1.1) Introduction

Increasingly these days, organisations are required to demonstrate their environmental policy.

Safer Group (hereinafter known as the "Company") operates a Health & Safety Policy which is compliant with all applicable current Legislation.

To compliment this, the Company takes into consideration the protection of the environment and is committed to the reduction of pollution.

1.2) Environmental Management System

Outlined below are brief details of the proposed management system and how we are implementing each section.

1.2.1) Management System

The Company shall prepare and implement any additional documented procedures to meet the requirements of BS EN ISO 14001 and the industry sector we work in.

1.2.2.) Environmental Policy

Safer Group is committed to working in accordance with ISO:14001 Environmental Management Systems. Our activities will be undertaken with consideration for the environment as part of the process to save energy, reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, prevent pollution, and minimize waste.

The Company aims through staff awareness to create and maintain the highest levels of environmental responsibility throughout its operations. Please refer to the company Environmental Policy Statement for further information.

While the Company’s environmental policy affects all aspects of its business, below are three particular applications of that policy:

Transport

•    Maximum use of diesel engine vehicles wherever practical.
•    Maximum use of unleaded fuel for petrol engine vehicles.
•    Fuel conservation through regular maintenance of all vehicles.

Energy

Maximum energy conservation through adoption of:

(a) Renting or purchase of premises which have been constructed utilising best practices in building design and construction.

(b) Control over lighting, heating and ventilation.

Purchasing

•    Use of environment-friendly products wherever practical.
•    Make suppliers aware of the Company’s environmental concern.
 
1.3) Organisation And Personnel

The Company shall outline the extra resources, both physical and human, required to implement and verify the environmental policy.

1.4) Environmental Impact

1.4.1) The Company shall establish and maintain, as and when required, procedures and systems to comply with any legislative or regulatory requirement.

1.4.2) The safe disposal of all waste products at approved disposal sites or via agents.

1.4.3) The Company shall also maintain a documented system for examining and assessing direct or indirect environmental effects from its activities.

1.5) Review

It is envisaged that regular reviews of the systems will be implemented to ensure that current requirements are always catered for.

1.6) Non-Compliance

A nominated person shall be responsible for investigating non-compliance and ensuring remedial action is carried out. This process is controlled by the existing Company Procedure.

1.7) Audits

The Company shall carry out internal and external audits of this management system to ensure compliance to documented procedures.
 
1.8) Environmental Policy Statement

Safer Group is committed to working in accordance with ISO:14001 Environmental Management Systems.

Our activities will be undertaken with consideration for the environment as part of the process to save energy, reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, prevent pollution and minimize waste.

In order to meet the above requirements, we will:

• Monitor our use of energy, transport and natural resources with a view to reducing our impact on the environment.

• Support process modifications that reduce waste, re-use and encourage recycling.

• Maintain sufficient documentation to demonstrate our known level of compliance with all our environmental requirements.

• Work to promote positive environmental awareness, behaviours and actions.

• Comply with all applicable environmental legal requirements and recognise and comply with other relevant requirements which relate to our environmental aspects that may be placed upon us;

•  Assess, in advance where possible, environmental impact resulting from our business operations and the environmental effects of any significant development and adjust our plans accordingly;

• Ensure that all incidents and non-compliance situations are reported, recorded and root causes identified where environmental harm occurs or could have occurred and ensure that appropriate corrective actions are implemented;

• Demonstrate our commitment to continual improvement by using this policy as a framework for setting a programme of environmental targets and objectives for our activities and review the effectiveness of these using measurements on a regular basis;

• Communicate and display this policy document and provide the necessary information, instruction, supervision and training to enable all persons working on our behalf to fulfil their environmental duties. In turn, this policy document will be made readily available to all other interested parties and stakeholders.

The Group Chief Executive has overall responsibility for setting this Environmental Policy and carrying out a review of our objectives to promote continual improvement of the Environmental Management System.

The Group Chief Executive and Compliance Manager shall demonstrate a commitment to fulfilling it compliance obligations by ensuring this policy and the principles of ISO:14001 are implemented throughout the business.
All Managers are responsible for ensuring that the staff they manage are aware of this policy and their responsibility for complying with it. They should ensure their staff are equipped to fulfill these responsibilities; this will include covering it and induction and identifying/meeting specific and generic training needs through personal development plans.
 
2.0)    Sustainability Policy

2.1) Introduction

The Company is committed to promoting sustainability. Concern for the environment and promoting a broader sustainability agenda are integral to the Company’s professional activities and the management of the organisation. We aim to follow and to promote good sustainability practice, to reduce the environmental impacts of all our activities and to help our clients and partners to do the same.

2.2) Principals

The Company Policy is based upon the following principles:

• To comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice.

• To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions.

• To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.

• To minimise the impact on sustainability of all office and transportation activities.

• To make clients and suppliers aware of our Sustainability Policy and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.

• To review, annually report, and aim to continually improve our sustainability performance.

2.3) Practical Steps

In order to put these principles into practice we will:

2.3.1) Travel and Meetings

• Walk and/or use public transport to attend meetings, site visits etc, apart from in exceptional circumstances where the alternatives are impractical and/or cost prohibitive.

• Avoid physically travelling and/or to reduce the need to travel to meetings, where alternatives are available and practical such as using teleconferencing, video conferencing or web cams. These options are also often more time efficient, while not sacrificing the benefits of regular contact with clients.

• To have efficient timing of meetings to avoid multiple trips.

• Reduce the need for our staff to travel by supporting alternative working arrangements, including home working etc, and promote the use of public transport.

• Use an emissions recording scheme for business travel to monitor our impact.
 
2.3.2) Purchase of Equipment and Consumption of Resources

• Minimise our use of paper and other office consumables, for example by double-siding all paper used, and identifying opportunities to reduce waste.

• As far as possible arrange for the reuse or recycling of office waste, including paper, computer supplies and redundant equipment.

• Reduce the energy consumption of office equipment by purchasing energy efficient equipment and good housekeeping.

• Purchase electricity from a supplier committed to renewable energy. Seek to maximise the proportion from renewable energy sources, whilst also supporting investment in new renewable energy schemes.

• Ensure that timber furniture, and any other timber products, are recycled or from well- managed, sustainable sources and are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

• Purchase fair-trade and/or organic beverages.

• Encourage our suppliers to provide equipment that minimises the use of power and which can be re-cycled.

2.3.3) Working Practices and Advice to Clients

• Undertake work with the local community and/or environmental organisations to seek to offset carbon emissions from our activities.
• Ensure that any associates that we employ take account of sustainability issues in their advice to clients.

This above policy will be periodically reviewed and, where necessary, be subject to amendment.