Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Company (Sadafco), a leading dairy and foodstuff producer, said it has received two certifications in recognition of its uncompromised quality standards maintained across the manufacturing facilities.

The company was granted ISO 14001:2004 for environmental management and OHSAS 18001:2007 for occupational health and safety management certifications in the first quarter of this year.   

The audit, conducted by leading global testing body, Bureau Veritas, was successfully completed this year and included documentation review and inspection visits of Sadafco’s two factories in Jeddah and one in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, said a statement from the company.

Juan Carrillo, manager of safety, health, environment and quality at Sadafco, said: “We are very proud to have once again successfully met the international standards of safety, health and environment.”

“The journey to obtain both certifications started in 2015 and it involved not only the factories’ staff, but also engineering, transport, security, training and development as well as medical personnel,” he said.

The ISO 14001 certification ensures that Sadafco regularly goes in a continual improvement process towards the environment, highlighting employee commitment and raising product awareness.

It involves employee training, rigorous monitoring of regulatory requirements, controlling of water and energy consumption through a dedicated action plan, waste management including the implementation of a sorting system, using more environmentally-friendly chemical and cleaning products and preserving biodiversity, said a statement.

The OHSAS 18001 certification is a commitment that Sadafco assumes in relation to its employees and all those who collaborate and interact with the company, said the Sadafco statement.

The company voluntarily conforms to a set of rules ranging from the control and protection of legal compliance in safety, staff training and awareness of accident prevention, monitoring of safety and health in the workplace, thorough risk assessment, incidents and accidents investigation and management ensuring a systematic and organized approach to emergency preparedness.

Around 400 Sadafco employees received training ranging from basic awareness of emergency situations to more specific conditions for particular departments like auditing, said Carrillo.

“The new certifications are in line with our company’s strategy to achieve compliance with international standards to ensure the highest levels of product quality to safeguard our sustainability and steady growth in the region,” he addded. – TradeArabia News Service