Privacy Policy

The operator of this website and the responsible controller in terms of data protection is: 

B. Braun Melsungen AG
Carl-Braun-Straße 1
34212 Melsungen
Germany

This privacy policy applies to data abut you, including personal data, collected by B. Braun. Personal data are data or a combination of individual data by means of which you can be identified.
We process your personal data in compliance with the data protection laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and the European General Data Protection Regulation. In no case will we forward your personal data to third parties outside of the B. Braun group for advertising or marketing purposes without your consent.
As an international company, we work together with external service providers. To the extent that processed information contains personal content, corresponding contractual agreements and organizational measures have been enacted according to applicable law which ensure the security of your information. Our external service providers are bound by our instructions and are monitored regularly. Our employees are trained to handle personal data and have committed in writing to comply with data protection regulations.
As a general rule, our website can be used without providing personal data. Insofar as personal data (name, address or email addresses, for example) are collected, this is always on a voluntary basis whenever possible.

We draw your attention to the fact that data transmission via the Internet (e.g. when communicating by e-mail) may involve gaps in security. We attempt to protect your data from unauthorized access by third parties by means of precautions such as pseudonymization, data economy, observing deletion periods and in consideration of the current state of the art technology. Despite these protective measures, however, we cannot completely rule out unlawful processing by third parties.

When you visit our website, our web servers save each access temporarily to a log file. The following information is captured and processed until automated deletion:

• Anonymized IP address of the computer requesting the information
• Date and time of access
• Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• Access status/http status code
• Volume of data transferred in each case
• Operating system and its interface
• Identification data of the browser and operating system used
• Language and version of browser software
• Name and URL of the data retrieved, content of request
• Report of whether the retrieval was successful
• Website from which the access takes place
• Name of your Internet service provider

When this website is used purely for informational purposes, B. Braun Melsungen AG collects only those personal data that are necessary in technical terms in order to display the website and enable the use thereof (establishment of a connection), for system security and stability, for the technical administration of the network structure and to optimize the website. The legal basis for this is a legitimate interest on the part of B. Braun Melsungen AG (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). 

You may object to this data processing. Insofar as you object to the use of this data, we hereby inform you that our services may only be usable to limited degree. 

This personal information is not processed beyond the cases indicated above, unless you explicitly consent to further processing. (For further information, please see this Data Privacy Statement under the following point, “Consent”).

In accordance with the principle of data avoidance and data economy set out in the General Data Protection Regulation, we only process personal information on our website when it is either required for your desired purpose, we are obligated to do so due to legal regulations or contracts, if we have a legitimate interest and/or if you voluntarily provide the information to us.

When entering personal or business information (e.g. email address, name, address), the disclosure of your information is performed on an explicitly voluntary basis. 

We process your contact and business-related information based on statutory regulations in connection with existing or pending business relationships. In addition, with your input, you declare your consent for the information entered to be processed for the purpose designated by you. We process your provided information only as long as required for the intended purpose and delete it after fulfilling the purpose or after expiration of the respective storage periods. Processing does not occur for any other purpose. Insofar as you object to the processing of this data, we hereby inform you that our services may only be usable to limited degree. To provide you with comprehensive offerings, your data are transferred and used within the B. Braun Group (for information on the B. Braun Group, click here.) 

The following are possible ways we may use the information:

Due to statutory regulations:

• Execution of our General Terms and Conditions 
• Management of our business
• Protection from or identification of possible fraudulent transactions

Based on contractual purposes:

• Payment processing for purchases and other services
• Processing your application documents

Based on our legitimate interest:

• Determining the effectiveness of our advertising
• Developing new products and services
• Analyzing the use of our products, services and websites
• Knowledge of how you reached our website
  

Your personal data are processed solely on the basis of statutory permission or your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). Your consent to processing can be revoked at any time with effect for the future. Your consent to the processing of your personal data may be required in various cases:

• To receive newsletters (see point 17 for further information)
• Sending of samples, bonuses, products and information
• Signing up for prize competitions, programs or offers at your request
• Delivery of other services which we have offered to you
• Surveys on our websites
• Development and provision of advertising tailored to your interests
• Making contact via the contact form (see point 15 for further information)
• etc.

