Corporate responsibility report 2005 - Tata Steel

How do we manage
corporate responsibility?
Corporate responsibility is integral
to the way we do business.
We take our corporate responsibilities seriously.
Sound governance and effective management
systems ensure that we deliver on our promises.
Below we outline some key principles which underpin
our business approach.
Accountability
Our Board provides overall direction for corporate
responsibility. Our Executive Committee, chaired by the
Chief Executive, sets health, safety, social and environmental
policies and standards for the Group. It also monitors
their implementation in each of our business units. Four
independent non-executive directors sit on a Board-level
Health, Safety and Environment Committee which reviews
operational performance, anticipates potential future issues
and provides support in setting direction and considering
strategic options for improvement. Further review of our
business safeguards is carried out by our Board Audit
Committee, which also comprises four independent
non-executive directors.
In the end, no matter how effective our systems may be,
individual accountability is critical if we are to achieve the very
high standards we set ourselves. It is a key priority within the
business to develop a positive attitude to safety, health and
the environment amongst all our employees. We achieve
this through our recruitment policies, by ensuring that all
our employees receive appropriate levels of training and
by fostering a culture where responsibilities are delegated
to the point in the organisation at which they can be
implemented most effectively.
Stakeholder engagement
As a large-scale, international business, we maintain active
dialogues with our main stakeholders – customers and
suppliers, investors, shareholders, employees, trade unions,
local communities and the general public. We engage with
each of these in a variety of ways. Many examples of this can
be found throughout this report.
Each of our divisions is responsible for implementing Corus’
health, safety, social, ethical and environmental policies. They
are charged with the responsibility of putting systems in place
that identify, assess, monitor and control hazards and
minimise all relevant risks. In addition, functional health,
safety, environmental and human resources teams provide
a co-ordinated and effective specialist advisory service,
supporting the Executive Committee divisions and business
units in meeting their responsibilities.
Corus Corporate Responsibility Report 2005 3