Bj SPORT have established our own system for monitoring subcontractors, based on a check-list by which we constantly follow up on our suppliers. Our inhouse Quality Controller, Ms. Susan Yip as well as Bj employees pays regular visits to the various factories as well as subcontractors. Mr Bjørn Dæjlie and the board of Directors personally visited the factories in November 2008.
Our main suppliers and business partners have all signed the Code of Conduct (COC). We have established routines whereby third party inspectors pay announced visits to our suppliers.
The audit company ITP, a objective and neutral third party inspectors, was introduced to our factories in June 2009, and had a meeting with our main supplier on June 16th 2009.
They have visited and evaluation with one of our main producers. Thereby 4 factories for the 1st Evaluation & Inspection by ITP were chosen. Those factories had inspections in week 33, 2009.
Results of 1st evaluation for COC, positive points
- Generally, no illegal and child labor.
- No force labor, no illegal disciplines and discrimination.
- No use of chemicals, no hazardous emissions.
- One factory was also inspected by BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) and passed the inspection.
Negative points need to be improved
- Missing profile and document for all workers and employees
- The work shop environment is not clean and properly.
- The toilets is not clean enough.
- nsufficient documents to be cleanly to show and post to all the workers of the local law or policy of labor, fire fighting, environment, health and safety etc.
- No posted fire emergency evacuation plans. Some old equipments ward off the emergency exit.
Action plan for improvement
- Ensure that all employee’s has ID copy, sign official labor contracts with all normal employees and agreement with casual workers with stating the wage calculating. Make properly profiles for all the employees.
- Clean all the workshop, make properly and clear management of workshop.
- Clean up the toilets completely, re-paint the wall, make weekly follow up and evaluation by factories.
- Get the copies of local law or policies of labor, fire fighting, environment health and safety etc. And also need to be posted in the factory.
- Remove the useless equipment which blocked the emergency evacuation passage an paint/sick the emergency evacuation plan.
Improvement schedule and re-inspection plan
- Two factories where the above mentioned problems were found will follow our suggestion to improve and will finish the improvement by end of Oct.2009.
- One factory with some of the above mentioned problems will follow our suggestion to improve and will finish the improvement in March 2010.
- Bj SPORT will arrange re-inspection in March 2010.
- Further follow up will be done after the re-inspection.
Our main policy in such cases would be to maintain our relationship with the supplier and use our position to encourage improvements - rather than terminate the relationship and replace the vendor. We believe that this is the best way to improve ethical standards and social responsibility.
Photo: Bjørn Dæhlie and chairman of the board, Jon Pran at a factory inspection in 2008