Approach
AMD is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for employees, contractors, and visitors, and a safe environment for neighboring communities. We aim to ensure a better tomorrow through responsible operations and providing opportunities for employees to achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Health and safety professionals at each of our manufacturing facilities help ensure that a systematic approach to health and safety is an integral part of all our facilities' operations and culture. As a result, we have long been committed to the implementation of safe work practices and striving to ensure that our control processes are the best they can be.
Policies and Practices
For more than 10 years, our global EHS standards have required sites to conform to a consistent set of "best practices", in addition to meeting all applicable local, regional, and national requirements.
AMD's goal is to continually reduce occupational injury and illness case rates. We accomplish this through a variety of programs and processes that have been established based on industry performance standards, regular review of the effectiveness of our programs and processes, and the commitment of our employees.
Health and Safety Performance
AMD collects and tracks a variety of health and safety performance indicators. These indicators are used to monitor trends and help determine changing or additional training needs for employee groups. Performance indicators such as Occupational Injury and Illness case rates and Lost Work Day case rates are based on U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. With operations worldwide, AMD facilities in different geographic regions track occupational injury and illness statistics in accordance with local laws. However, to ensure consistent external reporting, all AMD sites use the OSHA guidelines for reporting corporate data.
Overall, AMD reduced its global Occupational Injury and Illness case rate by 20 percent in 2008 compared to 2007. In the U.S., Occupational Injury and Illness and Lost Work Day case rates declined 42 percent and 50 percent, respectively, from 2007 to 2008. We believe the decrease is mostly attributable to continued focus and communication of AMD's EHS Standards, site programs, and ongoing injury and illness prevention activities at individual sites.
Additional details regarding our occupational injury and illness data are provided here.
AMD processors were trusted to power crash safety test simulations for almost two million new cars that hit the road in the U.S. in 2008
Health and Safety Standards
We have developed a comprehensive set of Global EHS Standards that apply to all our sites and operations worldwide. These standards address topics such as:
- Employee well-being
- Injury and illness prevention
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Electrical safety
- Equipment safety
- Chemical safety
- Ergonomics
The standards require each manufacturing site to develop and also maintain auditable programs to address worker health and safety.
Health and Safety Management System
Our experienced EHS professionals strive to ensure that potential hazards are identified and addressed throughout the life of our facilities, worldwide. Our management system approach to health and safety looks at all aspects of an operation to identify and manage potential hazards with engineering and administrative controls. Aspects of our health and safety program include the following:
- AMD maintains programs to assist sites in ensuring compliance to local and regional EHS regulations and conforming to our AMD EHS Standards. We conduct periodic third party EHS regulatory compliance audits at our larger sites. Corrective action measures are documented and tracked through completion by Global EHS and site management. Periodic assessments of site programs and practices for conformance to our EHS Standards are also conducted. Deficiencies and best practice improvement opportunities are identified and tracked through completion.
- Prior to buying new manufacturing equipment, EHS professionals conduct a detailed evaluation of all safety features and any potential dangers. EHS works with both the manufacturer and AMD equipment engineers to address any deficiencies. We also have procedures in place to facilitate the safe installation and use of all equipment.
- Before a new manufacturing-process chemical is ordered, EHS professionals review and approve the chemical before it arrives on site. Based on the review, we ensure the necessary controls are in place to use and store the chemical safely, so that it does not pose a health risk to employees or to the community.
- Each of our manufacturing facilities maintains an Emergency Response Team that receives specific first responder training for medical, chemical and fire emergencies. The teams are comprised of employees from many different areas of the company who volunteer to receive the training and to voluntarily respond to emergencies as needed.
- We closely monitor the effectiveness of our control measures with the use of continuous gas monitoring systems in wafer fabrication areas and health surveillance programs designed to ensure that employees that have potential exposure to chemical or physical hazards are not adversely affected by their work environment.
- AMD employees receive training to carry out their job responsibilities safely and effectively. Our management system is designed to provide all workers with effective instruction to maintain a safe and healthy workplace and to prevent industrial accidents, injuries, and illnesses.
- AMD's Well-being Council is a cross-functional group that drives broader cross-organizational collaboration to optimize and integrate the wellbeing of employees and the corporation. The Council focuses on five key elements to maintaining a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle: Health, Nutrition, Fitness, Relationships, and Career.
