QHSE
Quality
Quality is integral to everything we do at Dane. We first became accredited to the British Standard for Quality Management (formerly BS5750) in the mid nineteen eighties and have maintained continuity of renewal, most recently to IS09001:2015.
Our internal Quality Management System includes an integrated suite of Procedures and Documents which formalise a best practice approach to all aspects of our design, procurement, manufacture and installation activities. During 2009 we made a substantial investment in an ERP system, which as well as driving the main financial ledgers of the business also provides full traceability of all components used in the completion of every project. This has proven to be invaluable in the flow of material onto site with clearly identified references on all parts aiding materials handling and control of the installation process.
A detailed Quality Plan is produced for each project and offered to our Employer and the relevant Consultants for their comment/approval. This document provides a clear insight to the numerous processes that we perform in the overall delivery of the project as well as identifying the important hold and inspection points required throughout the design and construction works.
As part of our IS09001 accreditation and to maintain a culture of continuous improvement, we have developed a suite of key business objectives and key performance indicators (KPl's) across all areas of the business.
We operate a closed loop corrective action system to deal with all quality issues which may originate either internally from our own operators or externally within the supply chain. This corrective action system is fundamental in supporting continuous improvement.
Dane work very closely with our supply chain of key suppliers and subcontractors to ensure that the standards of their products and services are convergent with our own, and also with our contractual obligations. Suppliers and Subcontractors to Dane are required to demonstrate that they possess all necessary credentials to enable inclusion on our approved listing, this process initially involves the completion of a prequalification questionnaire and is subsequently followed up with six-monthly reviews of their performance.
Dane are fully compliant with Construction Product Regulation and our Factory Control Procedures have been accredited to EN1090 (CE marking of Structural Steelwork) and EN14351 (Panic & Emergency Exit Doors).
Health & Safety
It is Dane policy to provide and maintain a safe working environment for all employees, together with such information, training and supervision as is needed. We also acknowledge our responsibility for the protection of other people who may be affected by our activities and maintain a detailed suite of health and safety procedures which cover our numerous operational activities. These procedures are reviewed at six-monthly intervals to ensure ongoing relevance as well as compliance with any changes in legislation. Our aim is not simply to comply with legislation but to attain the highest standards possible by promoting a proactive culture towards the management of health and safety within our offices and factories as well as the construction sites we work on.
Dane employ a full time dedicated QA and HSE Manager dealing with all audit and compliance requirements as well as assisting our Project Managers and Site Managers with their duties in the administration of our works on site.
Our site management and supervision hold the CITB Site Managers Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) Certificates. All site management disciplines and operatives hold the appropriate CSCS skills training qualification cards.
We publish our H&S accident and incident statistics annually and are pleased to report no RIDDORs on any of our projects since December 2013.
Environment
Dane are committed to protecting the environment in which we work and to ensure that the environmental impacts from our operations are minimised at all times. We aim not only to comply with applicable legislation but to attain higher standards through training and the adoption of recognised best practice procedures. We give particular emphasis towards the prevention of pollution and control of waste. We also strive to minimise the effects of noise, dust, disturbance and inconvenience to others from our operations.
Dane gained IS014001 accreditation in 2012 and we actively promote the responsible sourcing of sustainable materials in the delivery of our works and commit to waste management schemes applicable to the projects upon which we are engaged.
Sustainability
In 2021, Dane took the next step in working to become a more sustainable, environmentally friendly company. We now report our carbon emissions annually and have set ourselves the target of reducing our emissions intensity by 2.5% annually. We are going to push that to a 5% reduction target in the coming months.
We have achieved these reductions through various projects. We have installed solar panels to all our factory roofs. We now use LED lighting in all works areas and are in the process of renovating the lighting to the offices. These initiatives combined mean that our electricity consumption has decreased dramatically. We are looking to further reduce our reliance on the grid by investigating other renewables opportunities. In terms of transport, hybrids have become the standard for company cars, and some employees drive fully electric. We are investigating more sustainable freighting options to reduce our emissions in site related activities as well.
These reductions have helped us achieve our target of the ISO 14064-1:2019 accreditation. Looking forward, we are exploring ideas for new projects to further reduce our emissions. Sustainability is a major focus here at Dane and we are taking full responsibility for our impact as a company.