Environmental Management Policy | Helix Group

Policy Aim

Our Policy is to continually improve our environmental management procedures. We recognise that our activities have an impact on the environment. In all our activities, working practices and business relationships we are committed to protecting, conserving and enhancing all aspects of the environment over which we have control or can influence.

To deliver our Environmental Management Policy, we will:

Ensure that all our activities comply fully with environmental legislation and best practice
Set practical objectives for continuous improvement
Reduce resource use and re-use or re-cycle materials wherever possible
Use information and communication technology to avoid paper waste
Encourage the use of environmentally friendly materials when advising clients
Maintain information about the environmental impact of the goods and services we supply and make this available to enable our customers to make informed choices
Understand the sensitivities of our customers, including the pressures of growing and changing statutory and public concern about environmental issues, and assist them in complying with environmental best practice
Identify opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of our activities at an early stage and adopt these changes where appropriate
Communicate our environmental performance within our organisation and outside
Raise staff awareness of environmental issues and promote individual good practice
Require our suppliers to provide goods and services with the lowest environmental impact, and give preference to environmentally aware suppliers whenever possible
Ensure our purchases of goods and materials comply fully with UK government and EU legislation and recognised environmental best practice
Take all reasonable steps to prevent pollution of both our local and wider environments
Employ sound waste management practices, including compliance with the requirements of the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations
Continue to review our environmental performance, and respond to issues as they arise
Support our local authority’s green travel objectives.

Signed
Position	Director
Date Signed	05/02/2024
Review Date	05/02/2025

Section 2: Organisation and Responsibilities

The Managing Director will

Ensure adequate resources are available for meeting statutory requirements relating to environmental issues
Monitor the effective operation of our Environmental Management Policy and procedures.
Ensure adequate arrangements to ensure that employees receive relevant training in environmental matters.
Ensure environmental standards of work undertaken by site based staff are monitored and any deficiencies reported and corrected

The Directors will

Report any deficiencies which cannot be corrected to the HS&E manager.
Ensure our Environmental Management Policy is part of the induction of new or temporary employees
Ensure the environmental responsibilities of our organisation and of our clients, relating to products, systems or equipment supplied by us, are clearly shared and agreed with the client in writing, before supply or installation
Ensure site staff are competent and adequately trained for the type of work
Ensure adequate arrangements to report environmental incidents or situations whilst working on client’s premises or sites
Review reports relating to environmental issues and ensure appropriate action is taken

All Employees and Labour Only Sub-Contractors Will

Act with due regard to environmental issues whilst they are at work
Report any serious environmental issues they become aware of
Co-operate with management to prevent environmental incidents with risks to themselves, other employees and members of the public or visitors
Wear PPE whenever instructed to do so or in circumstances that require its use.

Any employee who fails to comply with the Environmental Management Policy, will be subject to disciplinary action.

Our Environmental Management Advisor Will

Advise on and generally co-ordinate all aspects of the Company’s environmental effort
Advise on the introduction and maintenance of systems of work to minimise the environmental impact of our activities
Carry out inspections of workplaces with the person immediately responsible for that section and advise on all aspects of environmental management
Submit reports of his findings to management
Advise on environmental management training and assist in identifying environmental training need
Investigate all environmental incidents, and recommend action to prevent a recurrence
Act as liaison officer with official bodies such as the Local Authority and Environmental Agency.

Although our Environmental Management Advisor’s duties are in the main of an advisory and administrative nature, he has executive authority to order the cessation of any method of working with an adverse environmental impact of which he becomes aware and to require the provision of all information necessary to carry out his duties effectively.

