The Board is committed to Corporate Responsibility and the need 
to take proper account of our impact on the environment, the morale 
and welfare of our employees and the satisfaction of our customers. 
We will consider all social and environmental issues that  
could affect our business 

Corporate Social Responsibility

CR Priorities Standard Aims 2009/2010
Health and Safety Ensure we provide safe and productive working environments Proactive safety culture with emphasis on awareness and prevention
Environment Compliance with legal requirements and continue to measure and assess carbon footprint Continue improvement programmes and extend ISO14000
Employees All employees are fairly rewarded and given development opportunities Attract and retain the appropriate level of employees
Business Relationships Compliance with business conduct and ethical trading policies Further improve customer service and relationships with suppliers
Community Continue raising money for charities through Group and Divisional events as well as participation in community projects Further encourage employees to participate in community projects

The Group continues to be a member of FTSE4GOOD, which is an equity index series that is designed to facilitate investment in companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. Companies in the FTSE4GOOD index series have met stringent social, ethical and environmental criteria, and are positioned to capitalise on the benefits of responsible business practice.

During 2008 the BSS Group also joined Business in the Community (‘BITC’). BITC supports and challenges companies to integrate responsible business through their operations in order to have a positive impact on society and therefore be of ‘public benefit’.

Health and Safety

Health and safety is a key issue for the Group. We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our employees, customers and visitors to our sites. Our in house health and safety department is led by the Central Services Director, who is a member of the Executive Committee. The Group Chief Executive is the Board member responsible for health and safety matters including keeping the Board informed at each meeting.

The department has four full time members of staff, who provide advice and support to operational management and staff at all levels and who monitor the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.

The policy document and branch manual has recently been reviewed and rolled out to all branches to ensure that it accurately reflects our business.

Over the past year we have:

There have been no HSE prosecutions or enforcement actions in 2008.

Employee Involvement and Working Environment

The importance of good relations and communications with employees is fundamental to the continued success of our business. The Group Chief Executive is the Board member responsible for human resources matters and updates the Board on a regular basis.

We employ just under 5,000 people across the business and recognise the key contribution they make to our ongoing growth and success. Our employees’ wellbeing and professional development is central to recruiting and retaining high performing individuals. Over the last couple of years product knowledge systems have been introduced across PTS and BSS Industrial, with a number of employees participating in apprenticeships and Builders Merchant Federation modules. The organisation has a robust talent management strategy in place which incorporates annual performance reviews, development plans and succession planning.

Divisional newsletters are published regularly to employees to ensure they are kept well informed. Annual employee attitude surveys are conducted to measure employee motivation and provide an additional feedback facility for employees to communicate with the Company. The Company makes various benefit schemes available to all employees (subject to eligibility) including a Save As You Earn scheme (SAYE). A benefits website is in operation with benefits ranging from the Company’s defined contribution pension scheme to concessions on gym membership.

We aim to maintain a progressive equal opportunities policy to ensure equal treatment for all irrespective of race, creed, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, age, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender or disability. Individuals are trained, developed, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant aptitudes, abilities and skills. We recognise that everyone is different and by valuing diversity we appreciate that people with different experiences, views, opinions and approaches can bring important skills to the business.

The Company is committed to offering development and training to all its employees and offers a wide range of training techniques to enable all individuals the ability to develop and progress within the Group. The Training team offer apprenticeships with over 50 employees completing their apprenticeship in the last two years, all employees have the opportunity of gaining an NVQ level 2, and individuals have the opportunity to gain a City and Guilds.

BSS and the Community

We conduct all our business with honesty and integrity and are a responsible member of the community.

PTS, part of the Domestic Division, announced the NSPCC as their charity partner for the year with the aim of our employees raising money to provide help for vulnerable children. By March 2009 the total sum of money raised was £25,000. This would not have been possible without the staff, suppliers and customers of PTS. Several events ranging from a charity walk, golf day, raffle and a ‘school uniform’ day have helped to raise this amount.

BSS, part of our Industrial Division, has successfully raised £110,000 for Rainbow Trust over the last two years. These funds have given 76 families with a terminally ill child a short stay respite break at Rainbow House and Rainbow Fernstone. BSS Industrial will continue to support the Rainbow Trust during 2009 via ink cartridge and mobile phone recycling, raffles and sales conference donations.