- Our health and safety practices are regularly reviewed and evaluated as part of a compliance audit process. Programs are evaluated against AMD's standard and applicable laws and regulations.
Our assembly, test, mark, and pack (ATMP) facilities in Penang, Malaysia; Singapore; and Suzhou, China have health and safety management systems that are certified to the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 standard. All of our manufacturing facilities maintain integrated environmental, health and safety management systems.
Well-Being Program
The health and well-being of our employees are fundamental to AMD's culture and success. At AMD, we know that employee well-being is a personal commitment - a choice - that is the key to positive emotional, physical, and mental health. For these reasons, we are committed to providing a variety of resources our employees need to help them achieve a balanced state of well-being. Information and articles related to well-being are a regular feature in our employee communications.
- Health - AMD offers a variety of health promotions and benefits throughout the year.
- Screening programs such as cholesterol and glucose are offered each year
- Each fall, free flu immunizations are provided in North America
- On-site travel clinics at several locations provide immunization and illness prevention for our international travelers. International SOS is available if our employees traveling internationally have a medical emergency far away from home
- Ergonomics evaluation for furniture and equipment selection and purchases
- CBT (computer based training) course to educate employees about good ergonomic principles as well as how to properly adjust their computer, laptops, computer workstations and other equipment to minimize the risk of injury
- As part of AMD's injury and illness prevention program, early reporting of work-related injuries is required and immediate intervention is provided.
- Nutrition - AMD cafeterias offer a wide variety of healthy options such as:
- Healthy menus
- Healthy grab and go kiosks
- Organic foods
- Fresh foods
- Fruit
Nutrition awareness is supported by wellness articles featured on AMD's Intranet and cafeterias at some of our facilities provide menu selections that are labeled with nutritional content.
- Fitness - Throughout the year, physical fitness is encouraged through a variety of programs and benefits:
- Step It Up Walking and Be Lean programs that promote physical activity and weight management.
- Health and fitness promotion activities such as Bike to Work week, National Fitness Day, World Health Day or other activities promoting fitness.
- Fully equipped fitness centers are available at many locations and membership is free.
- Collaborating with AMD's Go Green Program to promote walking and biking to work.
- Collaborating with AMD's sponsorships to promote the Lance Armstrong Foundation LiveSTRONG Challenge. In 2008, AMD Austin and Sunnyvale teams had approximately 150 members bike, run or walk in the event. The teams raised more than $50,000. In preparation for the event, the AMD fitness centers put together training programs and other useful information to help the beginner walker to the avid biker prepare for this challenge.
- Relationships - Balancing all aspects of our lives includes our personal and professional relationships. AMD's Global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) understands the many challenges employees face, such as relationship issues, change and stress management, substance abuse, depression, parenting concerns and simply finding a balance between work and home. Stress, anxiety, worry, and aggression have all increased in recent years, often the result of work/life balance issues, financial conditions or business conditions. To address this growing health concern, the Global EAP offers stress reduction and stress management seminars and webinars as well as individual counseling. Additionally, many of our locations offer private areas/rooms for employees to decompress, meditate or pray.
- Career - Many people associate well-being with health and nutrition. However, career is an equally important element of well-being - especially considering today's predominantly career-centric society. Career development is critical to having an engaging, meaningful and rewarding work experience. AMD offers a wide variety of resources through our Learning and Development department to assist with personal and professional development. For more information about AMD's career development opportunities see Careers.
Industry Collaboration
We actively participate in industry-wide efforts to promote and improve responsible EHS management and policy development. AMD's EHS professionals also maintain a presence at both national and local levels in professional groups like the Semiconductor Environmental, Safety and Health Association, and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses.
We have also been involved in major industry worker health studies, such as an SIA-funded study performed by researchers from the University of California at Davis that evaluated reproductive health concerns in the semiconductor industry. Based on the study's findings and recommendations, which were published in 1992, we voluntarily eliminated the use of certain ethylene-based glycol ethers because of the suggestion that the use of such chemicals may involve reproductive risk.
In late 2004, the SIA decided to proceed with a full retrospective epidemiology study focusing on cancer risks to those working in the semiconductor industry. On August 2, 2005, the SIA announced the selection of Vanderbilt University to conduct the study. AMD is an active participant in the process. The study is scheduled to be completed in 2010. For more information about the study, please refer to SIA.