Health & Safety

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, also the Loler and Puwer regulations 1998, requires every employer to prepare a written statement of his general policy, with regard to health and safety at work of his employees, including the organisation and arrangements for carrying out the policy.

The Statement has been written, after consultation with the Company Safety Advisors, and has been fully discussed with the Representatives of the Company Employees. It is believed that most of it and the documents, to which it refers, are already well known and understood by the Company Staff and other Employees. Nevertheless, all Company staff and Employees are asked to study it, at least those parts of it which concern them, and the work on which they are from time to time employed and the Employees with whom they work from time to time, and put the Policy into effect and apply it at all times.

All Staff and other Employees at the Company are required to play their full part in understanding the Policy, as without the unqualified acceptance of its' contents and adherence to its' many requirements by all, its' objective, which is in every employee's interest, will not be achieved.

This document, in its' fullest form, contains the Safety Policy, organisation and arrangements etc., with regard to the Staff and other Employees employed at ASG Stage Products Ltd. The complete lengthy document is available from ASG.

Employment Policy

ASG believe in equal opportunities for all employees. It is our policy to advertise vacancies to comply with current legal requirements, and subsequently interview, employ and train personnel who we consider to be most suitable for the position.

• Our selection of potential new employees, for interview or employment, is not based on ethnic origin or appearance. Nor is our selection based on age, sex, physical ability or any other discrimination, where these factors are irrelevant to the position.
• All positions within the Company are extensively described in writing, indicating the responsibilities associated with the position, what the Company requires from the employee, and what the employee can expect from the Company.
• New employees receive their 'terms of contract' prior to their appointment, which they accept in writing. This clearly agrees their salary, responsibilities, working hours, sickness benefit, holiday allowance etc.
• All new employees are assessed after approximately 1-month to discuss how they are progressing and how they can improve if required. After a 3-month probationary period (a further 2-months) the employee is again assessed, at which time a decision is made as to whether they are suitable and making good progress, in which case a pre-agreed salary increase begins, or if the employee is unsuitable their position is terminated. During these assessments, the employee can also assess the Company and their position within it.
• Employees are given ongoing training as and when necessary, to assist them to carry out their duties to the standards expected by the Company and our clients. The quantity, type and location of training is based on the employees position within the Company, their experience and the length of time which that employee has been with the Company. Health and Safety training is also given.
• Salaries are all above the minimum wage, and are based on similar positions within industry, as far as we can ascertain. Salaries are continually monitored with regard to possible increases, also for cost of living increases.
• We have an 'open door' policy for all employees, allowing any problems, opinions or suggestions to be expressed with regard to their work, colleagues, or any other aspects they consider relevant.
• If it is considered that any employee is not correctly carrying out their duties to meet their agreed job responsibilities, verbal and/or written warnings are given to meet legal requirements, prior to the last resort of terminating their contract. Redundancies where applicable, and any relevant payment, also meet with legal requirements.
• We are registered and continually assessed for ISO9002, and all procedures within the Company are therefore fully described within our Quality Manual. This further indicates how employees should carry out the duties associated with their job.
  

Environmental Policy

ASG recognise that the pursuit of economic growth and a healthy environment must be closely linked. Although our operations have minimal impact on the environment, we appreciate the need to lessen any negative impact wherever possible. Our environmental responsibility is based upon continuous improvements, consistent with current knowledge and known legislation. We provide a healthy, safe and environmentally friendly workplace both to benefit our employees and to give consideration to all those who are directly or indirectly involved with our Company.

• We shall not use any harmful materials in our works or on site unless we can demonstrate that they are safe during manufacture, installation and use, and that their suitability is ensured.
• The only chemical based products that we regularly use in our works are paint, thinners and similar items, all of which are disposed of when necessary by a registered waste removal company. We also use typical household and industrial cleaning products. We do not manufacture any chemical based products, nor are we involved with any animal studies or tests.
• We are occasionally involved with the removal of asbestos from sites, which is always carried out by an approved sub-contractor and disposed of under license at an approved site, to meet current regulations.
• An approved waste management contractor collects non-hazardous waste products, and large or bulky items are tipped under permit at an authorised site.
• Our office and works operations are energy efficient and environmentally friendly in many areas. Most lighting is fluorescent, paper is often used on both sides, storage heaters are used throughout our offices, ceilings are insulated, most printer ribbons and toner cartridges are recycled, packaging is re-used wherever possible (such as boxes and padded envelopes), and steel off-cuts and scrap is recycled externally.
• Transport is an integral part of our operations, as the majority of our work involves site installations, meetings and surveys. All vehicles use unleaded or diesel fuel, concurrent visits are arranged wherever possible for a single journey, various personnel vehicle-pool, and trains are often used for long journeys. However, private cars are likely to remain the major option for many journeys, until such time as public transport is sufficiently flexible and cost effective.
• During installation and manufacturing works we produce minimal noise for short periods only, from various basic plant such as hammer drills and cut-off saws. We do not use any heavy plant, which could be construed as noise pollution.
• Our Health and Safety Policy and ISO9002 Quality Policy also makes reference to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), to ensure that it forms part of the Company initiative.