Social Compliance

At Brosch Direct we believe in doing business the right way and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical compliance. As a trading division of Polyco Healthline, this means we do business ethically, honestly and in full compliance with all laws and regulations.

Brosch Direct is committed to minimising the impacts of its activities on the environment through the policy framework below.

Our policy is:

• To ensure compliance with all current, relevant environmental legislation and other requirements.
• To maintain our registration to BS EN ISO 14001:2015.
• To monitor and measure the environmental impacts of the activities, products, and services.
• To identify opportunities to reduce any possible environmental impact of the business activities.
• To ensure the efficient use of energy, water, and other natural resources within the business.
• To take all reasonable steps to prevent pollution at local and a wider environmental level.
• To minimise waste and employ sound waste management and recycling practices both internally and amongst suppliers.
• To encourage suppliers to develop good environmental practices.
• To develop emergency procedures to deal with any significant environmental hazard that may arise from the activities within the business.

Brosch Direct, its parent company Polyco Healthline, and our suppliers currently have several initiatives ongoing to help reduce its carbon footprint including:

• Recycling chemicals used in the manufacturing process such as DMF used in the polyurethane coating of some gloves.
• Reducing plastic packaging and paper usage by packing selected gloves with a band which also acts as the user information sheet (the PPE regulation requires a hard copy of the UIS with the minimum saleable quantity).
• Working with a manufacturer to reduce the packaging weights throughout to reduce the carbon footprint (plastic and cardboard).
• Developing an ECO range of gloves produced from recycled polythene currently there are two in the range with two more in development.
• Developing washable reusable gloves so the life can be extended. Testing being carried out onsite at the Polyco Healthline laboratory.
• Motion sensor energy efficient LED lighting has been fitted in the warehouses to reduce energy usage.
• Reusable drinking bottles provided to all staff and plastic cups removed from water points.
• Solar panels fitted on some of the warehouses to produce renewable energy.
• Up to 30% Recycled plastic being used in some of the glove packaging used.
• Company cars when renewed are being transferred from diesel and petrol to fully electric or hybrid vehicles. Going forward all new company cars will be fully electric. Polyco Healthline has also fitted charging stations in DC5 car park for the electric cars in the fleet.
• Allowing staff to work from home when it is not essential for them to be in the office. This reduces the carbon footprint by reducing fuel usage and energy usage.

These initiatives are ongoing as part of Polyco Healthline Groups ongoing commitment to Environmental and Energy reduction, and creating a more carbon neutral world.

Brosch Direct is committed to supply its products and services in a responsible manner, helping to ensure that the impact on the local and the wider environment is minimal.

As part of this plan, Brosch Direct aim to reduce the energy usage at the Bourne site and through the sub-contractors the company employs.

Brosch Direct is committed to:

• Increasing our energy efficiency.
• Investing in energy efficient technologies.
• Maintaining our certification to BS EN ISO 50001:2018.
• Ensuring compliance with ESOS and any legal or other requirements.
• Achieving our energy objectives and targets.
• Supporting the purchase of energy efficient products, services and activities that support energy improvement.

We are committed to working towards integration of labour standards, ethical trade principles, social responsibility and good stewardship throughout our supply chain.

These are key business practices that enable us to work with our suppliers to ensure that working conditions and labour practices employed in the manufacture of our products are socially acceptable, taking into account local laws and regulations.

Brosch Direct, and its parent company Polyco Healthline, has implemented the following ethical code of conduct:

• All employment is freely chosen. There is no forced, bonded or servitude labour. Modern slavery is a criminal offence (Modern Slavery Act 2015); it is exploitive and deprives basic human liberty and freedom.
• All staff are entitled to belong to trade unions and collective bargaining is respected, to the extent permitted by local law.
• Human rights (Human Rights Act 1998) are respected, and workers are provided the means to report grievances to management.
• Working conditions are safe. healthy and hygienic.
• Child labour is not used.
• Wages are fair and comparable to other company's and wherever possible exceed the minimum wage.
• Equal pay for equal work is established on the basis that employees that perform the same role using the same skill, effort and responsibility are given the same pay level.
• Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted.
• Working hours are not excessive and will not exceed any employment legislation.
• No discrimination is practiced.
• Regular employment is provided for those who are employed on a permanent contract.
• No harsh, cruel, or degrading treatment or practices are allowed.
• No bribery, corruption, blackmailing or bullying is permitted.
• Good environmental stewardship is practiced.
• Suppliers and buyers are both free to sell and buy from any number of other businesses. No trading restrictions as a way of guaranteeing business are allowed.

Our Ethical Code of Conduct is based on the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) base code of practice. We actively support suppliers to integrate and acknowledge this code of practice within their own supply chain helping to guide improvement for the wellbeing of all employees.

We continue to work collaboratively with our suppliers to eradicate forced labour and ill treatment of employees within our supply chains. As a trading division of Polyco Healthline Ltd, Brosch Direct are committed to acting ethically in all social and environmental aspects and our anti-slavery and social accountability policies reflects this. We believe that it is important to act with integrity in our business relationships and take all reasonable and practical steps (including factory and warehouse inspections and audits) to ensure that our standards are being implemented throughout the businesses of our suppliers and that all relevant local legislation and international regulations are complied with. This involves:

• Communication with suppliers to ensure an understanding of the Modern Slavery Act and our Ethical Trade policy.
• Conduct risk assessment and information exchange through our social responsibility code of conduct.
• Review supplier performance through audit of the code of conduct and on-site activities (where required).
• Conduct annual review of our social accountability and anti-slavery policies and performance.

Brosch Direct is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment. Accordingly, management ensure that recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion procedures result in no job applicant or employee receiving less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic i.e. race, caste, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, trade union membership, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, age, or on the basis of being a part-time or fixed term worker. The company’s objective is to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted, and otherwise treated solely based on their relevant aptitudes, skills and abilities.