Hewden lays down the green gauntlet to its competitors

Hewden, the UK’s number one equipment rental provider, has taken another stride in its quest to become more environmentally responsible. The company has announced that a further 16 of its locations have been certified to the ISO 14001 (International Environmental Management System Standard), meaning a total of 44 Hewden sites have now achieved the accreditation.
To gain this internationally recognised standard, Hewden was required to define its environmental policy and meet a range of environmental objectives. These included: continual improvement and prevention of pollution; compliance with applicable legal requirements; establishment of a clear set of environmental objectives and continuous communication of these policies to anyone working for or on behalf of the organisation.
“The latest certifications are great news for our business, as they demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the environment. Many of these locations offer all types of equipment such as plant, access, tools, cranes and accommodation, which made it even more challenging to achieve a common accreditation throughout any one site,” says Mark Moody Quality Manager at Hewden.
A requirement of the certification is that regular in-depth audits are conducted at the various premises, ensuring continued compliance to the standard and adherence to internal procedures. These are carried out by Moody International Certification*, throughout the year on a regular basis.
“We’re already planning to get another 16 Hewden locations certified under this environmental standard during 2007, as we have a culture of continuous improvement at Hewden. We still have a distance to go, but we are certainly moving in the right direction,” adds Mark Moody.
Last year, the equipment rental giant championed a health and safety scheme to help customers comply with the latest noise regulations. This year, the company has plans to become the “Green Giant” of the equipment rental industry with a new environmental campaign.
Jeff Schofield, Head of Marketing at Hewden says: “You only have to watch the news to realise just how much the environment is growing in importance. We firmly believe that we’re in a unique position as a hirer, not only to reduce our own environmental footprint, but also inform and encourage our customers to do the same. What they’ll find is that green business is good business and has a significant impact on the bottom line.”

Email: hewden@kinrossrender.com