is the online magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment by helping organizations improve quality, save money, reduce risk and be more sustainable. Features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems, standards, testing, healthcare and certification.
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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OCS, an international facilities services group based in the UK, has achieved triple certification to ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management/ and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management with BSI.
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Question: What impact do you think BCM could have on business insurance in the future?
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