Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 2023

The provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter referred to as the “GDPR”) have been valid throughout Europe since May 25, 2018. With this document, we would like to inform you about how Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH processes personal data in accordance with this new regulation (see Art. 13 GDPR). Please read our Privacy Policy carefully. Should you have any questions or comments about our Privacy Policy, you may contact our data protection officer as indicated in Section 2.

1. Overview
2. Name and contact information for the data controller and the corporate data protection officer
3. Purposes of data processing, legal bases and legitimate interests pursued by Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH or a third party and categories of recipients
3.1. Accessing our website or application
3.2. Conclusion, performance or termination of a contract
3.3. Data processing for advertising purposes
3.4. Website and website optimization
4. Transmission to recipients outside the EU
5. Your rights
6. Data security

1. Overview

The following data protection notice informs you about the type and scope of personal data processed by Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH. Personal data is information that can be used to personally identify you whether directly or indirectly. Data processing performed by Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH may essentially be divided into two categories:

All data required for the performance of a contract with Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH will be processed for the purpose of performing the contract. If external service providers are also involved in performing a contract, e.g. logistics companies or subcontractors, your data will be passed on to them to the extent necessary in each particular case.
A variety of information is exchanged between your terminal device and our server when you access the website/application operated by Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH. This may also involve personal data. The information collected in this way is used, among other things, to optimize our website or to display advertising in your terminal device’s web browser.

In accordance with the provisions GDPR, you have a variety of rights that you may exercise in your dealings with us. These include, among others, the right to object to specific forms of data processing, in particular data processing for advertising purposes.

Should you have any questions regarding this data protection notice, please feel free to contact our corporate data protection officer at any time. You will find the relevant contact information below.

2. Name and contact information for the data controller and the corporate data protection officer

This privacy policy applies to data processing by (“data controller”),
Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH
Birkenstraße 45-49
50389 Wesseling, Germany
E-Mail: sga-de-di [at] saint-gobain.com (sga-de-di[at]saint-gobain[dot]com)
Phone: +49(0)2236 703 -0

and to the following websites and applications: www.coratex-emulsion.com. The Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH corporate data protection officer can be contacted at the address listed above.

ZN Saint-Gobain Germany
Rainer Surberg
Krefelder Str. 195
52070 Aachen
E-Mail: Rainer.Surberg [at] saint-gobain.com (Rainer[dot]Surberg[at]saint-gobain[dot]com)
Phone: +49 (0) 241 40020603

3. Purposes of data processing, legal bases and legitimate interests pursued by Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH or a third party and categories of recipients

3.1. Accessing our website or application
When you access our website/application, the browser used on your terminal device automatically sends information to the server for our website/application and temporarily saves it in a so-called log file. We have no control over this. The following information will be collected without action on your part and stored until automatic deletion:

The IP address of the requesting Internet-capable device,
The date and time of access,
The name and URL of the retrieved file,
The website/application from which the website was accessed (referrer URL),
The browser you are using and, if applicable, the operating system of your Internet-capable computer as well as the name of the access provider.

The legal basis for processing the IP address is Article 6 (1 lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest is based on the purposes of data collection described below. The data collected does not enable us to identify you nor do we attempt to do so.

We use the IP address of your terminal device and other data listed above for the following purposes:

Ensuring a trouble-free connection,
Ensuring convenient use of our website/application,
Evaluating system security and stability.

We also use “cookies”, tracking tools and social media plugins for our website/application. The exact procedures involved, and how your data will be used for the respective purposes, are explained in more detail in Section 3.4 below.

If you have consented to geo-localization in your browser or operating system or other settings on your terminal device, we will use this function to offer you individual services related to your current location (e.g. the location of the nearest branch). We process your location data collected in this way exclusively for this function. This data is deleted upon the conclusion of your use of this function.

3.2. Conclusion, performance or termination of a contract

3.2.1. Data processing upon the conclusion of a contract
The object of Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH is Production and distribution of abrasives and abrasive solutions for commercial and industrial use. In this context, we process the data required for the conclusion, performance or termination of a contract with you. This includes:

Company, first name, last name
Invoicing and shipping address
E-mail address, if applicable
Invoice and payment information
Date of birth, if applicable
Telephone number, if applicable

The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1 lit. b) GDPR, i.e. you provide us data on the basis of the contractual relationship between you and us. Provided we do not use your contact information for advertising purposes (see Section 3.3.), we will store the data collected for the performance of the contract until the expiration of any applicable statutory or contractual warranty and guarantee rights. Upon expiration of this period, we retain information concerning the contractual relationship required by commercial and tax law for the applicable periods specified by law. During this period (regularly ten years from the conclusion of the contract), the data will be subject to reprocessing solely in the event of an audit by the tax authorities.

3.2.2. Identity, credit rating and transmission to credit agencies
Where necessary, we verify your identity using information from service providers. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1 lit. b and f) GDPR. The right to do so results from the protection of your identity and the avoidance of fraud attempts at our expense. The circumstances and the result of our inquiry will be added to your customer account for the duration of the contractual relationship.

If you have already purchased items from us, your data stored by us about you can be supplemented by so-called score values. Scoring is the creation of a forecast of future events based on collected information and past experience. An assignment is made to statistical groups of persons who had similar entries in the past on the basis of personal data stored about you. The underlying method used is a well-founded mathematical-statistical method for predicting risk probabilities that has long been tried and tested in practice.

