The application of a sound Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy is regarded as fundamental to the way in which we operate. The importance of CSR is recognised by the board, which has determined that the responsibility for CSR policy implementation and compliance monitoring lies ultimately with the Chief Executive.

The board has identified that the most significant CSR-related issues facing the group relate to:

Health and safety management

The board recognises the importance of maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for all of our employees and those others who work with us. Our business units recognise health and safety as an operational priority and as an important element of their risk management programmes.

The environment

We understand the risks and opportunities associated with the environmental impact of our operations. Areas of particular importance to us include water use, energy consumption including transport, and the use and disposal of detergents. Our business units focus continually on these areas, and are always looking at initiatives that will reduce consumption. Further information about some of these initiatives can be found at Reducing our environmental impact.

The welfare of our employees

We understand the importance of creating and maintaining a working environment where the basic rights of all our employees are recognised. We understand that attracting, retaining and motivating appropriately skilled people is essential to our success.

Our use of overseas textile suppliers

We fully support Convention No. 138 of the International Labour Organisation, which seeks to ‘ensure the effective abolition of child labour and to raise progressively the minimum age for admission to employment or work to a level consistent with the fullest physical and mental development of young persons’.

The impact of our operations on the communities in which we operate

We give due consideration to the obligations we have to the communities in which we operate; for example, many of our sites are in suburban areas and we therefore monitor carefully the impact that our operations have on local residents, in particular with regard to both noise and pollution.

The board regularly reviews the management of CSR-related issues, which have now been integrated into the group’s risk management programme.