Your data are stored by B. Braun Melsungen AG only as long as they are required for certain purposes. Consequently, your data are erased by B. Braun Melsungen AG if and when:

• the relevant legal basis for the processing of your data no longer exists,
• the purpose of processing of your data no longer exists,
• you withdraw your consent to the processing of your data,
• a legal obligation makes it necessary to erase them, or
• you have objected to the processing of your personal data,

unless storage periods stipulated by law apply. For example, the German Fiscal Code (AO) and Commercial Code (HGB) provide for certain storage periods. B. Braun Melsungen AG cannot erase your data on a final basis until these periods have elapsed.

This does not apply to data whose erasure would involve disproportionate effort. In cases like these, B. Braun is deemed to have a legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR in storing your data.

As a basic principle, we do not use any fully automated decision-making pursuant to Article 22 GDPR to establish and implement the business relationship. Should we utilize these methods in individual cases, we will notify you thereof separately where required by law.

We use automated methods to process your data in part, with the objective of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling). We use profiling to provide products that may interest you on a targeted basis, for example.

Within the scope of our business relationship, you are required to provide the personal data that are necessary in order to commence and implement the relevant business relationship and fulfill the contractual obligations associated with it or that we are required by law to collect. Without these data, we will typically not be able to enter into the business relationship with you and fulfill the obligations that arise from it.

The website of B. Braun Melsungen AG may contain links to third-party websites over whose content B. Braun Melsungen AG has no influence. After you click a link, you leave the sphere of responsibility of B. Braun Melsungen AG. Processing of data thereafter no longer takes place within the sphere of influence of B. Braun Melsungen AG.

Children and people under the age of 18 normally do not transmit personal data to us without the consent of their parents or legal guardians. We do not request personal data from children and we affirm that we do not collect personal data from children, nor do we use it in any way or disclose it to third parties without authorization.

The Internet is a globally open platform. Due to the Internet's inherent mode of operation and the systemic risks involved, any data transmissions are made at your own risk. For your security we exclusively offer our services via the encrypted transmission channel.

We transfer your data to countries outside the European Economic Area (“third countries”) only to the extent that

• this is necessary in order to perform your orders,
• it is required by law, or
• you have given us your consent.

To the extent that we transfer your data to a third country or an international organization, this takes place in accordance with the stipulations of the GDPR as a basic principle. Beyond that, we only transmit the strict minimum amount of data necessary, in line with the principle of data minimization.

In some cases, we utilize the services of service providers whose corporate headquarters, parent company or subcontractors is or are based in a third country. Your data are only transferred if the European Commission has decided that an adequate level of protection exists in the third country (Article 45 GDPR), appropriate safeguards are in place (e.g. standard contractual clauses issued by the European Commission) and you as the data subject have enforceable rights and effective legal remedies at your disposal. We have set out contractual provisions on compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation and the provisions thereof with the service provider. 

You can use the contact form to request an overview of the recipients in third countries and the relevant provisions to ensure an adequate level of data protection there. 

Our websites also use so-called "cookies." Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and that your browser saves. They do not cause damage to your computer and do not contain viruses. They serve to make our offering more user-friendly, effective and secure. Some cookies (so-called "functional cookies," e.g. for language settings and order processes) are those that are required in order to guarantee the essential functions of the website. Without them, the website cannot be used as intended.
The majority of the cookies used by us are so-called “session cookies“. They will be deleted automatically after the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your terminal device until you delete these. These cookies enable us to recognize your browser again on the next visit.

There are two different types of cookies:

1. Transient cookies: Most of the cookies we use are “transient cookies,” especially “session cookies.” These cookies are automatically deleted after the end of your visit. They enable us to recognize your browser when you return to our website within the same session.
2. Persistent cookies: Other cookies known as “persistent cookies” are automatically erased from your device only after a predetermined period (which varies according to the type of cookie).