In the event of a delay in payment, we will transmit the relevant data to a company commissioned to collect the claim if other applicable legal requirements are met. The legal bases for this are both Article 6 (1 lit. b) and Article 6 (1 lit. f) GDPR. The assertion of a contractual claim is deemed to be a legitimate interest within the meaning of the second provision referred to above. Information about the delay in payment or a possible loss of receivables will also be forwarded to credit agencies cooperating with us if other applicable legal requirements are met. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1 lit. f) GDPR. The legitimate interest required here arises from our interest and that of third parties in reducing contractual risks for future contracts.

3.3. Data processing for advertising purposes

The following information relates to the processing of personal data for advertising purposes. The GDPR considers this form of data processing to be permitted in principle on the basis of Art. 6 (1 lit. f) GDPR and to be a legitimate interest. The retention period for data used for advertising purposes is not based on rigid principles and is rather determined on the basis of whether continued retention is necessary for purposes of advertising-related contact. Please see Section 3.3.3. for the process applicable should you object.

3.3.1. Advertising purposes of Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH and of third parties
If you have concluded a contract with us, we will list you as an existing customer. In this case, we process your postal contact data without any specific consent in order to send you information about new products and services. We process your e-mail address without any specific consent to send you information about our own similar products.

3.3.2. Interest-based advertising
In order to ensure that you only receive advertising information that is of supposed interest to you, we categorize and supplement your customer profile with the following information. Statistical information as well as information about you (e.g. basic data of your customer profile) is used for this purpose. The aim is to provide you solely with advertising that corresponds to your actual or perceived needs and, accordingly, not to bother you with useless advertising.

3.3.3. Right to object
You can object to data processing for the above-mentioned purposes at any time free of charge, specifically for the respective communication channel and with effect for the future. All you need to do is send an e-mail or a letter by regular mail using the contact information provided in Section 2.

If you submit an objection, the relevant contact address will be blocked for further data processing for advertising purposes. We would like to point out that in exceptional cases advertising material may still be sent for a short period even after receipt of your objection. This is due to the technically required lead time for advertisements and does not mean that we have not implemented your objection. We apologize for the inconvenience.

3.4. Online presence and website optimisation

3.4.1. Cookies – general information
When you visit a website, it may retrieve or store information about your browser, usually in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your settings or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies. Click the different category headings to find out more and to change some of our default settings. Please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

3.4.1.1. Functional cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we use on our pages.
We use functional cookies to direct users to specific applications of a service or to specific servers. Accepting these cookies is a condition for using the website. If you prevent these cookies, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to use our website or that security on our website will be guaranteed during your visit. Please note that these cookies do not collect information about you that could be used for marketing purposes or remembering where you have been on the internet.The legal basis for these cookies is Art. 6 (1) a GDPR or, for third countries, Art. 49 (1) b GDPR.

4. Data recipients outside the EU

Apart from the processing described in detail in Section 3, we do not pass your data on to recipients based outside the European Union or the European Economic Area. Insofar as the processing operations listed in Section 3 transfer data to recipients located outside the European Union or the European Economic Area, the servers are located in the USA. This data transfer takes place in accordance with the principles of the Privacy Shield and on the basis of the standard contractual clauses of the European Commission.

5. Your rights

5.1 Overview

In addition to the right to revoke your consent granted to us, you are also entitled to the following additional rights if the respective legal requirements are met:

Right of access to your personal data stored by us pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR; in particular, you may request information about the processing purposes, the category of personal data, the categories of recipients to whom your data has been or will be disclosed, the planned storage period, and the origin of your data, in case it has not been collected directly from you,
Right of rectification of incorrect data or the right to have correct data completed in accordance with Art. 16 GDPR,
Right to deletion of your data stored by us in accordance with Art. 17 GDPR, insofar as no legal or contractual retention periods or other legal obligations or rights to further storage are to be observed,
Right to restriction of the processing of your data pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR, insofar as the accuracy of the data is disputed by you, the processing is unlawful, but you object to its deletion; the controller no longer requires the data, but you need it for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims or you have objected to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 GDPR,
Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR, i.e. the right to have selected data about you stored by us transferred in a common, machine-readable format, or to request the transfer to another controller,
The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. As a general rule, you can contact the supervisory authority of your usual place of residence or workplace or our company headquarters for this purpose.

5.2 Right to object

Under the conditions of Art. 21 (1) GDPR, data processing may be objected to for reasons arising from the particular situation of the data subject.

The above general right to object applies to all processing purposes described in this privacy notice, which are processed on the basis of Article 6 (1 lit. f) GDPR. Unlike the specific right to object relating to data processing for advertising purposes, we are only obliged under the GDPR to implement such a general objection if you provide us with reasons of overriding importance for doing so (e.g., a possible risk to life or health). In addition, you have the option of contacting the supervisory authority responsible for Saint-Gobain Abrasives GmbH, in this instance, the data protection commissioner of the Land of Hesse in Wiesbaden.

6. Data security

All data transmitted by you personally, including your payment data, will be transmitted using the generally accepted and secure standard SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol. SSL is a secure and proven standard that is also used, for example, in online banking. You can recognise a secure SSL connection, among other things, by the s appended to the http (i.e. https://…) in the address bar of your browser or by the lock icon in the bar at the bottom of your browser.