Environmental, health and safety

We are committed to protecting the environment and the health and safety of our colleagues and customers and of the communities where we operate. The Thermo Fisher Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Policy outlines this pledge, incorporating the principles of continuous improvement, sustainability and transparency. All colleagues are responsible for upholding our EHS values and meeting compliance standards. 

Environmental, Health and Safety Management System standards

Our EHS Management System (EHS-MS) and the involvement of our colleagues help us maintain a safer work environment. While we are obligated to adhere to applicable domestic and foreign laws and regulations, our EHS-MS standards far surpass minimum legal compliance. We base our EHS-MS on the same tenets contained in widely accepted EHS management system standards and practices like ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and US OSHA’s “Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs.” To reinforce our commitment, these standards are integrated into our company’s governance structure, business strategy and operating model. In instances where disparities arise between our robust standards and legal requirements, the more rigorous standard prevails in accordance with applicable law..

Our EHS-MS in brief

1. Management support and leadership
2. Colleague participation
3. Regulatory compliance
4. Hazard identification and risk management
5. Education and training
6. System evaluation and improvement

Some sites, where applicable, hold ISO 14001 certifications. Click here for the list of sites with ISO Certifications. 

42 operating facilities ISO 14001 EMS certified*

EHS leadership

Creating a safe work environment for our colleagues and protecting the environment where we operate are of the utmost importance to us. We have established an EHS operating model that consists of a network of EHS professionals at the corporate, business, regional and site levels who work together to satisfy compliance requirements, meet company standards and drive continuous improvement.

Our EHS leadership team meets monthly to review global strategy, progress toward goals and company wide initiatives aligned to a standardized approach. These leaders also host quarterly meetings to engage all EHS professionals worldwide.

In 2024, we launched the extended EHS leadership team, which is comprised of 40 EHS professionals who represent our diverse business across 14 countries and three regions. Its purpose is to drive alignment, foster opportunities for talent development and support continuous improvement across our global function.

 

“The extended EHS leadership team provides networking opportunities for EHS Leaders across Thermo Fisher’s various businesses. Day-to-day we don’t interact but through this forum, we collaborate on problem solving as well as projects that have global impact and foster our professional development as leaders.” 

Maureen Keeler, Senior Director, EHS, Pharma Services, Drug Substance Division 

Global EHS community  

• >400 EHS professionals
• Quarterly global town halls to foster alignment
• Five EHS Communities of Practice

Prioritizing colleague safety 

We track EHS progress from the company level to the site level using two key metrics—total recordable injury rate (TRIR) and lost-time injury rate (LTIR)—to monitor ongoing performance and identify opportunities for improvement.**,***

These metrics are standard industry rates that measure the number of injuries resulting in a recordable incident or lost workdays, both per 100 workers. Our proactive approach to site safety and continuous improvement has helped decrease our TRIR by 45% in the last five years. 

EHS compliance audit program

At the corporate level, our internal EHS audit program evaluates site operations for compliance with all applicable environmental, health and safety laws, regulations and other related standards that we may endorse and adopt, including our internal EHS-MS. Our internal auditors and site representatives leverage a Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) process to help ensure effective and timely resolution of any noncompliance matters that are discovered. Additionally, within the first year of integrating a new business, in-person baseline audits are conducted to assess the operations of any facilities acquired through a merger or acquisition. 

Property loss prevention 
Building on our internal EHS audit process, we partner with a third-party engineering firm to conduct regular external property and loss prevention audits for all major 4 operating sites. These audits help identify and assess our physical risks and provide a deeper understanding of our business resilience in the event of fires or natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes. This same firm also partners with us during new construction and renovation to minimize our risk and maximize resilience in the way we design and build new facilities. 

Climate scenario analysis 
We conduct climate scenario analyses to deepen our understanding of the risks our company faces due to the changing global climate. While aligned with the framework created by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), we are expanding our program to also ensure alignment with applicable EU regulation. Our approach evaluates the potential impacts and physical risks of climate-related events, such as coastal flooding, wildfires, water stress and extreme temperatures and is further detailed in our TCFD statement. As climate science and models continue to advance, we plan to conduct regular climate scenario analyses to inform our long-term climate and loss-prevention strategies, as a component of our enterprise risk management process. 

Our TCFD statement includes more information on climate-related risks and opportunities in our CSR disclosure index.

Business continuity management 

Thermo Fisher maintains a Business Continuity Management System (“BCMS”) Policy, which establishes principles, practices and governance for our business continuity plans. The BCMS Policy details minimum requirements and performance expectations for critical business processes throughout the company, including in manufacturing, distribution, clinical research and laboratory operations, and ensures business continuity plans are implemented globally in an efficient, effective and consistent manner. 

The BCMS Policy is based on widely accepted BCMS standards (e.g., ISO 22301, ISO 22313, NFPA 1600, ASIS SPC.1-2009), adapted to our corporate governance and operating philosophy, and includes six key elements required for all business continuity plans.

Key Elements:

• Risk Assessment 
• Business Impact Analysis 
• Emergency Response 
• Crisis Management 
• Crisis Communication 

Operational Restoration and Recovery 

AI agents for EHS   
By leveraging advanced AI, we are enhancing our EHS operations and empowering teams with actionable tools to make safety and compliance part of their everyday mindset. This includes the development of tailored AI agents, which can autonomously navigate higher-level processes. We have introduced AI agents that cover a wide range of safety topics from staying up to date on compliance requirements to simplifying regulatory reporting. Through technology, we are accelerating continuous improvement and furthering our efforts to create a safer workplace for everyone.

 
Improved EHS data management 
We launched our new global EHS Data Management System, accompanied by our revised Global Intelex Incident Report Policy, to standardize incident reporting across our businesses. The new system allows us to expand our EHS metrics and standardized reporting to global leadership.The policy aims to promote a proactive approach to incident reporting and foster continuous improvement in EHS practices.

Operational resilience 
Nine of our major**** sites were awarded the prestigious Highly Protected Risk designation by our property insurance carrier. These sites, representing our pharma services, life sciences, bioproduction, clinical research and analytical instruments businesses, met the highest industry standards for property protection by implementing various measures to prevent and minimize potential damage to equipment and facilities essential to our operations and customers. Measures included improved sprinkler system protection, earthquake bracing, and emergency response planning.