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GeSI Guidelines
The standards within these guidelines are to help promote safe and fair working conditions as
well as responsible, social, environmental and ethics management by promoting sustainability
standards across all GeSI Member’s supply chain.
Companies are encouraged to implement the requirements contained in these guidelines and
go further in implementing key performance indicators (KPI’s) to measure performance.
Companies are also encouraged to take all reasonable measures to promote and secure
compliance of these guidelines with their suppliers, sub-contractors, and employees.
Companies applying the guidelines are expected to comply with all relevant laws, regulations
and standards in all of the countries in which they operate and to go beyond compliance to
applicable laws, drawing upon internationally recognized standards, taking responsibility to
continually improve social and environmental conditions and ethical behavior.
Health and Safety
Companies following these guidelines are committed to operating in accordance with
international standards and local laws.
Providing employees, contractors, partners, or others with a safe and healthy working
environment and ensuring correct use of products is strongly encouraged.
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1. General Requirements
Companies are encouraged to implement a Health & Safety management system in
accordance with OHSAS 18001. In addition, GeSI encourages companies to comply with at
least one of the following:
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Performing and maintaining a comprehensive risk assessment
Define appropriate method statements to mitigate any risks
Develop, implement, and follow an appropriate health and safety plan
Have appropriate systems and processes in place to monitor any failures
Appoint a senior management representative to be responsible for implementing
processes to ensure a safe and healthy workplace environment for all personnel
2. Organization
Companies are encouraged to develop and implement programs to ensure that all employees
are competent to carry out the health and safety aspects of their responsibilities and duties.
Programs should include the nomination and training of personnel at appropriate levels,
particularly executives who are responsible for implementing the company’s Health and Safety
obligations.
3. Product and Services Delivery
Products and/or services delivery should meet general principles of Health and Safety risk
prevention.
General principles include:
 Identification of hazards
 Minimizing and preventing hazards
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 Utilizing competent and trained people
 Providing and maintaining safe equipment and tools including personal protective
equipment
4. Occupational Safety
Exposure and potential safety risks to employees should be assessed and controlled through
proper preventive actions. These risks might lead to accidents/injuries or occurrence of
occupational disease if preventative actions are not implemented.
Proper preventative actions include:
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Proper design
Engineering and administrative control
Preventative maintenance and safe work procedures
On-going safety training
Maintaining personal protective equipment properly
5. Accident and Emergency Readiness
Companies can identify and assess potential emergency situations and events, and minimize
their impact by implementing the following plans and procedures:
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Creating and following an emergency plan
Creating evacuation procedures
Providing employee training and drills
Providing appropriate fire detection, sufficient fire extinguishers, adequate exit facilities
Following a recovery plan
Companies should implement systems and training to prepare for and respond to accidents
and health problems. Readiness for accidents and unforeseeable emergency situations
include:
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 Providing a means for recording incidents
 Investigating and implementing learning points from accidents and emergency
situations
6. Occupational Injury and Illness
Companies should implement procedures and systems to analyze, prevent, manage, track and
report occupational injury and illness.
Provisions to include:
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Encourage employee reporting
Classify and record injury and illness cases
Root cause and analysis of injury and illnesses
Provide necessary medical treatment and equipment
7. Exposures to Hazardous Elements
The exposure of employees to dangerous/hazardous substances (including chemical, high
temperature, and radiation) should be identified, evaluated, and controlled.
To control exposure, companies can implement engineering controls (e.g. improvement of
production facility) or administrative controls (e.g. law and regulations).
When hazards cannot be adequately controlled using engineering or administrative controls,
employee health can be protected by the provision of appropriate personal protective
equipment.
8. Equipment Safeguarding
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Equipment, production machines and other machinery should be evaluated for safety hazards.
Physical guards, interlocks, and barriers should be provided and properly maintained where
machinery presents an injury hazard to employees.
9. Sanitation, Food and Housing
Facilities and amenities, including employee housing where provided by the company, should
be hygienic, safe, and meet the basic needs of employees.
Employees are to be provided with ready access to clean toilet facilities, potable water and
sanitary food preparation, storage and eating facilities.
Employee dormitories where provided are to be maintained, cleaned and safe.
Dormitories should also provide:
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Appropriate emergency exits
Clean water for drinking or bathing and showering
Adequate heat and ventilation
Reasonable personal space
Reasonable entry and exit
10. Overall Health and Safety
Companies can observe the following overall guidelines to ensure there is awareness and
monitoring of compliance at all levels.
Guidelines including:
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Wear seat belts when travelling in or operating vehicles
Using suitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Wearing a safety harness and fall protection equipment when working at heights
Attaching harnesses at all times when working at heights
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 Never carrying out electrical work on electrical equipment, circuits and gear without
appropriate qualifications and compliance to regulations
 Never working under the influence of substances (alcohol or drugs) which are illegal or
in excess of legal levels or where this impairs ability to perform tasks
 Never using a hand held phone while driving and only making calls by pulling over or
using hands free devices, when it is safe to do so
 Never exceeding speed limits or travelling at speeds which are dangerous for the type of
road, vehicle, or conditions
GeSI Measurements and Continuous Improvements
Management System
Companies and Suppliers should create and maintain a management system and a set of
documents and records to ensure regulatory compliance and conformity that includes the
following:
 Improvement Objective
Establish performance objectives, targets and implementation plans to continuously
improve social and environmental performance. Measurements of these objectives are
used to monitor compliance to requirements. Suppliers are encouraged to use a Plan-DoCheck-Act type of approach for improvements
 Communication
Policies that follow the local law, regulatory compliance requirements, public and industry
association guidelines or internally prepared guidelines should be clearly communicated to
employees
 Training
Managers and employees should be trained to comply with Supplier’s and Company’s
policies, procedures, and improvement objectives to meet applicable legal and regulatory
requirements
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 Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Self-Audit
Identified risks stemming from labor, health and safety, environmental and ethics practices
require immediate assessment and corrective action implementation. Such assessment
could include audits to ensure conformity to legal and regulatory requirements.
References
1. JAC Supply Chain Sustainability Guidelines document - Version: 01_20140116
http://gesi.org/article/48
2. OHSAS 18001
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