Working at Mars
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
"As National Director for Health and Work, I am delighted with the commitment that Mars has shown to the Health and Work agenda and the excellent results they have achieved at their UK sites. Health at work is a vital part of the Public Health agenda and Mars have shown great leadership in this area, having supported this work now for over five years. It is inspiring to see Mars in Slough reaching out into their local community to support smaller businesses in improving the health and wellbeing of their employees - this important project forms part of the UK Government's Responsibility Deal."
Dame Carol Black, National Director for Health and Work, UK Department for Work and Pensions
Providing a safe and healthy workplace is not just our responsibility, it’s a business imperative. Whether this means high safety standards in our factories or promoting healthy living in our offices, all our sites are designed and operated to create a safe and positive working environment.
Managing Safety and Occupational Health
We expect the highest quality in everything we do, and safety is no exception. Mars manufacturing sites use sophisticated engineering, manufacturing and logistics techniques, and many Associates use complex machinery and materials on a daily basis. Every Associate, contractor and temporary worker is responsible for doing his or her job safely, and Mars is responsible for ensuring healthy and safe work environments and for providing appropriate safety training.
Every site is routinely visited by a nurse, while larger manufacturing facilities have health centers on site. All Associates at our manufacturing facilities are monitored throughout their careers for hearing loss and other risks associated with manufacturing.
A unique component of our approach is that our occupational health teams work closely with our safety teams to ensure the safety of our facilities and the prevention of injuries.
Q&A with Thomas Terracino, Global Safety, Environmental Affairs and Security Director, Mars, Incorporated
Q. How does Mars make sure its factories are safe places to work?
A. Our Safety, Environmental Affairs and Security (SES) management system provides sites with the means to identify, assess and control risks. In 2009, we began to standardize this system across the company, and all Mars businesses worldwide will be using a single, cohesive approach by 2012.
The system emphasizes the need for continuous improvement and sets standards for our businesses. We measure our performance against these standards using a set of leading and lagging key performance indicators.
A unique component of our approach is the collaboration between our safety teams and occupational health specialists. They work together to understand how good health and well-being help Associates work safely, ensuring our rate of lost-time injuries stays low.
Q. Does Mars follow any externally recognized safety standards?
A. The SES management system meets recognized international standards, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Services 18000 (OHSAS) series. While it isn’t our policy to have every site formally certified to these or similar standards, some locations find it helps fulfill legal or customer requirements. For example, our Australian business has been approved by WorkCover, the state occupational health and safety regulator.
Q. Do Associates receive any special safety training?
A. Absolutely! We provide comprehensive global training so Associates can carry out their work safely. Courses include manual handling, working with machinery, energy and hazardous materials and emergency preparedness.
Our sites also raise awareness of the importance of safe behavior — from basics, such as clear signage and near-miss reporting, to more creative communications campaigns and safety plans. These programs are developed at a local level to reflect local needs.
We are also committed to involving all Associates, contractors and visitors to Mars sites in our efforts to improve health and safety as their understanding and cooperation is critical for us to succeed.
Safety Performance
Our long-term aim is an accident-free workplace and our efforts to promote safety had a noticeable effect in 2010. Our recent success was due to a concerted effort to reinforce safety as a responsibility all Associates share and further strengthen our safety-management practices as a business. Examples include performing safety-skills surveys, providing professional development for Associates in the safety teams and improving the expertise of our colleagues in Occupational Health.
We are not taking the improvement for granted and know we must keep up the pace to get the number of incidents even lower. The most common causes of incidents that resulted in lost time in 2010 were repetitive-motion activities, such as continually lifting and moving items. We are putting in place a comprehensive risk-assessment process, physical-demands analysis and related measures to reduce these kinds of incidents in future.
Well-Being
We are committed to giving our Associates the tools and resources to take care of themselves and their families. All of us at Mars strive to maintain a positive work-life balance and to take care of ourselves. In addition, we’ve created working options that accommodate family commitments, such as part-time roles, job sharing and flexible hours. Our goal is to help balance childcare commitments with a challenging and rewarding career.
Our approach differs from country to country depending on cultural and legal requirements. Here are some examples from around the world:
North America
Our HealthTracks system identifies programs and resources at Mars that facilitate well-being and enhance engagement. The programs include disease management, fitness centers, on-site health specialists, online engagement programs, completion of health assessments and phone support for healthy lifestyles. Resources are in place to help Associates and spouses or partners to eat better, exercise more, stop tobacco use and manage stress.
Mars offers cash incentives of up to $300 per person for having annual physicals, getting a health assessment that includes blood pressure, weight, cholesterol and other important diagnostic predictors, and for completing a wellness program. We provide support for Associates and their families if they are ill, helping them to understand their health insurance coverage and deal with insurance and healthcare providers. Associates can find help and advice on our intranet or call a nurse for professional advice.
Africa, India and the Middle East
In Africa, India and the Middle East the "Walk with Me" program, launched in late 2009, helps Associates take steps towards a balanced lifestyle by promoting physical activity in a simple and fun way. All Associates are given pedometers and are encouraged to walk or run throughout the day. They enter the distance walked on a special intranet site, and those who log in the most steps and make the biggest improvements are recognized each month.
Latin America
In 2010, Mars Latin America launched the Mars Vida ("Life") program, which focuses on three pillars — Health, Family and Associates, and Flexibility — to help Associates achieve a balance between their work and wider lives. The Health pillar includes access to on-site nutritionists, flu vaccines and stress-prevention programs. Weekly fruit baskets give Associates healthy snack options, and there are plans underway to offer on-site checkups.
Europe
Associates across Europe participate in many fitness activities together. Demonstrating a commitment to good health and wellness, dozens of European Associates trained together to run the 2011 Paris Marathon. Mars Food France supported the group’s efforts by providing funding as well as a professional trainer who prepared them to run the scenic 26.2-mile course.