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in an individual case, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or generally exclude cookies as well as activate the automatic deletion of the cookies when closing the browser. Should you reject the use of cookies (a possible setting in your browser) it is nevertheless (restricted under certain circumstances) possible to use our website. You can find further information with regard to the topic of cookies in our Cookie Policy. 

We have taken extensive precautions to protect the security of your data. The data transmitted to us that you have entered e.g. in HTML websites (contact forms) are transmitted in an encrypted form (SSL - Secure Socket Layer) via the public data network to B. Braun, where they are saved and processed.

This website uses an SSL encryption for reasons of security and for the protection of the transmission of confidential contents, such as for example the inquiries that you send us as the website operator. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from "http://" to "https://" and by the lock symbol in your browser line.

If the SSL encryption is activated the data, which you transmit to us, cannot be read by third parties.

If you submit inquiries to us via the contact form, we store your information from the inquiry form, including the contact information you provide there, in order to process your inquiry and in the event of any follow-up inquiries. We do not share these data without your consent. The data that arise in this context are deleted once storage thereof is no longer necessary, or processing thereof is restricted if there are statutory storage obligations.

By giving us your consent when contacting us via our form, you have decided to receive information on future offers and products (e.g. newsletters, forms, etc.) from the B. Braun Group. Within the scope of the use of this portal, your data may be transferred to the United States, to a carefully selected service provider who is under contract with us. The data protection in place in the United States is not comparable to the German and/or European standards; as a result, adequate data protection cannot be guaranteed in all cases. To ensure the security of your data as well as possible nonetheless, our company takes the necessary protective measures. For example, your data are transferred to the United States in keeping with the principle of purpose limitation and data economy, with the result that only the information that is absolutely necessary and has been provided by you is stored.

Use of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud

We use the remarketing functions of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud of the service provider salesforce.com, Inc. The Landmark @ One Market Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA (“Salesforce”). If you have consented to the receipt of our newsletter and visit our Website via a newsletter, web beacons are used. This way it is possible for us to track the effectiveness of our newsletter, e.g. whether you have opened an e-mail or which part of the newsletter was particularly interesting.

For this purpose we use e.g. the tracking methods “Email Open Tracking” and “Email-Link Tracking”.

Email Open Tracking: Here we track whether you have opened the newsletter via the 1x1 pixel in the HTML template described below.

Email-Link Tracking: It is tracked here whether a link was clicked within the e-mail (Click-Trough). For this purpose the links are converted by the Marketing Cloud into trackable links.

Salesforce uses so-called “web beacons” in the majority of the used e-mails. Web beacons (also called “ClearGIFs” or “tracking pixels”) are small graphics (GIF files with a size of approx. 1×1) that are used among others on websites or in HTML e-mails. Web beacons fulfill similar functions as cookies, can however not be noticed by the user. Via web beacons information can, in particular, be obtained whether the e-mail was opened and whether the system of the user is capable of receiving HTML e-mails. No personal data are collected via the web beacon.

If you would not like to receive any e-mail notifications with web beacons, you can alternatively also receive your e-mails in a text form (not in the HTML format) by changing the corresponding settings to this extent within your e-mail client and by blocking the receipt of HTML formated e-mails.

Your personal data will not be forwarded to third parties (thus outside of the B. Braun Group), unless you have granted us your corresponding prior consent. Excluded from this provision is the forwarding to service partners, such as for example parcel service provider or freight forwarders, if the transmission is necessary for the order processing or delivery of the goods. 

The logistics service providers receive the data that are required for the delivery for use at their own responsibility. We accordingly restrict this to sending the data that are necessary for the delivery.

In addition, other service providers are involved in the work for the initiation and processing of the contracts, such as for example IT service providers or the hosting service provider for the website. These companies operate for B. Braun within the framework of a so-called order processing and may only use the personal data according to our instructions.

B. Braun has obligated these service providers to the General Data Protection Regulation as per contract and monitors these companies.

