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Happy with your environmental credentials? The ‘Green’ issue continues to loom large and is a recurring topic for many of our clients. Increasingly, our clients report that a particular tender requires them to verify their environmental credentials and ISO 14001 is the most common requirement. But what is ISO 14001 and what is required of it?

Like ISO 9001, ISO 14001 is a management standard and as such is not a measure of an organisation’s carbon footprint or its impact on the ozone layer; although your impact on the environment is evaluated. More specifically, the ISO 14001 standard is a pragmatic approach for helping organisations to identify the aspects and impacts of their environmental performance, looking in particular at issues of consumption, waste management and recycling. Obviously, if you are a manufacturer, you are likely to have more aspects than an office based service organisation but nevertheless, all organisations which undergo ISO 14001 identify cost savings and ‘greener’ ways of doing things. If you’d like to know more about the requirements and benefits of ISO 14001, click on the link to read more or call us on 0800 404 7007.

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Workplace training by small firms needs more recognition

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has said the Government needs to recognise the efforts made by small and micro-businesses to train their staff. The call came as the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) announced intentions to give employees the right to request time to train. Although the FSB has welcomed the plans to upskill the UK workforce, it said that accreditation of training by micro-businesses should be made easier by the Government.

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Construction sites inspected

Meanwhile, the HSE has been inspecting construction sites in the North East. The inspections aim to address poor safety standards and working practices. It is the second time in five months that the HSE has visited construction sites in the region. This week, inspectors will be examining sites for signs of good organisation, risk assessment, the education of staff in risk assessment, and safe use of equipment. An HSE inspector said when the sites were inspected in February, inspectors were appalled because basic safety precautions were largely ignored.

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One in five businesses have no idea about WEEE compliance

One in five small firms have no idea whether they need to comply with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. A poll by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found that some businesses store old IT equipment indefinitely and others burn it. More than half questioned admitted they don't buy energy-efficient IT equipment because they lack the knowledge to do so. FSB chairman John Holbrow said there was more to be done to educate businesses about their IT equipment disposal responsibilities.

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New age discrimination legislation to come into force

The Government is to announce details of new legislation to outlaw all forms of age discrimination. Age discrimination in the workplace was outlawed in 2006, but the new measures, to be announced as part of the Equalities Bill, will tackle age-related discrimination in all aspects of society. The proposals will apply to England, Wales and Scotland. Some business and parliamentary representatives fear it will pave the way for positive discrimination.

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Small businesses are Olympic Games winners

Small businesses have won to date 70% of the 2012 Olympic Games contracts on offer from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). Nearly 90% of the 18,000 businesses registered on the London 2012 'CompeteFor' database (which helps to match up businesses with opportunities) are small firms, according to the ODA. An ODA spokesman said that smaller businesses were the biggest beneficiaries so far from the 2012 Olympics.

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Scotland's business start up figures sliding

The latest start up figures in Scotland show that the number of entrepreneurs setting up in business has dwindled. The figures, from the Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers (CSCB), showed a dip in the number of start ups in all but one of the business types it monitors. The number of new sole traders fell by almost 14%, and the number of new limited companies dropped by 19%. The dip has promoted fears that the credit crunch is putting people off starting their own business.

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ISO Stickers

Don't forget that we have stickers available to promote your organisation's certified status.

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Website Design - 12% Off

Our IT partner Sixth Sense ESP provides a discount for all of our clients. Their services include design, e-commerce and search engine optimisation.

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