HSE International ISSUE 93 | Page 32

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: CHEP UK LTD “We have a commitment to providing supply chain solutions that meet customer needs and minimise their impact on the environment” The company currently works with a list of approximately 100 preferred suppliers within the UK and Ireland, all of which are contracted to provide products that are fit for purpose and meet CE approval. Subcontractors are sourced from a small preferred list which is not extensive, and they are all required to meet the company’s safety needs, prior to entering any of CHEP’s sites. C HEP UK Ltd acts with integrity and respect for the community and environment in everything that it does. “Environmental sustainability is fundamental to the way CHEP does business. We have a commitment to providing supply chain solutions that meet customer needs and minimise their impact on the environment,” Hugh stated. The company is committed to quantifying and monitoring the impact of the business and that of their suppliers on the environment. They set and achieve targets for the continuous reduction in the use of raw materials, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage and the production of waste to landfill. Employees and suppliers are provided with the necessary training and support to drive further innovation in sustainability. Timber and other raw materials are procured from certified and sustainable sources while material usage is minimised through reuse and recycling initiatives. CHEP UK Ltd works with customers, business partners and government agencies to promote environmental best practices, and provide solutions to help reduce environmental impact. They work to continuously improve their performance and ensure compliance with both current and future legislation. T he company has achieved two further ISO standards alongside their OHSAS 18001 certification. These are ISO 9001 (held throughout the organisation) and ISO 14001 (within the Automotive sector). CHEP UK Ltd utilises a variety of environmentally beneficial technologies within their network. High levels of natural light are used in the company’s building designs. Solar panels provide energy for water heating and waste streams 32 HSE INTERNATIONAL are recycled. Biomass heating and thermally optimised building cladding further improve energy efficiency. The company also makes full use of PIR lighting and grey water recycling, and one of their service centre facilities is fully BREEAM certified. Both their OHSAS 18001 certification and RoSPA Gold Awards have validated the company’s positive safety progress, granting external prestige and internal pride. They are extremely important to sustaining cultural change. “The high standards we have achieved and set ourselves are spurred forward by the wish to maintain these standards and awards. Both require significant evidence of continuous improvement, and prevent us from becoming arrogant and complacent.” The company benefits greatly from its affiliation with the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX), an online platform to share and compare ethical information within the supply chain. SEDEX is the biggest interaction that CHEP UK Ltd currently has with customers and clients from a safety and environmental perspective, and it is becoming increasingly important to their customer base. SEDEX drives a moral and ethical approach to business and involves rigorous and robust auditing. H ugh holds personal membership of several institutions. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management, a Chartered Management Institute Member and a Graduate Member of the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. He is also a member the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the International Institute of Risk Safety Management and the Institute of Operations Management. All of the above help Hugh to keep up to date with any