Further excluded is the transmission of data for the order processing or delivery of the goods or services or the transmission and use for bookkeeping and settlement purposes within the B. Braun Group. For the forwarding of the data these can be saved (cf. Point 10) in the cloud application salesforce.com, Inc. The Landmark @ One Market Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA (“Salesforce”). In addition, no transmission will take place to third parties without your consent.  
In all of these cases the transmission will be carried out in line with the applicable national and European data protection provisions; the scope of the transmitted data is only limited to the necessary minimum in this case.

By signing up to receive a newsletter that is offered, you are consenting to the processing of your name and e-mail address and information that permit us to verify that you are the owner of the stated e-mail address. You are also confirming that you agree to receive the newsletter.

In the case of mailing, your address is needed as well. Your data are processed exclusively for the desired newsletter; your data are not used for other purposes beyond that. We also do not share your data with third parties. Our registration system ensures that you do in fact wish to receive the chosen newsletter by sending a registration e-mail with a confirmation link (known as the “double opt-in” procedure).

You can withdraw the consent you have granted to the processing of the data, the e-mail address and the use thereof to transmit the newsletter at any time, for example by clicking the “Remove” link in the newsletter.
If you order the newsletter via our contact form, we will process your inquiry in our Salesforce Marketing Cloud (see point 15 for information on this).

Adobe Analytics, a web analysis service of Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited ("Adobe"), is used on this website. Adobe Analytics uses cookies. If the information regarding use of the website that is generated by the cookie is transmitted to an Adobe server, then the settings ensure that the IP address is anonymized before geolocalization and replaced by a generic IP address before saving. Adobe utilizes this information on behalf of the operator of this website in order to evaluate usage of this website by the user, to compile reports on website activity for the website operator and to perform additional services connected with use of the website and the Internet in respect of the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser in connection with Adobe Analytics is not combined with other data from Adobe. You can prevent the saving of cookies by a corresponding setting in your browser software. Note that in this case, you may not be able to fully utilize all functions of this website. You can furthermore prevent the entry of the data generated by the cookie and referring to your usage of the website (incl. your IP address) to Adobe as well as the processing of these data by Adobe by downloading and installing the available browser plugin here.
We have concluded a contract with Adobe for the contract data processing and implement the strict stipulations of the German data protection authorities in full when using Adobe Analytics.

B. Braun Melsungen AG maintains its own sites on various social networks in order to enable dialogue with interested users or clients and be able to inform these groups about the B. Braun Melsungen AG product portfolio. B. Braun Melsungen AG does not process any user data in social networks itself, and can only analyze and use the data that have been anonymized by Facebook, for example. In the process, user data may be transferred to countries outside the European Union. In addition, the user data collected are processed for marketing purposes, for example to define target groups and then display advertising materials to these groups on a targeted basis on the relevant social media platform. To make this possible, the social network/the relevant provider of the social network frequently stores cookies that contain the users’ online behavior, interests and similar. Use profiles on the relevant platforms can also contain data that are stored irrespective of the device. The legal basis for this kind of data processing is the legitimate interest of B. Braun Melsungen AG in functional, stable communication with users via the respective online presence.

The social media providers may request your consent to the relevant data processing. In this case, the legal basis for the data processing would be that specific consent.

As the data subject affected by the data processing, you can assert various rights with respect to the controller (for more information, see point 25). Please note, however, that as a basic principle, exercising these rights as a data subject makes the most sense if you do so directly with the platform provider. As a general rule, only the platform providers have direct access to the data that are processed, and they are the only ones that can take appropriate measures. Naturally, we are happy to hear from you if you have any further questions about this.
To provide you with as much relevant information as possible regarding the processing of data on social networks, we would also like to refer you to the data protection and privacy statements of the individual platform providers:

Within the Internet presence of B. Braun it may occur that contents of third parties are used (so-called “plugins”). These can appear in the form of YouTube videos, RSS-Feeds or graphics of other websites or also by social media pushbuttons, such as for example the share button of Facebook.

