Mainstream Vietnam earns ISO safety and environmental accreditation

Mainstream’s operations in Vietnam have achieved a double accreditation from the International Organization for Standardization; its latest recognition of the group’s Values-led approach to project development around the world.

The ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 certificates, the highest benchmarks respectively for occupational health & safety and environmental management systems, were issued to company offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi following audits by leading compliance inspector SGS.

ISO certification followed audits at Mainstream’s Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices

The ISO 45001 standard requires a proactive, preventative approach to safety in the workplace, with senior management and employees all involved in shaping risk mitigation policies.

While the environmental policies demanded by ISO 14001 include commitments to sustainable resource use, climate change mitigation, and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems at project locations.

Mainstream’s SHEQ Manager for the APAC region, Hung Truong, revealed how the certifications were secured in exceptional circumstances.

He explained: “Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Global SHEQ team could not fly to Vietnam to support directly, however, they were very helpful in providing remote training for the local team.

“For achievement of ISO45001, we believe that all accidents are avoidable and that everyone should get home in the same health that they left for work in. Everyone is responsible for their own safety, and for safety of others, and senior management will continue to give all their support to provide a safe workplace for everyone.”

He added: “Mainstream Vietnam is committed to implementing ISO standards for all projects developed in the market.”

Welcoming the accreditations, Bernard Casey, Mainstream’s Development Director for Vietnam, described how safety and sustainability are key values that inform the group’s unique Global Development Standards – part a risk management framework aligned to benchmarks such as the IFC Sustainability Framework, the Equator Principles and the World Bank Standards on Health and Safety.

Director of Development Bernard Casey, left, and SHEQ Manager for APAC, Hung Truong

He said: “We treat very seriously our corporate responsibility to sustainable development, and the achievement of ISO14001 helps confirm that our processes meet best international standards for environmental management and protection for our projects in Vietnam.”

Mainstream has sought independent recognition of its management systems to provide assurance to partners and suppliers that it strives to perform to the highest standards in every area of the business.

Certification to ISO 45001 and 14001 standards is already held by its operations in Chile and South Africa, while Mainstream Ireland has also attained accreditation for its Quality Management System (ISO 9001), Information Security (ISO 27001) and Information Technology Management (ISO 20000).

Figures published in the company’s Sustainability Report 2019 revealed how SHEQ management systems and awareness campaigns had contributed to improved workplace safety, with no fatalities recorded among employees and contractors during the year, and the impact of eight Lost Time Incidents totalling just 76 work days, down 78% from the loss of 357 days in 2018.