Quality Compliance

Blade Services Ltd Sustainability Policy

Blade Services Ltd is committed to protecting the environment and society. Blade Services Ltd Environmental Management System is accredited to ISO14001:2015 standards; these policies and procedures provides a framework to ensure all processes take into consideration the essential areas of economic, environmental, and social factors. It is the responsibility of all employees and stakeholders to adhere to such practices.

Blade Services Ltd purchasing procedures are developed to ensure compliance to Blade Services Ltd ethos of sustainability. All suppliers are required to complete a supplier’s questionnaire to analyse their principals and operational conditions regarding sustainability. We expect all suppliers of products and services, such as cleaning contractors, to demonstrate their clear commitment to sustainability requirements.

Blade Services Ltd Environmental Management System ensures the disposal of equipment, materials and waste is in accordance with ISO 14001:2015 and Environmental legislation.

Blade Services Sustainability Strategy Focuses on:-

Legislation & Other Requirements

• Compliance with all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice
• To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions
• Communication and commitmenttowardsimplementingandimprovingourSustainabilityPolicy

Economic

• Corporate Governance
• Ethical Policies and Procedures

Environmental

• Reduce and Restrict
• Climate Change
• Carbon Footprint
• Waste Management
• Transportation

Social Impact

• Equality and Diversity
• Health and Safety
• Community Awareness and Opportunities

Blade Services Ltd Senior Management help to raise awareness to staff and stakeholders of the importance of sustainability through staff induction and development programmes, newsletters, and website. Further developments in this area will be implemented following ongoing reviews.

This policy will be monitored periodically by the organisation to judge its effectiveness and will be updated in accordance with changes in the law and industry standards. Employees that fail to adhere to this policy may be subject to the organisation’s formal disciplinary procedures.

Environmental Management Policy Statement

Company Commitment

The Management Team of Blade Services Ltd is committed to protecting and actively improving the environment within all areas of the company’s operations.  This will be implemented by identifying areas where continual improvement of our environmental and employee safety related to our services and operations. This is our commitment to preserve and enhance the environment, safety and health of all our employees, customers and other interested parties and business partners.

We will ensure through our Integrated Management System that our environmental aspects are clearly identified and our environment impacts are minimised with regard to the prevention of pollution within the supply and delivery of our security services to our customers and consumers.

Environmental Culture

The Management Team recognises the importance of ensuring that environmental priorities are fully integrated into the business decisions it takes on all of its purchasing activities and supplied services, including compliance to legal and regulatory requirements to:

Continual development and implementation of this policy is a commitment of Blade Services Ltd management and a shared responsibility with our employees.

Develop, implement and continually improve our business management systems and operations against the requirements of BS EN ISO 14001:2015

The evaluation of our environmental aspects and impacts as an essential element when evaluating new business projects, services and operations.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all employees and stake holder to ensure the Environmental Policy, Procedures and Practices are adhered to throughout the organization.

Legal Compliance

The Company is fully compliant with all relevant environmental, safety and health legislation and regulations, and to the extent that is practical, implement environmental improvement programmers that meet the expectations of all interested parties, including regulatory authorities.

Environmental Objectives and Targets

The establishment of objectives and targets aimed at the prevention of pollution and the preservation of resources by reducing the generation of waste material, recycling waste that is generated through business operations and processes and disposing of waste that cannot be recycled. The encouragement of conserving energy, water and natural resources through increased business efficiencies and employee awareness. The objectives are monitored on a regular basis as part of the SMT monthly meeting. The objectives will be formally reviewed on an annual basis at the Management Review to ensure they remain relevant to the Environmental Management System.

Communication

This policy is communicated by management and is understood and implemented by all employees throughout the company. This will be achieved by the selection and provision of the appropriate communication methods, management systems, resources, and business infrastructure requirements.

Review of Environmental Policy

The Environmental Policy, Procedures and Practices are subject to continuous review in line with current legislation, industry, and Environmental standards. A full review of the Environmental Policy will take place on an annual basis during the Management Review.

Make available and communicate this policy to all employees and interested parties.

This policy will be monitored periodically by the organization to judge its effectiveness and will be updated in accordance with changes in the law and industry standards. Employees that fail to adhere to this policy may be subject to the organization’s formal disciplinary procedures.

Health & Safety Policy Statement

Company Commitment

The Company is fully committed to the adherence of Health & Safety in the work place and visitors to its premises and its legal responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (as amended in 2006), Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 2005 as Amended for ROI, including General application Regulations 2007. BSISO 45001: 2018 standards and associated protective legislation, both as an Employer and as a Company. To achieve those objectives, it has appointed designated member(s) of staff to be responsible for Company Health and Safety: -

• To keep workplace Health, Safety and Welfare procedures under constant review.
• To ensure workers are protected against violent incidents, slip & trips, manual handling incidents where practicably possible.
• To provide measures to protect lone workers such as check calls, mobile response visits Risk assessments including Covid 19 control measures.
• To a commitment of prevention of injury and ill health and continual improvement in OH&S management and OH&S performance.
• To liaise with the Health and Safety Executive and other statutory bodies on all matters pertaining to the Health, Safety and Welfare of employees.
• To keep the Company and its Board of Directors appraised of the implications of current and new legislation, EU Directives, regulations, and British Standards, in order to ensure on-going compliance with the law.
• Top Management to ensure consultation and participation with workers through H&S committee representatives who are established from all levels throughout Blade Services to ensure worker participation within the H&S Company framework.