If you are on a website of B. Braun, on which contents of third parties are integrated, under certain circumstances a connection will be set up with the respective social network. The content of the pushbuttons may be transmitted to your browser hereby and be integrated into the website hereby. This means that the respective provider always receives the information that your have called the B. Braun website. It is not relevant in this case whether you are a member of a social network or are not logged into such a network. Furthermore, irrespective whether you actually act with the integrated content, information will be automatically collected by the social network. The following data can be transmitted hereby: IP address, browser information and operating systems, screen resolution, installed browser plugins (e.g. Adobe Flash Player), origin of the visitor (if you have followed a link) and the URL of the current website.

If you are logged into one of the social networks during the use of the website of B. Braun, under certain circumstances the information about the call of the website will be linked with your member data and saved. If you are a member of a social network and do not want this data to be transmitted you must logout of the social network before visiting the B. Braun website.

B. Braun has no influence over the scope of the data collected by the social networks. For information on the nature, scope and purpose of data processing, the further processing of the data and your rights and possible settings in this regard to protect your privacy, please see the relevant social network’s data protection and privacy provisions.

20. 1 Data privacy statement for the use of Facebook plugins

Plugins of the social network Facebook are integrated on our websites, provider Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. You can recognize the Facebook plugins by the Facebook logo on our website. You will find an overview of the Facebook plugins here: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/. 

If you visit our websites a direct connection is established between your browser and the Facebook server via the plugin. This way Facebook receives the information that you have visited our website with your IP address. Facebook can hereby allocate the visit to our website to your user account. Please note that as the provider of the sites, we do not receive any knowledge of the content of the data transferred or the processing thereof by Facebook.

For further information on this, please see the Facebook privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

If you do not wish Facebook to associate the visit to our sites with your Facebook user account, please log out of your Facebook user account.

20.2 Privacy policy for the use of Twitter

Functions of the Twitter service are integrated onto our websites. These functions are offered by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. By the use of Twitter and the "Re-Tweet" function the websites visited by you are linked with your Twitter account and announced to other users. Data are also transmitted to Twitter hereby. We would like to point out that we as the provider of the websites neither receive any knowledge of the content of the transmitted data, nor their use by Twitter. You can find further information in this respect in the privacy policy of Twitter under http://twitter.com/privacy.

You can change your data protection settings at Twitter in the account settings under: http://twitter.com/account/settings

20.3 Privacy policy for the use of LinkedIn

Our website uses functions of the LinkedIn network. The provider is the LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. A connection to servers of LinkedIn will be set up with each call of one of our websites, which contains functions of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our websites with your IP address. If you click the "recommend button" of LinkedIn and are logged into your account at LinkedIn, it is possible for LinkedIn to allocate your visit to our website to you and your user account. We would like to point out that we as the provider of the sites neither have any knowledge of the content of the transmitted data, nor their use by LinkedIn.

You can find further information in this respect in the privacy policy of LinkedIn under: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

20.4 Data privacy statement for the use of XING

Our website uses functions of the network XING. The provider is XING AG, Dammtorstrasse 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. Each time you access one of our pages that contains XING functions, a connection is established to servers of XING. To our knowledge, processing of personal data does not take place in this process. In particular, no IP addresses are stored, nor is user behavior analyzed.

You can find further information relating to data protection and the XING share button in the privacy policy of XING under https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection

20.5 Privacy policy for the use of YouTube

Our website uses plugins of the YouTube website operated by Google. The operator of the websites is YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. If you visit one of our websites fitted with a YouTube plugin a connection will be established to the servers of YouTube. It will be communicated to the Youtube server hereby, which of our websites you visited.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, you enable YouTube to directly allocate your surf behavior to your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account. You can find further information regarding the handling of user data in the privacy policy of YouTube under: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=de

20.6 Use of Google Maps

In order to show you interactive maps directly in the website and to make the comfortable use of the map function possible, we include Google Maps on our websites by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (Parent: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA). To use these services, the user's IP address is sent to Google. The IP address is required for the presentation of this content, but is only used to deliver the content. Your location data will not be collected by Google without your consent (usually as part of your device settings).

