HSE International ISSUE 99 | Page 19

ISO STANDARDS AND AWARDS Alexandra strives to achieve continuous improvement and innovation through the implementation of formal accreditations. They are certified under the Quality Management System EN ISO 9001:2008 for the design, procurement and warehousing of corporate wear for distribution by third parties, and BS EN ISO 14001: 2004 for the storage of corporate wear for distribution by third parties. In 2014, Alexandra received certification for Information Security Management System ISO/IEC 27001:2005 across all of their sites, which included the hosting and protection of client information and the provision of business services to commercial and public sectors. “A lot is driven as a result of dealing with the largest blue chip names across the whole of our group. There are certain requirements for information, security in particular, from BAs for example, who obviously have a huge amount of very sensitive information that they expect to be kept in a very restricted and secure manner. We take the lead from our big customers on that and if we’re advised that we need to take part in another accreditation, we will do so,” David commented. “When we began working with HB, shortly after putting their range in our catalogue for the first time, one of the products - the Orange-Red Hi-Vision Parka, won the award for Best Innovation in Occupational PPE at the 2014 SATRA awards,” he added. CAREERS Currently there are numerous positions open at Alexandra due to their very ambitious expansion plans. “We’re recruiting right across the board and we’re focusing both internally and externally. It is very important to acknowledge the efforts of people that join us and work their way up within the company. We offer continuous progression for our workers and have staff who’ve been with the business in excess of 20 years. “I’ve been with Alexandra for four and a half years and previously, I didn’t work within this particular industry. I brought to the company a wealth of experience from my previous roles in a variety of sectors. Whilst it is very important that a company has knowledge internally, you must always look to enhance and embellish. We look outside of the business to bring additional views, thoughts and experiences from other industry sectors. This allows us to incorporate different ways of thinking to ensure that we are continually improving and evolving for the better.” FIT FOR PURPOSE “When we’re putting our ranges and products together, we take numerous factors into account. We have no interest in being driven solely by trying to offer a cheap solution. We’ve got the wearer at our heart and we make sure that we are designing and developing for them. That’s why we go to the extent of the wearer trials, to make sure that our customers are pulled closer and closer to us. You’ve only got to look at the number of customers that have been with us in excess of 4 years – you don’t stay with a supplier for this length of time if they’re not looking after you or they’re not listening to you. That is one of the strongest messages Proud to work in partnership with Alexandra Supertouch® is one of the UK’s leading PPE brands, with products ranging from premium FR clothing to disposable gloves. We provide quality products at competitive prices, with excellent availability. Tel: 0845 130 99 22 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.supertouch.com Safety Footwear, Protective Equipment & Workwear for Industry WWW.BLACKROCKWORKWEAR.CO.UK from within this business - we have a huge customer loyalty and brand loyalty you can’t just create in a couple of years. “When you take a look through the 3-year New Product Development pipeline that my team and I manage, you’ll see where we’re looking to evolve our classic styles that have been around for many years and are synonymous with our business and brand. The balance of developing these classic styles alongside new and completely innovative products is very important and we must focus on our full range to cater for every level of supply. “As a business, it is an exciting time for us and a very exciting time to work both with us and for us. The suppliers that we work with benefit from a very strong, open and progressive relationship. We’re not a business that looks to change relationships because we can get something cheaper elsewhere. “Through building and maintaining customer and client relationships, strength and depth will inevitably come through and benefit you longer term. This is what at Alexandra, we continue to build upon. “We’ve been trading for over 160 years and we know what our wearers expect and how to evolve our products. We keep a close eye on the wearer and at the same time understand that commerciality and affordability are vital, without compromising health and safety.” For more information, please visit: www.alexandra.com HSE INTERNATIONAL 19