Section 3: Arrangements for Implementation

Environmental Management Programmes and Procedures

We will carry out environmental impact assessments of all work activities, locations and situations to identify significant risks within our operations
Assessments will consider risks to the environment which may be affected by our activities.
We will keep A central record of assessments
Where significant risks are identified suitable control measures will be implemented to eliminate or reduce those risks.
Employees will be supervised to ensure that they follow the safe methods of work identified in risk assessments
Where an employee or sub-contractor considers that there are uncontrolled risks within our activities they should report the matter to management

Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response

To check our working conditions, and ensure that our good environmental working practices are being followed we will:

Carry out regular inspections and report on the findings;
Review environmental impact assessments at least annually;
Investigate environmental management issues or incidents reported by anyone;
Keep up to date with relevant information on environmental management within our industry;
Review the Environmental Management Policy annually and update it as necessary
Where a serious environmental incident occurs contact our HSE support for advice.

Environmental Responsibilities and Training

All new employees will receive environmental induction training. We will keep a record of this training
We will review the training need of existing employees annually and any necessary training arranged through a suitable training organisation.
Only suitably qualified and competent sub-contractors will be appointed
All sub-contractors will be required to produce evidence of their environmental management competence, and training provisions before being approved to work for the Company. The decision to employ a sub-contractor will be taken by management
Sub-contractors will be required to work in accordance with our environmental management rules.
Sub-contractors found to be breaking these rules will be asked to leave site immediately.

Communicating Environmental Issues

We will consult with employees about environmental matters, changes to working methods and changes to substances or equipment.
Consultation will be informal but the items discussed, the date of the discussion and any comment will be recorded
Additionally management operate an “open door” policy and employees are encouraged to discuss environmental concerns at any reasonable time.

Waste Management

We will consider our production of waste and develop a waste management plan. The plan will be written to follow our Policy to reduce, re-use and recycle where possible.
Where the plan identifies disposal of waste, and where appropriate, we will provide suitable containers close to where the waste is produced. Waste will be taken away by a licensed carrier.
Alternatively, we will carry our own waste from site to a transfer station to be disposed of in accordance with local waste authority rules. We will maintain a Waste Carrier’s Licence for this purpose
Records of waste collection will be kept and monitored to ensure its proper disposal.
When working under the control of others we will adopt any Site Waste Management Plan provided by them.

Environmental Complaints Procedure

Oral Complaints

All oral complaints, no matter how minor, will be taken seriously
Employees receiving a complaint will try to solve the problem immediately (where possible) with the complainant
If this is not possible they will offer to get management involved
All contact with the complainant will be polite, courteous and empathetic
Staff should not accept blame or make excuses on behalf of management
If the complaint is being made on behalf of an employee or a customer, it must first be verified that the person has permission to speak on their behalf
After discussing the problem, the employee or management dealing with the complaint should suggest a course of action to remedy the situation. If this course of action is acceptable then the member of staff should clarify the agreement with the complainant and agree a way in which the results of the complaint will be communicated (i.e. through another meeting or by letter)
If the suggested plan of action is not acceptable to the complainant then the member of staff or Director should ask the complainant to put their complaint in writing to the establishment and give them a copy of the complaints procedure
In both cases details of the complaints should be recorded & the Director informed

Written Complaints

When a complaint is received in writing it should be passed on to the Director responsible for Health & Safety who will send an acknowledgment letter within two working days
If necessary, further details will be obtained from the complainant, preferably in writing
A copy of the Complaints Handling Procedure will be forwarded to the complainant
If the complaint raises potentially serious environmental matters, advice should be sought from a legal advisor or the Company’s Health & Safety Advisor
Immediately on receipt of the complaint the Company will launch an investigation and within 28 days should be in a position to provide a full explanation to the complainant, either in writing or by arranging a meeting with the individual or customer concerned
If the issues are too complex to complete the investigation within 28 days, the complainant will be informed of any delays in writing
At the meeting a detailed explanation of the results of the investigation will be given as well as an apology (if deemed appropriate)
Such a meeting gives the Company an opportunity to show the complainant that the matter has been taken seriously and has been thoroughly investigated
After the meeting, or if the complainant does not want a meeting, a written account of the investigation should be sent to the complainant within 28 days
The outcomes of the investigation and the meeting should be recorded on appropriate documentation and any shortcomings in the establishment’s procedures should be identified and acted upon