Health and safety report

Health and safety policy and procedures

Datatec requires that all subsidiaries, at a minimum, comply with local health and safety ("H&S") regulations. Management at each subsidiary is responsible for ensuring compliance with local laws and reporting major work-related injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences. The subsidiaries confirm compliance with these requirements by issuing bi-annual management assurance letters to Datatec. In addition, at each subsidiary ARCC, H&S matters are reported by exception.

The Board delegates the responsibility for monitoring workplace H&S to the Social & Ethics Committee, which in turn receives reports from the subsidiary ARCCs and/or H&S representatives.

There were no major H&S incidents or injuries to report during FY24 and to the date of this report.

Health and wellness

The approach to health and wellness is on a per region/ operation basis, in keeping with the decentralised management model of the Group. At most operations, employees are afforded health schemes with the operations contributing the entire or part of the employee membership fee.

In addition, H&S training and communication to employees is done at a regional/country level to ensure compliance with local H&S regulations.

Health and safety maturity assessment

During FY24, internal audit at the request of the Datatec Social and Ethics Committee, conducted a H&S maturity assessment for the Group. There were recommendations following the assessment which will ensure that Datatec operations continue to enhance H&S compliance. The Social and Ethics Committee will continue to monitor progress on the management actions from the H&S maturity assessment to ensure implementation.

Employee responsibility

Through training and communication of employees, they are made aware that they are responsible for taking reasonable care of their own health, carrying out lawful orders in terms of health and safety, and complying with notices, instructions, hazard and warning signs. In addition, it is their responsibility to report any safety risk and any accident, injury or health and safety incident to the designated health and safety representative or human resources manager. Furthermore, Datatec operations are mainly office-based, being low-risk environment.

Westcon International

Commitment to health and safety

Westcon International is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all staff, contractors and visitors to its facilities. Its key policy objectives are:

Create a positive health and safety culture across all Westcon International activities, assess hazards and risks across all functions of the business and apply appropriate controls to reduce or eliminate hazards.
Ensure safe and proper management of hazardous materials and waste, including their handling, disposal, storage, and shipment, as well as ensuring compliance with divisional and legal requirements pertaining to the management of hazardous waste.
Ensure all employees, visitors and contractors are made aware of hazards and risks relevant to their activities within the Westcon International facilities and operations across its global business.
Develop and implement processes for oversight, management, and continual improvement, engaging employees in these processes, identifying awareness training requirements and any concerns or breaches of legislation.
Identify and meet, as a minimum, applicable legislation across its global operations and adopt compliant occupational health and safety processes ensuring integration into its core business by the involvement of all employees and directors.

In FY24, the digital incident and accident reporting system used in its European logistics facilities, to make it easier for employees to report accidents and near misses, was rolled out to the rest of Westcon International's business to ensure it has a comprehensive, global view. This system provides much improved visibility to conduct the necessary root cause analysis and corrective action procedures.

Key health and safety metrics continue to be monitored and discussed internally. In FY25, Westcon International expects to approve and begin to deploy a refreshed Westcon International H&S policy. An implementation plan is in development to help the business align across its various geographic regions.

The European logistics centres are preparing for ISO45001 certification to be completed during the first half of FY25.

Training

Westcon International continues to deliver training on health and safety topics to employees regularly. Employees in key health and safety roles at a site level such as first‑aiders and fire marshals receive tailored training.

Logicalis International and Logicalis Latin America

Commitment to health and safety

Logicalis recognises its obligation to reduce the risk of injury in the work environment and to provide a clean and safe place to work. It undertakes to comply with health and safety regulations as set out in the jurisdictions in which Logicalis operates around the world.

Policies

During FY25 Logicalis International and LATAM will be implementing and ensuring that operations have a specific regional health and safety policy or utilise the general group policy, depending on the local health and safety requirements. Logicalis operations regularly undertake programmes and procedures to mitigate health and safety risks, such as risk assessments and safety audits.

Training

Health and safety training enhancements for employees are planned during FY25 to ensure that all regions adequately communicate and train employees on associated health and safety risks in the workplace.

It is mandatory that employees within Logicalis annually complete an online Code of Conduct training course which covers the responsibilities of Logicalis as an employer and all its employees with regard to health and safety in the workplace.