Labour Standards Assurance System (LSAS)

Sword Medical UK Ltd is committed to upholding an ethical labour policy in-line with
It’s legal and moral obligations. The standards are maintained within the Company and the Suppliers within the Companies supply chain.

Policy

Sword Medical UK Labour Policy is outlined within the Labour Standards Assurance System, initial publication dated 26th October 2015. It clearly applies to both the internal organisation, and its supply chain and is approved by senior management: Colm Moynihan, Managing Director and Dermot Moynihan.

It commits to continual improvement and sets out 7 core minimum labour standards.

Adequate & sufficient resources will be made available to the LSAS, and this manifests in both time and financial backing.
It is appropriate to Sword Medical UK Ltd, as its scope includes the following – Electrosurgical, Surgery & Care, Surgical Energy, Gynaecology, ENT & Suction.

Sword Medical UK Ltd also requires its suppliers to comply with their national laws along with the principles held within the LSAS Specification and the base code of the Ethical Trading Initiative

Typical duties include:

– Creating and publishing the Ethical Labour Standards Policy.
– Approving all other relevant and related LSAS policies and procedures.
– Carrying out a periodic review of the LSAS management system, typically on an annual basis.
– To encourage suppliers and other parties key to the business, to comply with the principles of the Ethical Trading
– Initiative and/or NHS Labour Standards Assurance System.
– Completing risk assessments to determine the level of risks related to each supplier.
– Ensuring that any corrective action requests raised against a particular supplier, are addressed in a timely manner.
– Allowing the administrative staff sufficient time to progress LSAS issues if required.
– Documenting and taking action relating to any concerns about labour abuses.
– To comply with UK employment law.
– To align these tasks and duties wherever possible to the ISO9001 Quality Management System.
– To set objectives & targets for the overall improvement of the LSAS.
– To communicate the LSAS issues throughout Sword Medical UK Ltd.
– To carry out training with the administration staff who may be involved in the LSAS and if applicable other parties.
– To comply with the NHS Supply Chain Framework Agreements (relevant to specific devices).

Legal and Other Requirements

This procedure has been established to help ensure applicable/relevant legislative and/or voluntary obligations pertinent to employment, welfare, human rights, ethical procurement, equality, discrimination etc. are either available or accessible to staff, and to maintain our (Sword Medical UK Ltd.) awareness of those labour standards requirements.

It is also a Sword Medical UK requirement for our company to comply with UK employment laws and to influence our suppliers wherever practicable, that they too need to conform to employment legislation as a requisite to supply Sword Medical UK with goods and/or services.

It is the responsibility of the Management Representative to periodically review these requirements to confirm our ongoing compliance. In addition future/proposed changes in legislation will also be identified during that review and records retained. It is also the responsibility of the Quality Manager that those identified requirements (listed below) are kept up to date.

The sources used to identify and review applicable legislation typically are as follows:
 Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service HSE (Health & Safety Executive)
 UK Government Employing People Business & Human Rights Resource Centre Ethical Trading Initiative
 International Labour Organisation United Nations Global Compact Office of the High Commissioner Business for Social Responsibility British Medical Association
 Social Accountability International Global Reporting Initiative Sancroft International
 National Health Service National Archives
 Natwest Mentor employment law, HR, health & safety and environmental consultancy services