Health and Safety Culture

The Company commits itself at the highest level to promote a positive Health and Safety culture within the organisation. The company recognises the importance of Health and Safety to its core business – and unsafe sites can never be a secure site – and the special role that the Security Officer can perform in ensuring the safety of premises and people. Consequently, as a matter of business integrity, the Company via its Health and Safety organisation and plan, will seek to engender awareness among stall its staff of the importance health and safety and to promote a culture of openness and collaboration in dealing with all Health and Safety issues.

Acceptance of Responsibilities

The main responsibility for Health and Safety lies with the Directors of the company. The Company is bound by the act sand/or omissions of the Executive Chairman, any executive director or manager, giving rise to legal liability, provided that such acts and/or omissions arise out of, in the course of, Company business.

Employers Liability Insurance

To comply with its statutory and common law duties, the Company has arranged insurance against liability for death, injury and /or disease suffered by any of its employees arising out of and in the course of employment, if caused by negligence and /or breach of statutory duty on the part of the Company.

Health & Safety Objectives

The Health & Safety objectives are defined in accordance with the Health & Safety Policy and management system. The objectives are monitored on a monthly basis as part of the SMR monthly meeting. The objectives will be formally reviewed on an annual basis at the Management Review to ensure they remain relevant to the current Health & Safety management system.

Review of Health & Safety Policy

The Health & Safety Policy, Procedures and Practices are subject to continuous review in line with current legislation, industry, and Health & Safety standards. A full review of the Health & Safety Policy will take place on an annual basis during the management review. Blade Services is committed to the continual development of all its’ practices and processes, including Health & Safety by continuously monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of these procedures. This policy will be monitored periodically by the organisation to judge its effectiveness and will be updated in accordance with changes in the law and industry standards. Employees that fail to adhere to this policy may be subject to the organisation’s formal disciplinary procedures.

Blade Security Ltd Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

Introduction

This statement sets out Blade Services Ltd actions to understand all potential modern slavery risks related to its business and to put in place steps that are aimed at ensuring that there is no slavery or human trafficking in its own business and its supply chains. This statement relates to actions and activities during the financial year 1^st May 2023 to 31^st June 2024.

As part of the security industry, the organisation recognises that it has a responsibility to take a robust approach to slavery and human trafficking.

The organisation is absolutely committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in its corporate activities, and to ensuring that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking.

Organisational Structure and Supply Chains

This statement covers the activities of Blade Services Limited:

• Blade Services Ltd is an independent security company specialising in security services of customer facilities. The Company was founded in 2020 and has achieved virtually with the experience of senior staff, 30 years’ combined experience within the security industry. Blade Services Ltd develops partnerships with its clients, understanding their security needs and strategy; this enables the Company to provide an individual service to meet the client’s needs and expectations.
• Blade Services Ltd provides specialist services within the provision of security consultancy training, security guarding and door supervision, mobile patrol and CCTV surveillance.
• The organisations workforce is employed on a permanent and temporary contractual basis. All right to work, residency, Security Industry Authority and employment history verification checks are conducted in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, BS7858 standards and SIA requirements.

The organisation currently operates in the following countries:

England

There are no activities that are considered to be at high risk of slavery or human trafficking. Through the supplier/procurement code of conduct the Company will ensure that all suppliers will also adhere to the Modern Slavery Act 2015

Responsibility

Responsibility for the organisation's anti-slavery initiatives is as follows:

Policies: Managing Director and Human Resources Department

Investigations/Due Diligence: The Human Resources Department and Operational Manager is responsible for investigations and due diligence in relation to known or suspected instances of slavery and human trafficking.

Training: The Human Resources Department and Organisational Manager is responsible for ensuring that the awareness of slavery and human trafficking risks are communicated throughout the organisation and through the supply chain.

Relevant Policies

The organisation operates the following policies that describe its approach to the identification of modern slavery risks and steps to be taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in its operations:

Employee Concerns (Whistle blowing) Policy: The organisation encourages all its stakeholders to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of, the organisation. This can include any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. The organisation’s policy is designed to make it easy for workers to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation. Employees, customers or others who have concerns can report any activities associated to slavery and human trafficking by contacting their immediate line manager or confidentially to the Blade Services Ltd Director via email or by mail.

