Bracco awarded at Cefic’s European Responsible Care Awards

Every year, the European Responsible Care Awards promoted by Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, recognize the commitment to health, safety and the environment by chemical companies and their associations. Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General praised the winners saying "we are showcasing the amazing work that companies across Europe have done during the COVID-19 pandemic; keeping our society running, keeping the industry running and bringing solutions that matter when the situations have been really difficult".

At the 2020 Awards, Bracco has received from the international panel of judges a special commendation for its project: "Taking Care in COVID-19 Times" placed in the category "Protection of the workplace and employees". Reasons for the commendation include: "the rapid response of the Bracco Group in taking actions regarding the protection and training of employees, as well as keeping them informed. Furthermore for the impressive initiatives carried out, such as remote teaching support in schools, preparation of lunch boxes and donations." The jury especially appreciated the measures that focused on the health and well-being of employees and patients as well as the company’s uninterrupted operations.

Steps of the project "Bracco Taking Care in Covid-19 Times"

On 22 February 2020, a Crisis Committee and a Task Force were created with the aim of constantly monitoring developments of the general situation, and of undertaking daily required actions, starting with the enactment of specific procedures for protection, information sharing, and training. Bracco guaranteed safety for the performance of all manufacturing operations while at the same time activated working from home for all employees wherever possible, recommending video conferencing and teleconferencing, even among those physically present at the office in order to reduce encounters to a minimum.

Additional measures that were applied included restrictions on business travel, with an immediate stop placed on all non-essential travel, the adoption of extraordinary disinfection and prevention procedures in all offices and manufacturing sites, with particular attention to shared spaces, closing of the company gym until further notice, mandatory use of protective equipment (masks, gloves and cups), hand sanitizing stations, instructions for proper hand washing, temperature scanners at the entrances of production plants and offices, closing of the company canteens and the preparation of "lunch boxes" for employees present in the offices.

• Starting 16 March 2020, online wellness and fitness courses were launched, which have given employees the chance to continue to exercise remotely, as well as training courses for employees which were expanded on the e-learning platform along with the release of an ad hoc catalog of online courses for the sales team.
   
• Starting 17 March 2020, the multidisciplinary program #BraccoFoundationathome was launched on digital platforms, providing access to employees of a weekly themed cultural program (#Classic; #Music with Maestro Fabio Sartorelli, "our gaze towards tomorrow"; part of the project #100experts; #Exhibitions, with virtual visits of photography exhibitions).
   
• On 25 March 2020, Bracco established supplementary healthcare insurance coverage for Italian employees in the case of infection from the Coronavirus.
   
• On 21 April 2020, the Italian Diagnostic Center initiated a free digital health consultation service for patients and Italian employees called #CDIwithYou.
   
• On 27 April 2020, Bracco launched BRACCO CARES, an international initiative to support customers and healthcare workers through a series of webinars and video programs presented by KOLs of the industry, aimed at detailing useful strategies for managing the crisis.
   
• On 28 April 2020, the Bracco Foundation launched the initiative #Science Hour to support remote learning in Italian schools. The Bracco Foundation also organized the video conference "After the lockdown: living with limits, cultivating resilience" open to all Italian employees and led by psychotherapist Alberto Pellai.
   
• On 17 June 2020, the CDI offered free serology tests to Italian employees for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
   

In addition to all of these actions, a donation of 1 million euros on behalf of the Bracco family and the company, which quadrupled the sum collected by employees, was made to the hospitals on the front line of the fight against Covid.

The Group also distributed 202,000 surgical masks, 6,475 FFP2 masks, 3,520 FFP3 masks, 430 liters of hand sanitizer, 12,600 nitrile gloves and 1,640 protective suits to Italian healthcare providers.