Explainer: what is QESH?

High quality is the core value of everything we do, from the consistent high performance of our fabric ranges, to our workflow systems, warehouse management and even our own personal productivity.

How can we be sure that what we’re doing is always of the best quality? How can we demonstrate this technically to our customers and peers?

That’s where QESH comes in.

Quality, Environment, Safety and Health

Maintaining a consistent level of excellence is one of our core values as a business and maintaining this proven level of quality is our top priority. The integrated QESH management system contributes to the special culture that is vital to our entire organisation.

Our Quality Management policy concerns all areas related to Quality, Environment, Safety and Health (QESH). This QESH system is critical to the enhanced satisfaction of our customers, our efficiency and effectiveness as an organisation, and the support of the environment, our health and our wellbeing.

Internationally recognised standards are standard for our business

Holding ourselves, and our supply chain, accountable to our own high standards is challenging. It is the responsibility of all corporations to conduct business in an ethical manner, and to do their best at every level of operation.

Our dedication to Quality, Environment, Safety and Health is evident through the wide range of international standards that we work within.

• We are an ISO 9001 certified company. The International Standards Organisation defines this themselves as a specification “based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. Using ISO 9001 helps ensure that customers get consistent, good-quality products and services, which in turn brings many business benefits.”
• In addition to this, we monitor our mills' compliance with the ISO 14000 standard on environmental management, developing practical systems to manage our environmental responsibilities
• Known Consignor status. ​A Known Consignor must ensure that cargo is packed and secured at a protected site and safeguarded against unlawful interference during preparation, storage, and transportation. All staff that handle, or have access to, known cargo and its documentation must undergo background checks. They also must receive air cargo security familiarisation training. Shipments of known cargo are sealed with tamper-evident seals which must remain intact whilst in the possession of the Known Consignor. We are proud to operate under this regulation.
• Authorised Economic Operator. Traders like us, who voluntarily meet a range of criteria, work in close cooperation with customs authorities to assure the common objective of supply chain security and are entitled to enjoy benefits throughout the EU. - source
• The Marine Equipment Directive (M.E.D.) 96/98/EC is an authorisation of equipment and products for Marine industry. The MarED Product Database contains information about authorised equipment to be installed on EU flagged merchant vessels according to the European Marine Equipment Directive.
• The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is designed to reduce harmful impact of production to people and the environment. Read more about the GRS here on the FR-One website.
• We continue to expand our work under The Organic Content Standard (OCS), an international, voluntary standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of certified organic input and chain of custody.
• Our product ranges comply with several strict environmental and sustainability standards including the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®.

Curiosity, innovation, integration, and transformation – for every aspect of our organisation

We constantly look for ways to improve our business processes as well as the impact we have on people and our environment. Stay tuned for more as we continue our extensive work in this area in 2021. We hope you’ve found this overview of our systems useful – contact us today to discuss further!