Environmental Policy
Policy Statement
With regard to safety, security, health and ecology it is our principal goal to prevent harm to people and damage to the environment or property. To attain this objective, Office Twelve Ltd is committed to a process of continual environmental improvement.
The company’s environmental responsibility is vested in me as the Managing Director. I vest in all members of my team and employees at all levels within the company and within processing operations the ability to question environment issues if they consider danger is imminent.
Office Twelve Ltd devotes time and resources to evaluating and reducing the effects operating processes may have on the local environments, and giving due considerations to the wider issue.
To ensure sound environmental management exists, the company builds and strengthens partnerships with external communities including government agencies, environmental groups, other corporations as well as community leaders. Furthermore, the Office Twelve Ltd internal Safety team ‘Environ Safety Management Limited’ will, as part of their site safety inspection duties carry out routine environmental audits.
Corporate priority
Office Twelve Ltd recognises that environmental management is among the highest of corporate priorities and that it is a key issue in the global move towards sustainable development. Our aim is to establish and develop sound principles based on achievable and measurable goals, and to maintain policies, programs and practices for conducting operations in a proactive environmentally sound and sustainable manner.
Integrated management
We will integrate these aims and objectives through policies, programs and practices fully into our business plan and contract negotiations and as an essential element of management throughout all facets of our functions.
Process of improvement
We will continue to improve and develop corporate policies, programs and environmental performance, taking into account technical developments, scientific understanding, and consumer and community expectations. We will review these policies on an annual basis and on any occasions of significant changes or proposed changes in legal regulations.
Employee education
We will educate, train and motivate our employees to conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner, through short duration training and group meetings. Furthermore, our auditing team will be given environmental training commensurate will their auditing responsibilities. This training will include IEMA auditing, IOSH and NEBOSH examinations.
Prior assessment
We will conduct an environmental impact assessment prior to tender or starting a new activity or project and again before leaving a site. Ensuring actions identified are acted upon by Office Twelve Ltd, or its sub-contractors, be it pre or post work.
Products and services
We aim to develop and provide products or services that have no undue or extremely limited environmental impact and are safe in their intended use and specification. These systems will be efficient in their consumption of energy and natural resources, and where reasonably practicable we will ensure that materials used within the projects are purchased from ‘Sustainable Sources’ and when necessary can be recycled, reused, or disposed of safely.
The bulk of the materials used within the organisation consist of plastics, laminates, wood, metals and electrical components. In the main there are recognised methods and facilities close to the head office which enable them to be recycled and reused. These waste transfer plants form an integral part of the sustainable development plan. However, when the by product fails to meet the recycle/reuse waste stream principles they are disposed of safely to landfill. Where practicable during the initial tendering of a contract prices will be included for sufficient skips to allow waste to be segregated and ultimately recycled.
Where a hazardous chemical is being used within the process it shall be assessed within the scope of the COSHH regulations to ensure that the correct disposal method is selected and followed through. However, it should be noted that any product container which has held a hazardous substance is also treated as hazardous waste even if it is empty.
Customer advice
Our aim is to advise, and where relevant, educate customers, distributors and the public in the safe use of the provided service/product.
Facilities and operations
We aim to design and develop facilities and to conduct our activities in a sustainable way, while taking into consideration the efficient use of energy and materials. Furthermore, in the case of wood products we will always endeavour to use renewable resources, this will minimise any adverse environmental impact and waste generation, and it will ensure a safe and responsible disposal of residual wastes. Equally when appropriate, polymers used within our process will be sourced through organisations which provide re-engineered grade materials. This will also be the case for paper and metal used within our processes.
Precautionary approach
We have modified the manufacture, marketing, use of products, services and the conduct of our activities based on changes in current technical understanding and legislation. This will help to prevent serious or irreversible environmental damage through our activities.
Contractors and suppliers
We will continue to promote the adoption of these baseline principals by contractors acting on behalf of ourselves. We will encourage and, where appropriate, require improvements in their practices to make them consistent with those of Office Twelve Ltd. We will attempt, through discussion, encourage the wider adoption of these principles by suppliers. Furthermore, the in-house safety team will as part of their site inspections conduct snapshot audits of environmental issues and advise Management of non-conformance issues associated with contractors and suppliers. In accordance with our grievance/ disciplinary procedure, suppliers/contractors found to be in non-compliance will be removed from our sites and future contract negotiations.
Emergency preparedness
We will develop and maintain, where necessary and where significant hazards exist, appropriate emergency preparedness plans, (spillage plans), in conjunction with the emergency services, relevant enforcing authorities and the local community, recognising potential trans-boundary impacts. However, though this forms part of the management assessment it is not envisaged currently a potential significant issue.
Transfer of technology
We will contribute to the transfer of environmentally sound technology and management methods throughout the industrial and public sectors by passing information generated by ourselves or our suppliers to our sub-contractors and vice versa. The ‘Corporate Memory’ is a cornerstone principle of the company ethos and all ‘Best Available Techniques’(BAT), or ‘Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Cost (BATNEEC), will be fully utilised and implemented to ensure we remain in full compliance with environmental legislation.
Openness to concerns
We will foster openness and dialogue with employees and the public, anticipating and responding to their concerns about the potential hazards and impacts of operations, products, wastes or services, including those of trans-boundary or global significance.
Managing Director
officeTwelve Ltd
1st September 2009