Industrial and Safety - Ethical sourcing and modern slavery

The Industrial and Safety division is committed to establishing strong and respectful relationships with suppliers and ensuring confidence of ethical sourcing practices for direct suppliers, own-brand, and customer-branded product manufacturers. This includes sourcing products in a responsible manner while working with suppliers to improve their social and environmental practices.

Each business manages its own risk-based ethical sourcing policy and strategy and rolled out training throughout the year to support its team members, suppliers and customers with better managing and identifying ethical sourcing risks. As a division, Industrial and Safety has expanded its Ethical Sourcing Program beyond goods for resale. Using a risk-based approach, services such as cleaning providers, labour hire and branded merchandising goods are being reviewed and assessed.

Each business uses the SMETA 6.1 audit methodology among other social compliance audit types conducted by third-party providers who are Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors certified. These providers support each business in assessing suppliers against local laws and each business unit’s respective Ethical Sourcing Policy.

Industrial and Safety uses online platforms, face-to-face sessions and reporting to improve supply chain transparency for customers and clients. The division has also joined other Wesfarmers divisions to trial 'Your Voice', a brand-agnostic direct worker helpline set up by Quality Inspection Management (QIMA) across manufacturers in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. The anonymous helpline allows workers to confidentially raise concerns direct to QIMA and Industrial and Safety businesses. If the concerns are classified as serious or reportable, Industrial and Safety investigates and assists with any required remediation.