Blue Ocean Technology AS requires that all suppliers meet our standards on ethical business conduct, employees and labour rights, the environment and care for local communities.
To ensure that our suppliers respect minimum standards related to social and
environmental impact, Blue Ocean Technology has established a Supplier Code of Conduct to be followed. The requirements to follow is based on conventions adopted by the UN and the International Labour Organization, ILO. As such, we require that our suppliers set equal requirements for their own suppliers and subcontractors.
We believe that a publicly announced commitment on sustainability contributes to a better, more transparent, and inclusive dialogue and discussion.
Based on this commitment we have set up a Code of Conduct for Blue Ocean
Technology to make our stance on corporate and social responsibility clear for our suppliers, clients, our own staff and to other partners. Blue Ocean Technology’s own Code of Conduct can be found here
1 Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
1.1 Suppliers of Blue Ocean Technology shall comply with all applicable laws and
regulations governing their business activities, worldwide. This applies to any
locations or activities that are part of the supply chain. If the requirements listed
in this document set a higher standard than applicable laws, the Blue Ocean
Technology standard shall be applied.
1.2 Suppliers of Blue Ocean Technology are committed to high ethical standards in the conduct of their business worldwide.
1.3 Bribery, corruption, and any other form of corrupt conduct among our suppliers or business partners, including suppliers, distributers, agents, and joint venture partners will never be accepted.
1.3.1 Suppliers shall exert reasonable due diligence to prevent and detect corruption in all business arrangements. The Supplier shall comply with the anticorruption laws, directives and regulations that govern operations in the
countries in which it conducts business.
1.4 Suppliers of Blue Ocean Technology shall support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights and make sure that they are not
complicit in human rights abuses.
1.5 All parties associated with Blue Ocean Technology must have a zero tolerance for all forms of forced and compulsory labour, and of child labour. All children shall be protected from economic exploitation and from conducting any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development.
1.6 Blue Ocean Technology expects their suppliers to report on any breaches and
violations on applicable laws and standards set forth in this document.
1.6.1 Anonymous whistleblowing can be done here
2 Employees and work environment
2.1 All suppliers shall ensure that its workers work in compliance with all applicable laws and mandatory industry standards pertaining to regular working
hours/days, and overtime hours, including breaks, rest periods, holidays and
maternity and paternity leaves.
2.2 The work environment shall be safe and conducive to good health, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards.
Necessary measures shall be implemented to prevent and minimise accidents,
injuries, and damage to health as a result of or related to conditions at the
workplace.
2.3 Employees must receive regular, documented health and safety training. Health and safety training must be repeated for all new employees.
2.4 Suppliers of Blue Ocean Technology must be committed to respecting the
privacy of individuals and handle personal data responsibly and in compliance
with applicable laws.
2.5 Overtime shall be voluntary and approved, and should be limited to 12 hours
per week. Employees entitled to it, must always receive overtime pay, as a
minimum in accordance with current legislation.
2.6 Employee’s wages shall at least be in accordance with national provisions
concerning minimum wages or industrial standards and shall always be sufficient to cover fundamental needs.
2.6.1 Wages, as well as the modalities of how and when wages are to be paid, must be agreed in writing before work begins. The contract must be comprehensible to the employee.
3 Discrimination, diversity, and equality
3.1 Blue Ocean Technology’s suppliers shall take active measures to ensure equal rights and equal opportunities at work, regardless of ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, and age.
3.2 Blue Ocean Technology is opposed to all forms of discrimination, harassment and degrading treatment and shall always take action to combat discrimination. All suppliers to Blue Ocean Technology shall address and promptly solve any form of discrimination and harassments in the workplace.
3.3 All employees of Blue Ocean Technology’s suppliers shall be free to establish or join trade unions and partake in collective bargaining.7
3.4 No employees of Blue Ocean Technology’s suppliers shall be discriminated,
harassed or in other ways disrespected for any involvement in trade unions.
4 Environment and animal welfare
4.1 All suppliers of Blue Ocean Technology shall minimize impacts from their
operations on the environment and natural resources, both to the sea and air.
Impacts may include, but are not limited to, pollution, emissions of chemicals,
nutrient salts, plastics, fish escapes, use of limited resources, deforestation, and
freshwater use.
4.2 Blue Ocean Technology’s suppliers must ensure good animal welfare practices, by undertaking and documenting appropriate risk assessments and measures, to minimize potential animal welfare impacts of goods and services.