Health Safety & Umweltpolitik

Principles

Cookson's policy is to operate in a manner which preserves health, safety and a sound environment.

For Cookson companies worldwide, the minimum acceptable standard is to meet their legal health, safety and environmental obligations. The aim is to keep improving.

Cookson believes that good health, safety and environmental performance is an integral part of efficient and profitable business management. It recognises, therefore, that these matters rank equally in importance with other management responsibilities and that success in these areas depends on the involvement and commitment of everyone in the organisation.

Commitment

As a consequence of Cookson's overall commitment to preserve health, safety and a sound environment, each Cookson company is required to:

• provide and maintain healthy and safe working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all employees
• ensure the protection of the health and safety of other people who may be affected by its operations e.g. contractors, visitors, customers and the general public
• prevent, or if that is not practicable, minimise and make safe, releases to air, water and land of substances which could adversely affect human health or the environment
• reduce waste at source by careful use of materials, energy and other resources and maximise recycling opportunities
• consider, early in the development stage, the likely environmental impact of new products and processes
• maximise employees' involvement in health, safety and environmental matters by effective communication and encouraging their active participation
• recognise and respond constructively to community concerns about health, safety and environmental aspects of its operations
• provide sufficient resources in terms of people, training, plant and equipment to meet its health, safety and environmental commitments
• set targets for improving health and safety at work and environmental protection, carry out regular internal assessments and report annually on performance
• ensure that each of its locations adopts policies in keeping with these principles and commitments which also describe the local organisation and arrangements for putting them into practice.

Organization and Responsibilities

Cookson regards health, safety and environmental matters as mainstream management responsibilities. Executives and line managers at all levels within Cookson are directly responsible through the normal management structure for health, safety and environmental matters in the operations under their control.

All employees have a responsibility to take reasonable care of themselves and others while at work and to participate positively in the task of preserving workplace health and safety and a sound environment.

Each Cookson company has a nominated senior executive with special responsibility for monitoring health, safety and environmental performance within that company. Advice and support is available from the corporate health, safety and environment function.

The Group Head of Health, Safety and Environment leads the function at a corporate level. He oversees the Group's health, safety and environmental activities and reports on these matters to the Group Executive Committee and the Group Board.

Review

This statement of policy supersedes all previous such statements issued by Cookson. The policy and its effectiveness will be reviewed regularly.

Nick Salmon
Chief Executive
January 2008