Procedure to avoid the use of products banned by the Association (OP19:V10:22/04/08)
Responsibility
- All specifiers and Surveyors in the organisation who procure works through outside contractors.
- Works Manager who purchases materials for own workforce.
- Administrative staff responsible for procurement of stationery and office consumables.
- The Office Services Manager who purchases cleaning products for the Abingdon Office and ensures stationary delivery notes are kept with the original orders and filed.
- Appropriate Contract Administrator / Clerk of Works for materials coming onto site.
- Members of Green Team for ensuring awareness of procedure
- Deputy Specialist Services Manager who purchases cleaning products for Sheltered Schemes
Action
- When placing orders or giving instructions to procure goods, all specifiers, surveyors, stores managers and admin staff should ensure that the products ordered do not contain chemicals/products banned by the Association’s Environmental Management System.
Note: A list of banned substances can be found in the Vale HA’s ‘Code of Conduct and Regulatory Guidelines’.
- Any goods delivered to the Association offices, Stores, etc should be visually checked by the member of staff receiving them, to ensure they don’t contain substances banned by the Association.
- Appropriate Contract Administrators / Clerk of Works will regularly inspect works on site to ensure materials are as specified in the contract.
- Appropriate Contract Administrators / Clerk of Works and Stores Manager will ensure that any goods/materials that fail to comply will be rejected, not accepted into Stores or removed from site.
- Each member of the Green Team is to make sure that the relevant staff in their directorate are aware of this procedure and any changes to the list of banned products are passed on through team meetings.
Recording
- Where appropriate specifiers, surveyors, stores managers and admin staff will include a reference to banned products in the Association’s orders.
- Reception staff will ensure that all delivery notes for stationery and office equipment are returned to the Office Services Manager to be collated and filed.
- Appropriate Contract Administrators/Clerk of Works will maintain site reports/activity diaries, recording inspections made.
- Appropriate Contract Administrators / Clerk of Works will keep the site reports and diaries in the relevant contract files.
- Appropriate Contract Administrators / Clerk of Works will keep all site instructions in the relevant contract files.
Appendix – List of materials that the Association will only use if there are no other economically viable alternatives
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), HFC (used as refrigerants and in fire extinguishing systems), Perfluorobutane (fire extinguishing systems), halons, Carbon tetrachloride, 1-1-1 trichloroethane, all tropical hardwoods (unless from sustainable managed forests) and products treated with Lindane, Pentachlorophenol or Tributytin Oxide, or asbestos related products.
In addition the Association will endeavour:
- To purchase sustainably produced timber and timber products such as joinery, fittings, furniture and veneers (preferably with a certificate). To consider buying or specifying contractors to buy, reclaimed timber where cost effective and practical.
- Sustainable Homes has a database of all Forestry Stewardship Certified timber suppliers. Staff can have access to this information for free by ringing co-ordinator Jenny Wain (Sustainable Homes Tel: 020 8943 4433, Fax: 020 8943 2163).
- To avoid potentially harmful solvents or paints where they can be effectively replaced by low-solvent, or solvent-free products such as water or vegetable based paints, varnishes and glues. In practice this will tend to be on internal surfaces, which are not woodwork.
- To ensure the use of environmentally sustainable pest control methods and manure or organic fertiliser. We will only use pesticides, fungicides and herbicides as a last resort.