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Two Air Liquide ways of caring about people

Published on March 29, 2024

3 minutes

Vision

At Air Liquide, performance means first developing our employees’ ability to engage and go the extra mile for our customers, our patients and for society as a whole. That’s why our aim is to offer our employees the right support, wherever they are and whatever may be happening in their lives, by creating a safer work environment and providing social protections, so that they can unlock their full potential.

Action

Safety, our licence to operate 

Safety is a fundamental value for the Group with a strong ambition: “zero accidents, on every site, in every region, in every entity”. As a responsible industry player, Air Liquide is therefore committed to efficiently and under all circumstances reducing the exposure of its employees, subcontractors, customers, patients and suppliers to professional and industrial risks.

That is why the Life-Saving Rules which apply to everyone and cover Individual, Road and Process safety were edicted. They are enforced first through trainings in safety and risk prevention for both employees and partners, as well as through regular exchanges of experience and on site visits to make sure that the facilities comply with our high standards. In 2023, the Group focused particularly on road safety for its  drivers and subcontractors. In addition to training and constant reminders of the basic principles of safe driving, 60% of its heavy vehicles fleet is now equipped with digital technology to assist or protect drivers.

A common basis of care coverage for all employees

Protecting  teams also means offering them peace of mind. Present in 72 countries with diverse cultures, Air Liquide historically faces very different situations in care coverage for employees. As a social responsible employer, the Group is committed to providing a common basis of care coverage to all of its employees so that they can rely on:

  • A one-year insurance plan to provide income and support in case of an accident or disease, notably if they cannot work
  • Health insurance cover to pay for inpatient and outpatient treatment
  • A minimum of 14 weeks’ paid maternity leave

Today, 78% of its teams benefit from the Common Care Coverage policy, and the goal is to reach 100% by 2025.

1.0 lost-time accident frequency rate⁽¹⁾

20-year best performance in lost-time frequency rate

78% of employees benefited from the common basis of care coverage in 2023, with a target of 100% coverage by 2025

“Going into the field of our operations is a way to keep connected with our people and field realities. Sharing with them helps understanding daily challenges, and learning about safety good practices we may replicate in other places.”

Alexandre Morainville
HSEQ & Risk Management Director for Healthcare in& North & Central Europe at Air Liquide

(1) Lost-time frequency rate for Group employees and temporary workers. Number of accidents with at least one day’s absence from work per million hours worked.