Industrial and Safety - Product safety

The business units continually work closely with suppliers to ensure product testing, quality and compliance due diligence is well embedded. A proactive approach is taken towards training and education of suppliers and risk management. Investigations on product safety and quality matters are completed in collaboration with suppliers to ensure product quality is reliable and the businesses partner with suppliers to ensure improvement initiatives are continually being implemented.  

Blackwoods continued the development and implementation of its quality and compliance cloud-based digital solution. A new national and international brand supplier self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) was launched in March 2021, allowing the business to desktop-assess suppliers’ compliance capability across a range of operational and reputational risk areas. The SAQ will provide data on supplier performance and any non-compliance management to demonstrate diligence against Blackwoods’ policies, contractual obligations and customer expectations. 

Coregas, NZ Safety Blackwoods and Workwear Group once again maintained zero own-brand recalls, supported by critical paths within the sourcing and new product development workflow for factory and product compliance. Blackwoods has identified improvement initiatives, which have been incorporated into factory quality inspection and testing regimes to further strengthen assurance and quality of goods. 

Blackwoods, Coregas, Greencap and Workwear Group continued their independent ISO 9001 Quality Management System accreditation. 

Coregas maintained A1 ratings with the Therapeutic Goods Administration for medical gas filling sites. Coregas also continues its involvement in the Australia New Zealand Industrial Gas Association product stewardship and medical gas working groups.