HSQE policy

The Applus RTD Group is an international operation rendering services in all continents. We offer services that make the world a safer place. Our ambition is to be the world's reference in NDT & Inspection and Integrity Management, and to be the first choice of customers and employees. The care for the Health (H) and Safety (S) of people, the care for the Environment (E) and the assurance of the Quality (Q) of our services are decisive in fulfilling this ambition. We therefore have formulated HSE and Q statements that clearly give our objectives, and demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvement of our performance. These statements will be reviewed annually in order to ensure that they remain relevant and appropriate.

The implementation of the HSQE policy will be supported with integrated management systems. The outcome will be evaluated continuously during our operations, and the input and participation of our employees in this process is highly valued. The success of the policy will be reflected in our day to day actions.

HSE statement

The care for the Health and Safety of people (whether they are our own employees, those of customers, those of companies with which we work together, or members of the public) and the care of the Environment is of utmost importance in every aspect, and every phase of our operations. The Health and Safety of people and the care for the Environment is a value that shall never be compromised, and shall be managed as an integral part of our business. There is no conflict between the care for HSE and our business objectives.

Objectives

We at Applus RTD

pursue the goal of zero incidents. Therefore we will take a pro-active approach towards the care for Health, Safety and Environment, and make this care a precondition in every decision and action we take;
systematically identify hazards, assess the consequences for the Health and Safety of people and the Environment when control over an identified hazard is lost, and take measures to make the chance of losing control and the consequences thereof as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP);
define clear tasks, authorities and responsibilities with regard to the control of hazards;
investigate incidents, which include near-misses, to learn from and to improve, and not to blame. For the same reasons employees are stimulated to report near misses, and to participate in improving our HSE performance;
comply with the applicable laws and regulations on HSE in the countries we work in, and the HSE rules of our customers. Furthermore Applus RTD develops its own HSE rules. In case of conflict between rules and regulations, the most strictest will prevail;
ensure that all personnel receive HSE training commensurate with their position and duties. The training is aimed to provide them with the skills and knowledge that enable them to work in way that minimizes the HSE risks, and to comply with the applicable rules;
consult, listen and respond openly to employees, those of our customers, and partners as well as to the authorities and members of the public on issues related to the care for the Health and Safety of people and the Environment.

Responsibilities

In order to achieve our objectives, each level of management at Applus RTD shall

demonstrate leadership in developing and fostering an effective safety culture;
reflect an interest in the care for HSE that is vocal, visible and continuous;
value the input of employees;
set a good example.

Our Employees

All our employees are expected to adhere to this policy, in particularly

to follow safe working practices;
to obey rules and regulations;
to report incidents, including near-misses;
to be willing to learn and to share knowledge in order to improve our HSE performance
By working together, we will ensure that Applus RTD meets its HSE objectives – that we have no accidents, no harm to people and no damage to the environment.

Quality Assurance Statement

The success of our business is depending on the quality of our services, and the associated experiences as perceived by our customers. In fact the direct measure of how well we are delivering on our quality commitment is the degree to which we meet our customers requirements and exceed their expectations.

Objectives

We at Applus RTD

sense the needs of the industries and customers we serve in order to be able to offer the services that satisfy these needs;
strive to exceed the expectations of customers in a positive way, and not only to satisfy the requirements that are set by regulatory framework or (inter)national standards;
make commitments that we understand and believe we can meet or exceed;
meet all commitments to customers in time;
implement a quality management system of which the effectiveness and efficiency is continually assessed and improved;
define clear tasks, authorities and responsibilities with regard to the quality of provided services, and the improvement thereof;
believe in "doing the right job right the first time";
measure customer satisfaction and set clear objectives for improvement;
register complaints and take appropriate actions to resolve them in a way that is fair to the customer. Furthermore complaints are investigated to learn from, and not to blame. For the same objective employees are stimulated to participate in improving the quality of our services;
ensure that its employees have the required (technical) knowledge and skills as well as the required behavioural competences.

Responsibilities

Our Management

In order to achieve our objectives, each level of management shall

demonstrate leadership in developing and fostering an effective quality assurance culture;
reflect an interest in the quality of our services that is vocal, visible and continuous;
value the input of employees;
set a good example.

Our Employees

All our employees are expected to adhere to this policy, in particularly

to have a professional attitude;
to follow the applicable procedures;
to report complaints immediately;
to be willing to learn and to share knowledge in order to improve the quality of our services.