This statement is published by STI-Group, in compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015. It details the steps taken by STI-Group to identify and take steps to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in all parts of its business and supply chains across its global operations during the Financial Year 2024. This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps we have taken to minimize the risk of modern slavery in our business and supply chains.

 

STI Group is committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking occurring in any of its corporate activities. As a professional organization, our services are delivered to clients all over the world. Our commitment, is to ensure that suppliers are aware of our policies in order to comply with the Modern Slavery Act.

 

This commitment is evident through our company policies, which aim to uphold the highest ethical and professional standards. We ensure the adherence to policy commitments and compliance of current Government legislation and regulations.

 

“STI-Group will take zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking. We are committed to combatting this transparently in all our relationships and transactions.”

 

STI Group is committed to maintain a long-term relationship with our co-workers, customers and suppliers, continually increasing our performance and meeting the highest medical requirements to ensure the future of our company. With a total team of 200 colleagues, working from our four facilities, all based in The Netherlands and Portugal, we serve more than 700 customers all over the world.

 

1. We conduct our business fairly, ethically and with respect to fundamental human rights. We are committed to the prevention of all forms of Modern Slavery, both in our business and in our supply chains. We will not tolerate it.

2. We carry out appropriate checks on all employees, recruitment agencies and suppliers, so that we know who is working for us or on our behalf.

3. STI Supplier Code of Conduct, which covers topics such as ethics, human rights and labor conditions. It requires suppliers to “take a clear stance against forced labor and any form of exploitative child labor and shall not engage in any form of non-voluntary, forced or compulsory labor.

 

STI-Group adheres to a Code of Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility which applies globally to every officer, director, employee, contract work and agent of the STI-Group. You can review this policy at www.sterisets.com/about-us/csr

 

STI Group is committed to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking. Our commitment to respecting human rights is enshrined in our Code of Conduct, Human Rights Principles, and Responsible Sourcing Policy, including the prohibition of forced labour, bonded labour, child labour, slave labour, human trafficking and recruitment fees, and the prohibition for any STI-Group property, product, or service from being used in any manner that supports or enables any form of abuse or exploitation. The Code of Conduct, Human Rights Principles, and Responsible Sourcing Policy apply to STI-Group Employees and are reviewed and updated periodically.

 

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we are committed to creating and ensuring a non-discriminatory and respectful working environment for our staff. We want all our staff to feel confident that they can expose wrongdoing without any risk to themselves. Our employees can contact an external confidential advisor or, in Portugal, employees can contact the union.

Our recruitment and people management processes are designed to ensure that all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in Portugal or in the Netherlands and to safeguard employees from any abuse or coercion.

 

We do not enter into business with any organization, in Portugal, the Netherlands or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to be involved in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

 

Our respect for human rights is posted on the code of conduct together with all other company policies and procedures. Together this is embodying the company’s core values and controls to minimize the risks of human trafficking and other modern slavery practices infiltrating our business  operations and acting ethically and with integrity in all our business activities and relationships.

 

Our management, employees, suppliers and sub-suppliers are expected to accept and observe this Code.

 

Due to the nature of our business, we assess ourselves to have a low risk of modern slavery in our business and supply chains.

 

STI-Group conducts human rights due diligence across our global operations and in our supply chains to identify, address and mitigate adverse human rights impacts. We utilize our own internal due diligence process to assess third parties’ practices with respect to human rights. We require suppliers to provide specific human rights certifications and we provide suppliers with a copy of STI- Group’s Responsible Sourcing Policy, which outlines the fundamental social, environmental, and economic principles that are expected of all suppliers. The results of our due diligence efforts inform updates to our policies and procedures to strengthen our human rights approach.

 

1. STI-Group has given training about slavery and human trafficking available to > 60% of all staff.

2. STI-Group performed audits and interviews with partners in the supply chain.

3. STI-Group has visited factories, on site, in various places in the world. These factories are part of the supply chain.

4. A SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) audit was conducted, which included some or all of labour Standard, health & Safety, Environment and Business Ethics, at some supplier(s) in Asia.

 

We aim to take the following further steps over the course of the next financial year January 2025 to December 2025:

– Ensure that staff involved in buying or procurement and the recruitment and deployment of workers receive (ongoing) training on modern slavery.

– STI Group will constantly increase the attention of our suppliers to zero tolerance policy to modern slavery.

– Effectiveness plan will be introduced.

– This statement will be reviewed and updated every year.

 

As we track towards our 2030 Goals, we will focus on:

– Continuing to develop our training programs;

– Strengthening risk identification and due diligence processes around supply chain due diligence;

– Developing measures for assessing the effectiveness of training programs;

– Continuing to collaborate with peers in the healthcare industry and across industries to address systemic and shared modern slavery issues;

– Continuing to support civil society in its efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking, prevent human trafficking, and support victims of human trafficking.

 

STI-Group is steadfast in its commitment to protecting human rights in every market in which we operate. We recognize that this is an ongoing commitment and we will continue to update the content of this statement to reflect our continuous efforts.

 

This statement has been approved by

 

Jos van der Kwartel

CEO

January 2025