The environment
We take our responsibilities towards the protection of the environment very seriously and fully endorse sustainable construction methods and are accredited under BS EN ISO 14001:2004.
On all projects, we do everything reasonably possible to ensure the impact on the environment is kept to a minimum, through the selection of sustainable materials, minimizing waste, avoidance of air and noise pollution to adjacent land/building occupiers and safe working practices. Environmental issues are a major consideration through-out the project programme.
Where we appoint design consultants, we look to practices with a similar ethos towards the environment, taking into account past record, experience and attitude towards sustainable construction.
On site we encourage sub-contractors to minimize waste by appointing them on a supply and labour basis wherever possible. Re-cycling of materials is also encouraged, this is especially relevant to the many restoration projects we undertake, which rely on the availability of good quality reclaimed materials, In addition, both air and noise pollution is taken into consideration when carrying out any activity.
We have also implemented practise to reduce our carbon footprint:
Office initiatives:
Monitoring our energy consumption.
Consulted with the Carbon Trust to determine possible actions to reduce our energy consumption and
have implemented awareness raising initiatives.
Recently completed a refurbishment of our head office building including installation of low energy
lighting with occupancy detection to switch them off when areas aren't in use along with other
energy saving enhancements.
Consider the energy consumption of business equipment at purchase and through use including
enabling power saving features.
Travel initiatives:
Encouraging the use of public transport where appropriate and sharing of cars where
possible. The
choice of vehicles available through the company car scheme is selected with
fuel economy/low
CO2 in mind.
Encouraging company car users to take an allowance instead which allows them to select a
vehicle
more suited to their individual needs and many users are selecting smaller, more fuel
efficient cars.
Implementing the use of telephone conferencing and investigating video conferencing to
avoid the need
to travel to meetings where possible.
Site initiatives:
Plant is hired rather than owned and we ensure that only modern, well maintained plant is used.
Encourage drivers to shut down plant when not in use.
Site accommodation is fitted with secondary doors to keep heat in as the main steel doors
are
inevitably left open.
Office heating and lighting is controlled by time switch to prevent heating empty offices.
Energy consumption is monitored and recorded and targets set and reviewed.
Plant fuel is also monitored and recorded.
We are corporate members of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, thus further emphasizing our recognition of our overall responsibilities to the natural environment whilst executing our works.
QMS BS EN ISO 14001:2004: Registration: GB15375 (Expiry 05.03.2018).
QMS BS OHSAS 18001:2007: Registration: GB17469 (Expiry 09.11.2019)
Britannia have been awarded OHSAS 18001 & ISO 14001 certification by QMS Quality Management Systems in recognition of standards for evaluating working practices, procedures and processes in relation to environmental and health & safety management.
Controlled Waste Act 1991: Registration: CB/RN5679UU (Expiry 10.03.2013)
Environment Agency approved to transport controlled waste and holders of a current Certificate of Registration under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.