Employee Code of Conduct: The organisation’s code makes clear to employees the actions and behavior expected of them when representing the organisation. The organisation strives to maintain the highest standards of employee conduct and ethical behavior when operating abroad and managing its supply chain.

Supplier/Procurement Code of Conduct: The organisation is committed to ensuring that its suppliers adhere to the highest standards of ethics. Suppliers are required to demonstrate that they provide safe working conditions where necessary, treat workers with dignity and respect, and act ethically and within the law in their use of labour. As part of the supply chain selection process all potential and existing suppliers are required to complete a supplier questionnaire to assess their suitability as a supplier. Within the supply questionnaire all suppliers are required to provide evidence of their compliance towards Labour Standards and the principals of this standard as well as the Asylum & Immigration Act 2006. This enables the procurement team to identify any potential risks to the quality of the service provision or goods being provided by the supplier and prevent any slavery or human trafficking. All suppliers are audited against the supplier code of conduct.

» Recruitment Policy: The organisation employs people on a permanent and temporary contractual basis. Prior to commencement of employment all employees are subject to right to work, residency, SIA and employment checks in accordance with the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, Security Industry Authority and BS7858 Code of Conduct. The recruitment policy is compliant to all EU and UK legislation, including the minimum wage and therefore is not at risk of slavery and human trafficking.

» Corporate Governance & Social Responsibility Policy: Blade Services Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility covers the responsibilities of the Board of Directors and the organisations Commitment towards the external Environment, Health & Safety, Work place responsibilities and assurance to the supplier chain code of conduct. The Policy is communicated to the whole workforce and forms part of the induction programmed.

»  Anti-Bribery/Fraud Policy: The organisation’s Anti Bribery Policy aims to prevent any form of bribery being committed within the organisation and by any stake holder(s) associated with its business. Blade Services Board of Directors foster a culture of integrity where bribery is unacceptable. This policy is communicated to all employees and forms part of the induction programmed.

»  BS ISO 26000 Social Responsibility: Sections 4.8, 6.3.1, 6.3.1.1 and 6.3.7.1. An organisation should respect human rights and recognise both their importance and universality by: respect and, where possible, promote the rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights; respect the universality of these rights that is, that they are indivisibly applicable in all countries ,cultures and situations; in situations where human rights are not protected, take steps to respect human rights and avoid taking advantage of these situations; in situations where the law or its implementation does not provide for adequate protection of human rights, adhere to the principle of respect for international norms of behaviour.

Due Diligence

The organisation undertakes due diligence when considering taking on new suppliers, and regularly reviews its existing suppliers. The organisation’s due diligence and reviews include:

» Evaluating the modern slavery and human trafficking risks of each new supplier in accordance with the supply chain selection process;

» Conducting supplier audits through Blade Business Manager which have a greater degree of focus on slavery and human trafficking where general risks are identified;

» If required; take steps to improve substandard suppliers' practices, including providing advice to suppliers and require them to implement action plans where applicable. Audits carried out on Blade Services suppliers have confirmed that they meet Blade supplier code of conduct and therefore no improvement plans have been invoked;

»          If required; invoke sanctions against suppliers that fail to improve their performance in line with an action plan or seriously violate our supplier code of conduct, including the termination of the business relationship. Audits carried out on Blade suppliers have confirmed that they meet Blade Services supplier code of conduct and therefore no sanctions including termination of contracts have been issued.

Performance Indicators

In light of the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 the organisation will:

»          Review its existing supply chains by the end of the financial year, to ensure their compliance to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Training

The organisation will require all staff, including managers within the organisation to receive awareness training on modern slavery as a module within the organisation’s induction, management development and refresher programmers.

The organisation's modern slavery awareness training will cover:

» Our business's purchasing practices, which influence supply chain conditions and which should therefore be designed to prevent purchases at unrealistically low prices, the use of labour engaged on unrealistically low wages or wages below a country's national minimum wage, or the provision of products by an unrealistic deadline;

» How to assess the risk of slavery and human trafficking in relation to various aspects of the business, including resources and support available;

»  How to identify the signs of slavery and human trafficking;

» What initial steps should be taken if slavery or human trafficking is suspected;

»  How to escalate potential slavery or human trafficking issues to the relevant parties within the organisation;

»  What external help is available, for example through the Modern Slavery Help line, Gang masters Licensing Authority and "Stronger together" initiative;

»  What steps the organisation will take if suppliers or contractors do not implement anti-slavery policies in high-risk scenarios, including their removal from the organisation’s supply chains.

Awareness-Raising  Programmed

As well as training staff, the organisation has will raise awareness of modern slavery issues uploading flyers on Blade web portal. The flyers explain to staff:

»  The basic principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015;

»  What employees can do to flag up potential slavery or human trafficking issues to the relevant parties within the organisation; and

»  What external help is available, for example through the Modern Slavery Helpline.

Board Member approval:

This statement has been approved by the organisation's board of directors, who will review and update it annually.