Occupational health and safety
The health and safety of our employees and everyone working for us is our top priority. BKW operates in challenging environments where working with electricity, hazardous materials and at heights is common. The company’s role here is to protect our employees against hazards and thus prevent occupational accidents and illnesses.
Each company is responsible for implementing occupational health and safety measures. They carry out training, continuing education, specific safety days, events and campaigns to raise employee awareness of occupational safety issues. Accident assessments, systematic audits and building site inspections also help to reduce the number of accidents. Health and safety officers from every part of the company hold regular meetings to discuss overarching issues in the Occupational Health & Safety Technical Office.
Member of the Suva Safety Charter
Safety in the workplace: this is the primary objective of Suva's Safety Charter. In May 2023, the BKW Group Executive Board signed the document on behalf of the entire BKW Group, setting an important, company-wide example. As a member of the charter, we are committed to safe and healthy workplaces. We are committed to ensuring that measures to improve safety are implemented effectively. At the heart of the charter is the principle: «Stop in case of danger - eliminate the danger and only then continue working».
Operational health management
BKW’s operational health management strategy aims to strengthen employees’ health awareness and promote a healthy workplace through a variety of programmes. It works on three levels:
- promoting health (prevention)
- maintaining health (early detection)
- regaining health (reintegration)
In addition to various exercise courses, we offer advice and support on a range of health topics. These services cover many factors that can affect health and well-being sooner or later, such as stress at work, difficulties at home and financial struggles. We support employees affected by illness or accident with operational case management and reintegration teams. BKW works with external partners to offer these services.
A fair and supportive working environment
We promote and support the development of our employees and we believe in fair wages. Throughout the company, employees regularly discuss their progress with their managers. Talented, dedicated employees can pursue management, project or specialist career paths. We are also committed to offering equal opportunities, regardless of gender, origin, religion or age.
We are an ambitious company with regionally rooted firms and shared core values. BKW relies on partnerships and teamwork within the group to reach our goals. These cooperations also open doors for our employees, such as new career paths and transfer of knowledge within the network. Our hiring conditions are in line with current standards and our remuneration system is market-oriented and transparent. Flexible working hours and modern infrastructure help employees contribute their skills in way that maximises their performance.
Learn more about development opportunities and the work culture at BKW on our corporate careers website.
Sustainable procurement
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Complex global supply chains are a strong lever for advancement of sustainable development around the world. We emphasise cooperation and collaboration with all our business partners and call for compliance with recognised environmental and social standards. We require that our suppliers act in compliance with the law and the BKW Suppliers’ Code of Conduct. With this, they pledge to take responsibility for sustainability issues. The primary issues include:
- upholding human rights
- good working conditions
- fair competition
- environmental protection
- fighting corruption.
All new BKW suppliers have to fill out a questionnaire that covers sustainability issues. We also maintain a partnership with EcoVadis. This platform allows us to systematically map our suppliers’ sustainability performance, derive improvements and track progress. To establish sustainability standards along the supply chain, we are engaged in cross-industry partnerships, such as the Sustainable Supply Chain Management working group within öbu – the association for sustainable management – and the United Nations Global Compact.
Human rights
As an international company, we work with a large number of business partners, project participants and stakeholders. Our business activities are concentrated in European countries where compliance with internationally recognised human rights is largely enshrined in law. Nonetheless, we are aware that our activities may harbour risks of human rights violations. We strive to strengthen positive influences and prevent or minimise negative impacts and are committed to respecting human rights at all times.
