ISO 14001 is an internationally-recognised business accreditation issued by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), specifically designed to address the delicate balance between maintaining profitability and reducing environmental impact. Advance is believed to be one of the first security guarding companies in the UK to have attained ISO 14001 status.
During the past 18-month period, Advance has implemented a variety of measures to reduce its impact upon the environment as part of the company’s wider corporate social responsibility agenda.
In conversation with info4security.com, Richard Bailey (sales and marketing director for the contractor) explained the reasoning behind the programme. “At Advance, we feel that corporate social responsibility should be seen as an opportunity, not a hindrance. This is also the ethos behind ISO 14001 accreditation. If we are to work towards greater recognition as a professional service, paying lip service to an issue that the rest of the corporate community is taking seriously just isn’t acceptable for the security sector.”
Bailey continues: “With environmental policy beginning to impact on all stages of the business environment, we believed it was an area that demanded immediate attention. In light of that, we developed a comprehensive programme that sees us reducing our environmental impact in all areas of the operation. To this extent, we’re extremely pleased that our efforts have been recognised by the ISO award.”
Measures that Advance Security has put in place have included:
– a reduction in travelling costs for meetings, with conference calls now commonplace instead of face-to-face meetings
– a detailed environmental assessment programme for staff, with a dedicated internal web page advising on actions that can be taken at home and at work to minimise personal environmental impact
– the recycling of all paper, mobile telephones, PDAs and printer cartridges
– the use of diesel-powered vehicles alone coupled with the reduction of vehicle travel wherever possible
– the introduction of ‘green vouchers’ for employees providing the most effective suggestions for company-wide improvements
