Henkel has production sites in 52 countries. In addition, we have administrative, research and marketing sites in many countries, as well as warehouses and distribution centers. By continuously improving our plants, processes and structures, we constantly increase production safety and efficiency while reducing resource consumption and the impact on the environment.

Computer-aided simulation programs help with the efficient configuration and control of individual plants and extensive production and logistics structures.Through the transfer of knowledge and technology among our sites, we assure the global use of safe, efficient and resource-conserving production processes. Our safety, health and environment standards apply to all of our sites worldwide. To ensure the implementation of our standards, we carry out audits throughout the Company.

In 2007, five regional health, safety and environment audits were carried out in North America, Australia and New Zealand, the Philippines and Malaysia, Tunisia, and Turkey. All in all, our auditors inspected 27 sites. A total of 648 audit criteria were examined, and action was found to be needed in 34 cases. In one instance, a grave occupational health and safety risk resulted in the immediate shutdown of the concerned part of the plant. It was only restarted after the necessary corrective measures had been taken.

We have our environmental management systems at the individual sites externally certified, if this yields competitive advantages. At the end of 2007, about 57 percent of the production volume came from sites certified to the international ISO 14001 environmental management standard. About 65 percent came from sites certified to international quality management standards.

In addition to certification of environmental- and quality management systems, an increasing number of sites are calling in external experts to verify their activities in occupational safety. The occupational health and safety management system at 57 sites were certified to OHSAS 18001 or comparable national standards. Another 7 sites are planning to obtain certifications for their occupational health and safety management system in 2008.

Our logistics planning is tailored to the nature of the products to be transported. For relatively bulky products, we reduce the transport mileage and the environmental burden by maintaining regional production sites. This applies especially to our Laundry & Home Care products, a well as to parts of the product portfolio of our Cosmetics and Consumer and Craftsmen Adhesives. More compact products with a low specific weight make fewer demands on transport, so we produce them centrally in large quantities wherever possible. Our instant and super glues, for examples, are produced at just three production sites worldwide.