You can access the Google Privacy Policy below: https://policies.google.com/privacy

If you use our Extranet, you must enter some personal data that we process and save in order to orientate our offered range of service to your needs based upon this. You can manage your data at all times under “My Profile”. For the deletion of your profile please inform us via our address mybbraun@bbraun.com as the complete access to the Extranet will also be withdrawn with the deletion of your data.

21.1 Interaction with experts

Via the Extranet you can exchange and network with employees of B. Braun You will receive new information within the framework of your business network with B. Braun employees by e-mail to the address deposited by you.

21.2 Log files

Please note that in addition to the data you enter, the IP address from which you visit our extranet is also stored and may be used to secure claims and for evidentiary purposes. Further processing of the IP address data does not take place; instead, logging occurs exclusively within the scope of preventive measures. In the process, it is also ensured that it is not possible to draw any conclusions regarding a specific extranet user.

21.3 Access to information and e-mail notifications

After the successful identification and registration you will receive access at My B. Braun to various information, documents and applications. 

Free e-mail messages will be offered to you in the My B. Braun. For this purpose you must specify an e-mail address solely used by you or an e-mail address allocated to you personally for your sole use for the receipt of these e-mails. Specifying other e-mail addresses, particularly those of third parties, is not permitted. By entering this e-mail address you declare that you agree with the processing of these data.  A respective de-activation will be made available in order to cancel the e-mail services. In the event of technical or other problems technical support with the deactivation is available to the users under the address mybbraun@bbraun.com.

21.4 Erasure of your data

We process your data only as long as is necessary or permissible according to the statutory provisions and/or within the scope of the business relationship between us. All of your personal information is then deleted, provided that there are no statutory storage periods that conflict with deletion.

21.5 Online shop

We provide an online shop on our website. To handle your order, we need your personal data to implement the contract: 

form of address/title; company name or last name, first name; mailing address; e-mail address; optional: delivery address (if different). The legal basis for the processing of data as part of handling your order is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.

We provide an online shop on our website. To handle your order, we need your personal data to implement the contract:

You have the right to the following at any time:

• free information on the personal data concerning you that are stored, the origin and recipients thereof and the purpose of data processing, and 
• restriction of processing of data,
• rectification,
• blockage,
• erasure of these data,
• receipt of your information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (right to data portability),
• withdrawal of your consent to the processing of your personal data,
• filing of a complaint with the supervisory authority with jurisdiction (contact information under point 26.

Objection to the processing of your data based on legitimate interests

You also have the right to object to the processing of your personal data at any time if this is done by B. Braun Melsungen AG based on a legitimate interest (pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). As a result, the processing of your data will be halted unless B. Braun Melsungen AG can show that there are statutory provisions concerning this or that it has grounds to continue processing the data based on legitimate interests. This is the case, for example, if data are still required in order to be able to assert legal claims where applicable.

Objection to processing for direct marketing purposes

You can object to the processing of your personal data for purposes of advertising and data analysis at any time (“advertising objection”). Please use our contact form to submit this kind of objection. 

On this point and for further questions concerning personal data, you can contact us here or using the contact information under point 26, “Your contacts for data privacy matters.” Upon request, we will inform you in writing if and which personal information we process about you, in accordance with applicable law.

If you have questions regarding the processing of your personal information, you can contact our data privacy officer and his/her team directly. They are also available for information requests, inquiries or complaints:

Data Protection Department
B. Braun Melsungen AG
Carl-Braun-Straße 1
34212 Melsungen

To contact us, please use the contact form.

If you wish to exercise your right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority with jurisdiction,
please contact the following address: 

Data Protection Commissioner for the State of Hesse
Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 1, 
65189 Wiesbaden

You can retrieve and print these data privacy policies from any B. Braun website using the link "Data privacy.”