Corporate responsibility report 2004 - Tata Steel

How do we manage corporate responsibility?
Corporate responsibility is an integral part of how
we do business.
We take our corporate responsibilities
seriously and we have effective
management systems and sound
governance practices to make sure
that we deliver on our promises.
This section covers some of the
overriding principles which govern
the way we do business.
Accountability
Our Executive Committee, chaired
by the Chief Executive, is responsible
for establishing health, safety, social
and environmental policies and
standards for the Group, and for
ensuring their implementation by
each of our business units. A Board
Health, Safety and Environment
Committee, which comprises three
independent directors, assists in
the task of corporate governance,
reviewing operational performance,
anticipating potential future issues
and advising on strategic options
for improvements.
Each of our business units is
responsible for implementing
Corus’ health, safety, social and
environmental policies and in doing
so implements effective systems to
identify, assess, monitor and control
hazards and minimise risks. One of
our primary goals is to ensure that
all employees have a positive attitude
to safety, health and the environment.
We seek to achieve this by delegating
responsibilities to the point in the
organisation at which they can be
implemented most effectively, and by
giving employees adequate training.
In order to assist the Executive
Committee and business unit
management in meeting their
responsibilities, we have functional
health, safety and environmental
organisations responsible for a
co-ordinated and effective specialist
advisory service.
Stakeholder engagement
Our main stakeholders are our
customers and suppliers, investors,
shareholders, employees, trade
unions, local communities and the
general public. We engage with all
of our stakeholders in various ways.
Some examples are provided later
in the report.
Management systems
We have management systems
that cover quality, health, safety
and environment. These systems
focus on managing our operations
effectively and are largely certified
in accordance with international
quality and environmental
management standards.
Business integrity
All business transactions on behalf
of Corus are reflected accurately
and honestly in our accounts in
accordance with established practices
and these are subject to independent
audit and review. Furthermore, we
condemn corrupt and fraudulent
practices and require transparency,
integrity and honesty in all aspects
of our business.
Risk management
Minimising and managing risks
are important components of our
management systems. Potential risks
are identified through techniques such
as auditing, near-miss reporting and
risk assessments.
Policy and guidance
For each issue that we have identified
as material, we are working to
ensure that we have a clear policy
and strategy in place and that we
understand their relevance to
our business.
Management and measurement
In the same way that we manage any
critical business activity, we set
We expect our suppliers and contractors
to operate to the same standards as Corus.
Corporate responsibility report 3