Chief Executive's statement
I am very pleased to report that our safety and environmental performance continued to improve in the financial year that just completed, making it our safest on record.
I strongly believe that we have a responsibility to our stakeholders to conduct our business ethically, minimise risk to our employees and impact on the environment, and to contribute positively in our communities. I require a high level of management focus in these areas, which I feel to be the foundation of performance improvement.
I am very pleased to report that our safety and environmental performance continued to improve in the financial year just completed, making it our safest on record. In 2007, we established aggressive three year goals for safety and environmental performance and we are already beating many of these targets.
I believe that a significant contributing factor to our performance improvement is implementation of the health and safety management system OHSAS 18001, andthe environmental management system ISO 14001. We require sites to certify their implementation of these excellent continuous improvement platforms to ensure they are applied properly.
Our Code of Business Ethics is part of our culture and a cornerstone to how we conduct our business. All employees are trained in the Code's requirements and must comply with its intent. Senior leaders ensure that the Code is actively followed in their business.
I am also proud that many products and services offered by the Smiths Group businesses contribute to the safety, health and security of the general population and the reduction of environmental impacts on our daily lives.
As a testament to our commitment to corporate responsibility, Smiths continues to be awarded membership in the FTSE4Good Index, which recognises businesses that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. This membership should reassure all of us at Smiths, and our external stakeholders, that we continue to move in the right direction.
This report summarises our Code of Business Ethics, safety and environmental performance, and highlights samples of our business engagement with local communities. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Philip Bowman
Chief Executive
September 2009