annual report 2009 - Aer Lingus

18 Corporate Social Responsibility Statement Aer Lingus Group Plc – Annual Report 2009practice. Non-hazardous waste from aircraftis also subject to controls and licensing.Aer Lingus continues to achieve reductionsin catering waste due to the “buy on board”products whereby food is purchased basedon individual passenger needs.The volume of waste being currentlysent to landfill is unsustainable for ourenvironment and one major contributoris office waste. Aer Lingus is committed tothe practice of successful waste reduction/management strategies, which will achieveboth financial and environmental benefits.Initiatives currently undertaken to reducewaste include the reuse and recycling ofmaterials, which should lead to improvingenvironmental sustainability and increasingcost savings, particularly with office paperrecycling. We continued to support ouroffice waste reduction programme in 2009.The aim of this programme is to reduceour environmental impact through carefulselection and use of office equipment andproducts. We aim to increase the sustainabilityof the modern day office, through thereduction of resource use while still meetingperformance requirements. We encourageall staff members to actively participate in anumber of initiatives including the reductionof paper waste, toner cartridges, cardboard,plastic and other resources. At Aer Lingus weacknowledge that choosing and operatingthe right piece of office equipment will notonly help protect the environment, but willoften save us money through reducedoperating costs.Emissions to Waters/SewersAer Lingus is subject to regulation andlicensing in relation to surface water andsewer emissions from operations such asde-icing, fuel/oil spillages and cateringsewer emissions. Aer Lingus has pollutionprevention policies and procedures in placeacross its network and works closely withairport authorities to ensure full complianceand to avoid penalties and fines.Infrastructure EfficiencyAer Lingus is committed to reducing costsin the airport environment. The Airlinehas introduced technology, which reducesdemand for terminal space, such as selfservicecheck-in and the “web check-in”facility. All of these technologies allowmore efficient use of terminal space.Energy MonitoringAer Lingus is committed to to improvingits energy management performance.A continuous process of monitoring,controlling, and conserving energy inall Aer Lingus buildings is ongoing. Energyconsumption in our Aer Lingus premisesis regularly monitored and benchmarkedagainst industry standards and best practice.“Green” electricity is used at stations whereavailable.Health, Safety and Security OrganisationAer Lingus maintains the highest standardsin air safety through the commitment ofmanagement and staff to place air safetyas their foremost priority. Air safety is acore value of Aer Lingus and is managedpro-actively in accordance with the SafetyManagement System (SMS) described inthe Group’s Air Safety Manual.Aer Lingus’ SMS is directed by the SafetyManager. This role reports directly tothe Chief Executive, ensuring continuedaccountability and awareness of these issuesand their importance within the Group. TheSafety Manager has overall responsibility forthe internal offices of Air Safety, Health andSafety and Quality Assurance.The Aer Lingus SMS comprises a systematic,corporate approach to the managementof safety that puts in place the necessaryorganisational structure, accountability,policies and procedures. In 2009, Aer Lingusreinforced its commitment to air safetythrough the investment of significant furtherresources in its Air Safety Office. Aer Lingusis required to operate an SMS that complieswith international standards, and to thisend, under the leadership of the SafetyManager, a team of subject matter expertsand specialists have been recruited intothe Group’s Air Safety Office to manageand promote air safety within Aer Lingus.An operational aircraft engineer has beenappointed as Technical Safety Officer.