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One action stands out among many: the implementation of environmental management, occupational safety and suppliers' qualifications assessment at the CST subsidiary in the state of Espírito Santo, in 2002. These actions include raising environmental issues, taking measures of control, writing procedures, and taking preventive and corrective action towards relevant aspects. Additional actions include setting goals and objectives, and defining an environmental management program and training in environmental education.
At the Vega do Sul subsidiary, the partner valuing policy includes a constant effort of passing ethical and ongoing quality improvement principles onto supplying companies.
The choice of partners is based on professional and technical criteria so that cost-effectiveness is achieved, priority being given to those who comply with TS 16949, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and international specification OHSAS 18001.
Aimed at giving all partners opportunities for development, the unit in the state of Santa Catarina trains its suppliers in their management standards, setting safety, quality, service and legal compliance goals in a variety of fields. With strategic suppliers, the company carries out regular assessments and audits in order to ensure the functionality of operations and appropriate environmental performance. Suppliers also have the opportunity to take part in training and awareness-raising events in areas such as health, safety, and the environment.
Another guideline to Arcelor Brasil's relationship with suppliers is encouraging local partners, so as to increase the purchase of goods and services in the regions where its units are located. In this way, the company strengthens its links to local communities, extending the economic and social benefits of its participation in the regions' development.
In search of its suppliers' constant development, Arcelor Brasil invests in a number of initiatives, including:
- The PGQE - Programa de Gestão da Qualidade Rumo à Excelência (Quality Management Leading to Excellence Program) follows the guidelines of PNQ - Prêmio Nacional da Qualidade (National Quality Award), is deep-rooted in the culture of the Arcelor Group and of the Belgo subsidiary units. It involves diagnosis, consultancy, action plans, training, awards, and certifications.
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Prodfor - Programa Integrado de Desenvolvimento e Qualificação de Fornecedores (Suppliers Development Qualification Integrated Program), a joint action with the most important companies and business entities in the state of Espírito Santo with strong leadership from the CST subsidiary.
It is aimed at devising and establishing integrated systems for their suppliers' development, improving processes, minimizing costs, increasing reliability, refining quality and reducing the risks of inappropriate supply.
The SRE - Sustentabilidade e Responsabilidade Empresarial (Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility) program, developed with commercial partners, aims at spreading the concepts of sustainability among organizations in the production chain and involves sharing business responsibility practices. In 2005, the SRE program reached 105 suppliers of the Belgo subsidiary in the João Monlevade, Piracicaba, Juiz de Fora, and Vitória units, as well as 60 clients in the states of Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo.
Encouraged by the gatherings and meetings sponsored by the program, these organizations have developed actions of selective collection and recycling, conscious consumption, groups of voluntary workers, a business network to fight the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, ethical standards, among others.
The SRE is a great forum where experiences in corporate responsibility are exchanged and encouraged, based on the practices and principles that guide Arcelor Brasil's conduct in the economic, social, and environmental fields.
The methodology of the program also inspired the Ethos Institute to create a program to implement measures of social corporate responsibility in small- and medium-size Brazilian companies in the value chains of strategic companies.
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