OM00077 – Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy

Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy

Objective:

The intention of this policy is to provide A2Z Services with:

• An effective way of procuring goods and services utilising a sustainable manner;
• Guidance for reduction of environmental, social and ethical impacts when purchasing goods and services;
• A framework to ensure that purchasing is carried out in a fair and equitable manner;
• Ensuring value for money in the procurement of goods and services;
• Improved product and service efficiency;
• Compliance with all regulatory obligations;

A model to encourage suppliers to adopt cleaner technologies and produce sustainable goods and services

Scope:

This policy applies to all workers who have roles and responsibilities relating to purchasing, hire, lease, or donation on behalf of A2Z Services

Policy:

This policy outlines the commitment of A2Z Services to efficient, effective, economical and sustainable procedures in all procurement activities. The following principles will be observed throughout all stages of the procurement process at A2Z Services to ensure optimal environmental, social, and ethical outcomes aligned to A2Z Services policies and legislative requirements. 

The most effective way of reducing risks to health and safety in the workplace is through elimination. A2Z Services is committed to eliminating hazards associated with purchased items of plant, equipment, chemical substances and other materials into the workplace by the implementation of a WHS purchasing policy. 

Purchasing and acquisition of all items must take into account legislative safety requirements and requires assessment by the appropriate manager initiating the purchase, ensuring conformance to A2Z Services’s OMS policies and current WHS Legislation

A2Z Services will implement the following:

• Specifying WHS requirements with supplier before purchasing;
• Determining WHS risks before purchase;
• Conducting plant/equipment and chemical risk assessments as appropriate;
• Obtaining WHS information, SDS, manuals, instructions, design specifications;
• Comply with legislation, Australian Standards, environmental law;
• Consider worker capability/training/licensing requirements;
• Appropriate risk control strategies in place for use, transport, disposal and storage;
• Choosing best practice/least hazardous options;
• Review of purchased item before accepting admission into workplace;
• Adequate documentation/records will be kept.
• Principals use of resources – Determination of how the goods or service are to be used (basis for need, efficiency, WHS impact);
• Minimum purchasing – purchasing only occurs after determining that the goods or service are necessary;
• Locality – sourcing goods or services from local suppliers to assist local investment and economic sustainability;
• Ethical sourcing – whenever possible purchasing goods that have been fairly traded;
• Design – design efficiencies, reuse/recycle potential;
• Minimum greenhouse gas emissions – operating efficiencies, “green” energy;
• Minimum toxicity – purchase of goods that are free of toxic or polluting materials and chemicals;
• Minimum habitat/fauna/flora destruction – such as “green” products, biodegradability;
• Packaging – minimum packaging is used and that packaging is reused and/or recycled;
• Minimum waste – avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle;
• Maximum water efficiency;
• Waste management – issues associated with disposal are assessed and controlled prior to purchase;
• Life Cycle Costing – assessment of the environmental, social, economic cost of a good/service during its lifetime.

Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Procedure

Responsibilities:

The employer is responsible for:

• Ensuring there is a safe system in place for the purchase, Acquisition and procurement of plant, Equipment, materials and chemicals, which meets both the purpose of this procedure and the requirements of WHS and environmental legislation.

• Strategies are adopted to avoid unnecessary expenditure and consumption of goods and services
• Goods and services selected have a lower environmental, social and ethical impact compared to competing goods and services;
• All procurement practices comply with relevant legislation;
• Purchasing decisions support and are consist with the company’s core values, policies and procedures;
• Purchasing is to be undertaken on a competitive basis with all potential suppliers being treated impartially, fairly, honestly and consistently;
• Any actual or perceived conflicts of interest are to be identified, disclosed and appropriately managed;
• Accountability for all procurement decisions is taken and ethical conduct is maintained

The Manageris responsible for:

• Implementing the Purchasing Procedure and that all workers are familiar with and follow the procedure.
• Required to acquire equipment, materials or chemicals must ensure they follow the steps listed below and, as needed, to follow those instructions at all times. Workers must be provided with information and training to enable them to comply with this procedure.

Workers are required to undertake procurement functions on behalf of A2Z Services should familiarise themselves and maintain currency with the A2Z Services Sustainable Procurement Policy.

Procedure:

• Determine purchase need for the item and the potential supplier/s;
• Gather information about the item in respect of safety (use, storage and disposal) including potential hazards or risks;
• Obtain information from Codes of Practice, SDS, Operational Manuals, Safe Work Procedures, Australian Standards, Industry Standards, suppliers, manufacturers etc.;
• Use information to determine if there are any associated hazards or risks for the item;
• Conduct a formal risk assessment if appropriate;
• Submit all information regarding the purchase of the article, including any risk assessment to the WHS Manager;
• The WHS Managerassesses the information and determines if the acquisition will proceed or not;
• If purchase is not approved to continue – investigate an alternative item which is less hazardous, and/or seek further information as to what would be a safer acquisition of the article;
• If the purchase is proceeding – attempts to eliminate any new hazards from being introduced into the workplace should be tried before supply. Where this is not possible, risk control measures shall be determined and implemented to minimise the risk of injury or illness;
• Before the first use of the item supervise all workers, who use, store, handle the plant while being trained in its’ safe use, ensuring they are aware of the hazards and risks associated with it.

Forms and Registers

Document Number	Document Name
OR0029	Purchasing Record
OR0037	Approved Supplier List

Amendment Record

Issue#: 1 Issue Date: 13/7/2022

Rev#	Date	Section#	Para.#	Description of Change	Prepared By	Approved By
1
2
3

Click here to download OM00005 – Actions to Address risk and opportunity policy in PDF Format

Disclaimer: This documentcontains material to assist in meeting environmental management, Work Health and Safety and Quality obligations under the International Standard ISO AS/NZS ISO 9001:2016,14001:2016 and other legislative bodies. This document contains material sourced from Safe Work Australia. Any such material remains subject to copyright © Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/copyright. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information at the time of publication, it is provided as guidance only and does not provide legal advice on meeting your obligations. This document and its contents are © A2Z services 2018 and or the originating source authors and no permission is given for its duplication or copying, in part or in its entirety, for use outside its original purposes as stated within the company.