Nanoco recognises that providing a safe, secure and healthy working environment is essential and contributes to productivity and improved performance. The health, safety and welfare of all of our employees, contractors and visitors is taken seriously across the entire organisation, with ultimate responsibility lying with the CEO. Health and safety performance is a standing item on each Board and Executive team agenda, and is also discussed within departmental meetings. The Group’s health and safety policy is reviewed annually. In addition, the Board has established an Environmental, Health and Safety (“EHS”) Committee to oversee the implementation of policy and involve staff in generating improvement plans.

All risk assessments are documented and actions assigned and reviewed according to the defined frequency. All research and development functions are actively encouraged to, wherever possible, eliminate or reduce the levels of hazardous substances used in our products and processes. All relevant chemical legislation and regulatory frameworks are used to assess the suitability of a substance prior to use as part of the risk assessment process. Standard operating procedures are documented and regularly reviewed.

All controlled documents are reviewed and approved via the electronic document management system. A health and safety induction programme is in place for all new staff and visitors/ contractors performing work on our premises. Staff are trained in standard operating procedures, hazard awareness, generic workplace health and safety risks and behavioural safety expectations applicable to their role within the Group.

Nanoco is committed to protecting the environment in which our activities are conducted. This commitment is directly expressed in our decision to develop our CFQD® quantum dot products to be free of toxic cadmium, which is still widely used by our competitors in their quantum dot products.

Nanoco has participated actively with regulators on the use of cadmium-based quantum dots in displays and LED light products. The European Commission (“EC”) is carrying out a review of requests to extend the duration and scope of the current RoHS exemption, which excludes lighting products and limits display products to 31 October 2019 for display products, after which the normal RoHS limit of 100ppm will apply. Nanoco has responded to the consultation to oppose any extensions. Nanoco continues to expect that regulations in other key markets, including China, will fall in line with RoHS in future. Our contacts with display companies indicate that most already accept the need for new display products to be cadmium free – especially the world-leading brands in both television, computer monitor and laptop displays.

Nanoco is committed to a policy of engaging employees in the activities and growth of the Group. Human resources and senior management review communication channels via the use of employee surveys and plan communication activities to ensure employees are fully informed of current business strategy and financial results or corporate news.

Nanoco recognises that it has a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees as far as reasonably practicable. This includes physical, mental and social wellbeing. It is also required to have in place measures to mitigate as far as practicable factors that could harm employees’ physical and mental wellbeing, which includes work related stress. This year we introduced compliments postcards for on the spot recognition.

Racial and geographical diversity

The Group’s employees are from many different backgrounds, including eleven different nationalities: American, Bangladeshi, British, German, Irish, Indian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Syrian and Ukrainian.
The Board itself comprises three different nationalities, being British, American and Irish.

In addition, Group employees come from a range of business backgrounds, not purely research and development. Indeed, of the Board members, previous roles and responsibilities include those in the supply of chemicals and the engineering, electronics, life sciences, fast-moving consumer goods, publishing and financial industries.

Nanoco’s equal opportunities policy states that employees will not receive less favourable treatment or consideration on the grounds of age; disability; gender or gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership status; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation; or part-time status, nor will they be disadvantaged by any conditions of employment that cannot be justified as necessary on operational grounds relevant to the performance of the job.