Our Corporate Principles serve as a guide for developing a broad range of measures and documents related to safety, security, health and the environment (SHE) at Roche. Since the late 1970s all SHE matters have been guided by a single corporate function: Group Safety, Security, Health and Environmental Protection. Its activities are governed by a corporate policy that establishes fundamental and binding principles and objectives.

Fuller, more specific guidance for the practice-oriented implementation of the SHE policy is provided by the Roche Guidelines for the Assurance of Safety, Security, Health and Environmental Protection. We supplement these with Guidance Notes for specific functions and topic-specific Corporate Directives.

The Roche Guidelines are based on ISO Standard 14000 (Environmental Management Systems) and on our many years of experience proactively managing SHE activities. The guidelines also cover commitments that Roche has made as a signatory to the International Chamber of Commerce Business Charter for Sustainable Development and as a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the chemical industry’s Responsible Care® initiative.

Our SHE guidelines apply throughout the Group and take precedence over local legal requirements, where they exceed those requirements. They also form the basis for local SHE manuals prepared by Roche affiliates for local implementation.

Our policies and guidelines cover SHE issues in a general way. We periodically issue corresponding Position Papers to address particular SHE issues.