Responsibility in the supply chain
What we do
Through our facilities and our supply chain, Fagron has an influence on communities all over the world. We expect our business partners to conduct business ethically, in line with our Business Partner Code of Conduct.
The topics that we find important:
- Business Partner Code of Conduct
- Health and safety
- Human rights and labor rights
Our efforts to take responsibility in our supply chain contribute to SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth).
Business Partner Code of Conduct
To provide insight into the risks around human and employment rights and to reveal and/or prevent violations, Fagron established a Business Partner Code of Conduct in 2020. The Code was published in early 2021 and describes requirements and expectations concerning:
- Human and labor rights: fair treatment of employees, fair pay, reasonable working hours, freedom of association and collective bargaining;
- Health and safety at work;
- Environment: regulatory compliance, waste and emissions, discharges, and environmental sustainability;
- Ethics: combating bribery and corruption and safeguarding fair competition and animal welfare;
- Management systems: regulatory compliance, risk management, documentation, supplier selection and supplier monitoring.
Our target:
- By 2025, suppliers collectively representing 75% of the value of our trade goods, have signed the Fagron Business Partner Code of Conduct.
Health and safety
Non-functioning occupational health and safety systems (as part of working conditions) at suppliers could result in permanent physical injury or even death of supply chain workers. The Fagron Business Partner Code of Conduct specifically pays attention to the following health and safety topics:
- Worker protection
- Process safety
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Hazard information
- Housing standards
Human rights and labor rights
We find enforcing human rights and labor rights important because of the impact that a potential violation could have on value chain workers. For example, child labor or forced labor could lead to permanent (no-remediable) physical or mental injury.
The Fagron Business Partner Code of Conduct explicitly addresses:
- the right to freely chosen employment (including trafficking in human beings, forced labor and compulsory labor)
- child labor and young workers
- non-discrimination
- fair treatment
- compensation and benefits (including working hours)
- freedom of association