We actively support the Prince’s Trust with management time and financial contributions. Founded in 1976 by The Prince of Wales to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people in the UK, it has become the UK’s leading youth charity, giving practical and financial support to the young people who need it most.

In 2008 we joined BITC, an independent membership charity with the purpose ‘to create a public benefit’ by inspiring companies to improve the positive impact of business in society.

Corporate values and commitment are to be translated into mainstream management practice. The Group has committed to:

The Group’s Leicestershire based sites have over 40 volunteers who participate in the Right to Read, Numeracy Skills and Interview Techniques via Leicestershire Cares. The Company also offers work experience placements for ex-offenders and those coming out of care.

The Group’s employees also held fund raising events for Great Ormond Street Hospitals ‘Jeans for Genes’ Appeal and Breast Cancer awareness which the Company fully supported.

The Environment

We recognise the importance of responsible environmental management and the obligation to protect the environment.

In particular we focus on:

This year, following the development of our Environmental Management system, we have achieved ISO14001 accreditation for our Group head office in May 2009. B & H part of the Specialist Division has held ISO14001 accreditation for several years.

During 2008/09 in excess of 350 sites have been engaged in our recycling programme. Waste cardboard and plastic is backhauled to the distribution centres where it is bailed and then sent to the recycling mills. During the last 12 months we have recycled 279 tons of cardboard and 59 tons of plastic. As a consequence the number of bin collections has been substantially reduced. Our largest waste collector, who services 347 sites, has collected 1.7 tons less per site per annum during 2008/09 compared to 2007/08.

We had no prosecutions relating to environmental matters during the year. This reflects in part the fact that as a distributor our activities generally have a lower impact on the environment but also our proactive approach when planning and developing new branches.

We recognise that waste and emission output are our most significant environmental impact and are able to report the following:

CO2 Direct Emissions(1)   Absolute tons 2008/09
Business operations Fossil fuel use on site (2) 16,135
Owned transport Fuel used by vehicles 21,178
CO2 Indirect Emissions(1)   Absolute tons 2008/09
Electricity Yearly consumption of directly purchased electricity in KWh 11,102
Employee travel Recorded miles of third party provided transport (air and rail) as well as self-recorded miles (road) 3,224
Total Emissions   51,639

(1)The Carbon Trust, carbon footprint calculator was used to convert usage into CO2 emissions. Emissions disclosed cover circa 90% of the sites of the Group.

(2) To convert gas figures an average calorific value of 36.4 was used.

Supplied Water Use   Absolute tons 2008/09
Supplied water Actual or estimated volume of water used 24,873
Hazardous Waste   Absolute tons 2008/09
Recycled/treated Actual or estimated weight of waste generated 3
Non hazardous Waste   Absolute tons 2008/09
Recycled Actual or estimated weight of waste generated 909
Landfill Actual or estimated weight of waste generated 3,972
Total   29,757

Because of the increase in volume of data gathered, the opening of 30 sites and the acquisition of Birchwood, comparison of this year’s results with those from 2008 do not provide a useful indication of performance or trends. We will continue to develop our data systems in order to present a basis for year-on-year comparison in future reports.

PTS part of the Domestic Division exhibits renewable energy products at Green Energy Rooms in Nottingham and Newcastle as well as a Renewables branch in Aylesford. The Green Energy showrooms offer advice to make an informed choice about being socially responsible and cutting household bills when considering heating and plumbing options. Currently PTS and F & P offer a range of energy efficient products and emergent renewable technologies.

Renewable energy solutions are considered and installed at new branches subject to landlords’ consent and favourable physical conditions of the building. In addition, we are now monitoring ‘intelligent lighting’ systems in branches. Intelligent lighting turns warehouse lights off automatically in areas which are not used for a period of time.

The FTSE Group confirmed that The BSS Group plc had been independently assessed according to the FTSE4GOOD criteria, and continues to satisfy the requirements to be a constituent of the FTSE4GOOD index series. Created by the global index company FTSE Group, the FTSE4GOOD is an equity index series that is designed to facilitate investment in companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. Companies in the FTSE4GOOD index series have met stringent social, ethical and environmental criteria, and are positioned to capitalise on the benefits of responsible business practice.