SOS Office Supplies Environmental Management Policy Statement (Review November 2023)
1. PURPOSE
This policy has been developed to assist SOS Office Supplies Ltd in undertaking its business activities in a manner that is sensitive to the environment and also establishes a framework that the company and every employee should follow in order to ensure that this objective is met.
2. SCOPE
This policy applies to all employees of SOS Office Supplies Ltd, irrespective of whether they are full or part time, temporary or permanent, or based in our own offices or off-site.
This policy also applies to all visitors to our premises and any other person undertaking work on our behalf, such as contractors and sub-contractors and Suppliers.
3. COMPANY RESPONSIBILITIES
To ensure that the policy is effective, SOS Office Supplies Ltd will:
Implement all reasonable measures to comply with relevant environmental legislation. Take appropriate steps to minimise its negative impact on the environment and to conserve natural resources Develop appropriate and comprehensive procedures and guidelines to achieve our objectives. Introduce appropriate forms of instruction, information, training and supervision to enable employees to assist us in meeting our objectives. Appoint competent persons to ensure that the aims of the policy are met. Endeavour to make improvements in
environmental performance. Introduce suitable arrangements to allow for communication and discussion on environmental matters. Review annually, and where necessary update this policy and any relevant environmental procedures. Where appropriate, establish working groups, including the Contaminated Land Group, to respond to specific environmental issues. Produce and issue an annual company report on environmental performance.
The policy will be reviewed at least every 2 years, or if circumstances change significantly, and will be updated as necessary.
4. DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITIES
The Board of Directors will take a leading role in environmental matters for the Company, ensuring that such issues are promoted as a fundamental aspect of successful business operations.
This will be achieved by:
Setting appropriate standards and policies to meet legislative requirements and company objectives. Ensuring, where appropriate, that environmental issues are represented and considered at Board Level. Ensuring that the company strives for continuous environmental performance. Where reasonable and appropriate, making available all necessary resources, including financial, to enable the objectives and policies to be driven forward Delegating certain duties and responsibilities to other key individuals within the Company.
5. MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
All SOS Office Supplies Ltd management team will ensure that all relevant SOS Office Supplies Ltd environmental policies and procedures, as well as applicable legislative requirements are adhered to within the areas of their control.
This will be achieved by:
Ensuring that any relevant environmental procedures and guidance are brought to the attention of employees. Ensuring that employees under their control follow all relevant procedures relating to environmental management. Enabling employees to attend all relevant training courses. Including environmental management issues within the employee performance measurement review process, where applicable. Ensuring that all contractors under their control abide by the SOS Office Supplies Ltd rules relating to environmental management.
6. HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL (HSE) MANAGER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
The HSE Manager will be responsible for ensuring that appropriate processes and systems are put into place to enable SOS Office Supplies Ltd to meet its environmental objectives.
This will be achieved by:
Developing appropriate procedures and guidelines to enable the environmental objectives to be met. Liasing with all established internal environmental working groups. Appointing and managing the performance of external competent resources. Keeping up to date with all relevant legislative requirements and industry best practice initiatives relating to environmental issues.
7. EMPLOYEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES
Employees must recognise that they have an important part to play in the success of this policy, by:
Complying with all relevant Company environmental procedures and guidelines. Taking all necessary care to prevent contamination and spills Switching off all non-essential plant and equipment when not in use. Minimising use of energy. Co-operating with Company Management in all aspects of environmental management. Ensuring that any environmental hazards are promptly reported to their Manager Ensuring that all environmental incidents are properly reported in line with the Company procedure.
8. SUPPLIERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES
Improved environmental performance can only be achieved if suppliers adopt similar standards. Therefore suppliers must:
Comply with all relevant environmental legislation Where appropriate, abide by the Company Rules for Contractors Document and any other local conditions Take reasonable steps to prevent environmental damage from their activities Ensure that all plant and equipment is properly maintained, and ensure that all non-essential equipment is switched off when not in use Be proactive, and look to develop and implement ‘greener’ solutions for their activities, where appropriate When appropriate, use environmentally friendly products and recycle waste materials, where-ever possible Co-operate fully with the nominated Company representative Promptly report all environmental incidents to the Company representative.
9. COMPETENT PERSONS
SOS Office Supplies Ltd will appoint appropriate competent persons, as necessary, to ensure that its environmental objectives are met. These resources may be provided in-house or by the use of external advisers or consultants.
The Company will also establish appropriate environmental related forums, including the SOS Office Supplies Ltd Environmental Champions to discuss relevant issues and to devise appropriate measures to ensure that the Company’s objectives can be achieved.
- INSTRUCTION, TRAINING and INFORMATION
Appropriate measures will be put in place to train and make employees aware of their responsibilities for environmental matters and to outline the part they can take in ensuring that SOS Office Supplies Ltd will achieve its own environmental objectives:
This will be achieved by:
Providing suitable training courses, to enable employees to deal with their specific areas of environmental control. Issuing of relevant policies, procedures and guidance outlining the individual responsibilities to all employees within the company. The provision of information on notice boards and through poster displays. Environmental awareness training provided to staff undertaking assessments of company locations. A higher profile for environmental issues in company public relations activities and company literature.
11. EMERGENCIES
All incidents, which may have serious or potentially serious repercussions directly for the environment, or for SOS Office Supplies Ltd business operations shall be dealt with under the existing SOS Office Supplies Ltd Disaster Recovery Policy.
Particular care should be exercised in dealing with complaints and in responding to correspondence concerned with pollution incidents, and potential legal liabilities and the possible impact on the company’s insurance cover. Kelvin Cobb the Finance Director SOS Office Supplies Limited should be consulted before any statement or correspondence is entered into.
In the absence of the above Directors the Head of Facilities is to be informed immediately.
12. AUDITING AND MONITORING
SOS Office Supplies Ltd recognises that to ensure the effectiveness of its environmental management processes, it must continually review and monitor its performance in this area to strive for continuous improvements.
To fulfil this objective SOS Office Supplies Ltd will:
Carryout regular audits and reviews of its environmental performance Provide appropriate feedback and reports on such reviews to all relevant internal key individuals and working groups. Undertake benchmarking, as appropriate, to enable SOS Office Supplies Ltd environmental performance to be measured both within its own internal business units and against its external competitors. Develop appropriate action plans, as necessary, which will enable new initiatives and identified improvements to be implemented.
