Our business prides itself with considering the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their customers, suppliers, employees, communities, as well as the environment. This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees us voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees and their families as well as for the local community and society at large.

• Equal Opportunities
• Health & Safety
• Community Volunteering
• Charitable Efforts
• Recycling
• Energy & Sustainability

We are totally committed to the principle of equal opportunities and to create a working environment in which individuals are treated with dignity and respect, that is free from unlawful discrimination, victimisation or harassment on the grounds of:

• Colour, race, nationality and ethnic origin.
• Sex, marital status or gender reassignment.
• Disability of any kind.
• Religion.
• Sexual orientation.
• Age.

Health & Safety

1st Glass & Mirror recognises and accept its responsibility as an employer to provide a safe and healthy workplace and working environment for its employees, subcontractors and the general public. There is a Health and Safety at Work policy statement in place and 1st Glass & Mirror will take all reasonable steps to meet this responsibility, in particularly by:

• Ensuring that any place of work under its control is maintained in a safe condition as regards machinery, plant and facilities; providing a safe means of access and exit from the place of work.
• Maintaining a safe working environment, without risks to health; providing adequate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work; arranging regular risk assessments and maintaining records of these.
• Providing such information, instruction, training and supervision that are necessary to ensure health and safety at work of our employees and others who legitimately visit our premises.
• Under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure that people who are not employees of 1st Glass & Mirror are not exposed to risks to their health & safety while working or visiting our premises.

We are Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) compliant.

Community Volunteering

We believe that we can give expert advice, invaluable time and expertise to charity work and community projects. We feel we can demonstrate how dedication and focus can make a difference to people's lives.

Charitable Efforts

We regularly contribute to Charities which we feel quite strongly about. By giving to these worthwhile causes 1st Glass & Mirror are making a difference to those less fortunate than others.

Recycling

1st Glass & Mirror follow the guidelines of the "Recycle Now" Campaign. Wherever possible we recycle. This ranges from paper in the office to the glass we are no longer able to use within the factory.
An example is our Water Purification System (shown on the right).

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Energy & Sustainability

Every year, £2.4 billion - 21% of the total spent by UK businesses on energy - is wasted. Much of this waste could be avoided by greater energy awareness.
Reducing energy use makes perfect sense; it saves money, enhances corporate reputation and helps everyone in the fight against climate change.
1st Glass & Mirror fully support the work of the "Energy Saving Trust". We have a strong emphasis on acting in an environmentally responsible manner. We are fully committed to reducing the environmental impact through the sensible use of energy and water. 1st Glass & Mirror uses 4 steps to implement our energy awareness programme.

1. Planning

Good planning is fundamental to the success of an energy awareness programme. We have reviewed our current situation to understand our company's energy use, and have found out how aware staff are about energy waste. The information gained has been used to set specific goals.
Key communication routes like Emails, Presentations and/or training, Posters, Meetings, Walk rounds, Stickers, Word of mouth, Energy literature, Displays and Suggestion schemes are used to achieve our goals.


2. Implementation

Roles and responsibilities are assigned carefully to members of the team. Promotional materials such as posters and stickers are provided by The Carbon Trust.

3. Checking and reviewing

At various points along the way, we measure our progress towards set targets. By listening carefully to ideas, comments and suggestions, we gauge how effective the programme is and make our staff feel more involved.

4. Maintaining awareness

We learn from our experiences and incorporate them into our programme. Examples from our Energy Culture include:

• Emails: The phrase "Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail" is included in every email we send out.
• Displays, Posters and Stickers: These campaign tools are ordered from The Carbon Trust and are used to target different equipment or individuals. They use compelling images and are replaced regularly, for example, monthly, as they have a limited shelf-life. These are displayed all around our premises ranging from factory equipment to our coffee maker.
• Walk rounds: Simple walk rounds at regular intervals have helped demonstrate where energy savings can be made, for example, closing windows or activating the power saving facility on a computer. We note where energy is being wasted and record where repair and maintenance work is needed.
• Word of mouth: This is often the most powerful method of communication. We use catchy slogans and messages specifically tailored to dispel myths, negative comments or misinformation that may be circulating. Examples include:

Uncomfortably hot fact
Office equipment currently accounts for 15% of current energy use and is set to double over the next fifteen years.

Hiss Off!
Compressed air leaking through a small (5mm) hole could cost up to £14,000 per year.

• Energy Literature: These include dedicated booklets, leaflet and newsletters etc. which outline how energy can be saved in organizations.



• Transport
  Fuel for transport can represent a significant proportion of overhead costs. We keep them in check with these simple, low-cost measures:
  1. Checking tyres regularly for signs of irregular wear and under-inflation. Irregular wear occurs when steering is misaligned, which increases fuel consumption. Under-inflated tyres also increase fuel consumption by 3% on a drop in pressure of 2 psi.
  2. Watching our weight. Our drivers remove any unnecessary weight from their vehicles whenever possible. Excess weight increases fuel costs.
  3. Improving airflow. We remove unnecessary attachments such as roof racks, which increase air resistance. Vehicles with less drag will save fuel and money.