocal incident management teams use their business resilience plan to help prevent and prepare for, respond to, and recover from incidents, emergencies, and serious, severe, or crisis situations. We prepare all plans in accordance with standard practices, management approval, and regular audits or assessments, and we evaluate their effectiveness with periodic scenario exercises.
3M’s GSOC can access local business resilience plans, helping guide notification and communication processes. When a significant incident arises, a message informs workers and provides a response mechanism. 3M’s Corporate Crisis Action Team coordinates and facilitates cross-functional responses to crises that affect 3M’s workers, assets, operations, reputation, customers, and operating environments.
EHS site self-assessments and audits
3M’s EHS Management Standard (PDF, 154 KB) defines EHS requirements that apply to all 3M sites and is designed to bring more consistency to EHS self-assessments and EHS audit protocols. Data from the assessments are validated through audits, site visits by subject matter experts, and other data systems. For example, our Compliance and Auditing Management and Metrics System (CAMMS) allows us to conduct and track self-assessments and audits in the context of applicable regulatory requirements and company policies and standards. CAMMS also uses a risk assessment tool to prioritize resources for implementing corrective actions.
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Self-assessments
As part of our EHS Management Standard, we expect our operations, including new acquisitions, to complete a self-assessment at least once a year. This self-assessment has multiple categories that address various areas and standards related to the environment, health, and safety, as well as their respective training requirements.
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Audits
We work to verify regulatory compliance and conformance with the EHS Management Standard by conducting EHS-related audits on a standard three-year audit schedule. Our multifaceted strategy for implementing our EHS Management Standard and global auditing of EHS compliance for our operations is key to understanding and proactively resolving any potential gaps. On a regular basis, the executive-level Corporate EHS | PS Committee (environment, health, and safety and product stewardship) reviews audit findings, and the 3M Science, Technology & Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors is updated on the overall status of the audit program.
