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Building a better future
11 Sep 2009
Topics: ISO 14001, Construction, Environment, Windows
Anglian Building Products (ABP), the business-to-business division of Anglian Windows Ltd, has achieved certification to ISO 14001 Environmental management systems following an audit by BSI. The company's projects include social housing refurbishments, new build developments, schools and universities, military, commercial and industrial properties, and residents' associations. After 30 years in the business, the company is all too familiar with the pressure to minimize its impact on the environment. Certification to ISO 14001 is the latest in a number of initiatives to address this issue head-on.
"Most clients expect companies to be either certified or working towards certification toISO 14001, and most tenders will now ask how ABP deals with environmental issues and whether we're certified to ISO 14001," explains John Fairweather, technical director for ABP. "Environmental issues have always been at the forefront of ABP's business agenda. This certification not only shows our commitment to reducing the impact our business practices have on the environment, but will in turn provide cost savings to the business going forward. Certification confirms our commitment to the environment, raises our company profile andin turn wins new business.
"One of the major issues for this line of business has been the environmental and financial burden of sending waste to landfill," Fairweather adds. "We now look for ways to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, by using the services of offsite segregation companies that can recycle the vast majority of the waste we produce. We continue to use recycled PVCu materials during the manufacturing process of our new windows and the buy-in from our employees has been pivotal to the success of our Environmental Management System."
Anglian operates a vertical integration single site manufacture system which places them in complete control of all processes from start to finish and in turn decreases their carbon footprint. In addition to ISO 14001, the company is already certified to ISO 9001 and is considering working towards BS OHSAS 18001 in the next year, as well as implementing a fully integrated management system.
For more information, visit: www.bsigroup.com/aug09iso14001
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BSI is planning an informal free lunchtime roundtable in central London on 10 December 2009 to explore how small businesses and their trade bodies can work more effectively with standards. Places are limited so to register your interest or request more information, please email bsi.survey@bsigroup.com or call +44 (0)20 8996 7750.
Sapphire earns a standards hat-trick
Sapphire Energy Recovery, the waste processing and resource recovery business owned by Lafarge Cement, has achieved certification to three management systems standards (ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management) from BSI. Sapphire is the UK's leading processor of used tyres, and sources and manages the logistics of a range of waste-derived fuels and raw materials for the cement industry.
A clear case for carbon neutrality
"Carbon neutral" sounds good on paper, but what does it really mean? Organizations are making claims about carbon neutrality for everything from products to travel, events, projects and buildings. The problem is that no one quite agrees what "carbon neutral" means or how far it extends.
Airbus in the UK has achieved certification to BS 25999, the Business Continuity Management (BCM) standard, following an audit from BSI. The certification covers Airbus? wing manufacturing site in Broughton, North Wales and becomes the first aerospace manufacturing company to receive certification to this standard by BSI.
Monarch Airlines chooses BSI for its European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) verification
Monarch Airlines has selected BSI as its provider of verification services against the requirements of the EU ETS directive. This comes in response to the industry's requirement to monitor its CO2 emissions and demonstrate compliance with the directive by submitting a verified annual emissions report by 31 March every year from 2011 onwards.
Question: Are health and safety issues at risk of being lost in the current financial turmoil?
When business isn't going well - whether it's due to a recession or simply because a company is going through a slow patch - there is a temptation to cut costs by cutting corners. Instead of treating an issue like product and consumer safety as vital to a organization's growth and reputation, it can become just another expense or regulatory requirement.
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