Integrated Process Management Policy
Integrated Management System (IMS) Policy of SQM Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division
At SQM Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division, we are deeply committed to implementing an Integrated Management System (IMS) that rigorously complies with international standards ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 50001, 55001, and Responsible Care. This system reflects our firm commitment to quality, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, energy efficiency, and the integrity of electrical installations.
Our IMS policy is based on principles of continuous improvement, innovation, and social responsibility, ensuring that every process and activity within our organization not only meets customer expectations but also contributes to sustainable development and the well-being of the communities in which we operate. Through the adoption of sustainable practices and the promotion of a culture of safety and efficiency, we strive to minimize our environmental impact, optimize resource use, and ensure a safe and healthy work environment for all our employees.
Additionally, we are committed to maintaining open and transparent communication with all our stakeholders, fostering collaboration and mutual commitment toward operational excellence and sustainability. This comprehensive approach enables us not only to achieve the highest levels of performance and responsibility but also to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for present and future generations.
We encourage you to learn more about our Integrated Process Management Policy.
Integrated Process Management Policy
Ethics and Corporate Governance
- We encourage a culture of integrity and corporate ethics to carry out our daily work with high standards as described in our Code of Ethics.
- We encourage respect for and compliance with every commitment made to customers, employees, regulators, communities, suppliers, authorities and shareholders.
- We comply with the law, and therefore, we keep our basic commitments made by us, as well as anyone working on behalf of SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition.
- We have zero tolerance for any type of corrupt activity committed by anyone working on behalf of SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition.
- We keep instances, guidelines and corporate practices that leads the path toward decision-making and information delivery processes within a framework of transparency, adequate risk management and control, contributing to the sustainable creation of value.
- We ensure that our processes and supply chain are free of minerals from conflicted zones, and that we will not finance or benefit, directly or indirectly, any armed groups in countries located within conflicted zones, in accordance with applicable regulations dictated by OECD guidelines.
- We implement and enforce procedures in accordance with applicable legislations, which are necessary to prevent and fight money laundering, as well as financing terrorism.
Integrity / Code of Ethics
- Anti-Corruption
- Free Competition
- Intellectual property rights
- Conflict of Interest
- Money Laundering
- Anonymous, confidential and nonretaliatory whistleblower channels.
- Standardized and confidential investigation procedures
- Data protection
- Security and information storage
- Fraud prevention
Corporate Governance and Finance
- 1.B.iDirectors / Audit and Financial Risk Committee
- 1.B.iiSafety, Health and Environment Committee
- 1.B.iii Corporate Governance Committee
Employees
- We absolutely reject all forms of child labor, forced upon or other kind that signifies modern slavery. In addition, we enforce this principle throughout our chain of supplies.
- We respect the right to freedom and the right of association of our workers, focusing on building spaces designated to stablish a transparent and informed dialogue that allows us to reach mutually beneficial agreements.
- We encourage an affirmative corporate culture for diversity, inclusion, non-discrimination, respectful treatment and equal opportunity. We reject violence, sexual harassment and all forms of workplace harassment and bullying.
- In order to develop the true potential of our workers, we encourage merit and enhance their self-improvement.
- We make an effort to generate safe and healthy working conditions, focused on protecting the dignity of our workers, as well as encouraging a culture of occupational safety through permanent dissemination of guidelines, safety education courses and respect when it comes to comply with regulations that are design to ensure the care or/and protection of our workers.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- 2.A.i We ensure non-discrimination salary. We hire, encourage and make employment decisions based on objective criteria, related to the person’s aptitude in accordance to the position they are applying for.
- 2.A.iiWe carry out blind recruitment by evaluating applicants according to their competencies and met requirements for the position, without any kind of discrimination.
- 2.A.iiiWe develop activities and/or programs aimed at target audiences that require improvement or previous preparation.
Labor Rights
- 2.B.iDevelopment of Internal Regulations, which must be acknowledged by all our workers and employees, as well as regulate obligations and prohibitions to which SQM personnel must subject in regards to their work, stay arrangements and everyday life inside the company’s facilities.
Prevention of all forms of harassment
- 2.C.iExistence and operation of an anonymous, confidential and non-retaliatory whistleblower channel. This channel is available for all employees and managed by an independent company, which specializes in whistleblowing.
- 2.C.iiDevelopment of a standardized and confidential investigation procedure.
- 2.C.iiiDevelopment of awareness, and education plans and programs within the company, in order to prevent and eradicate any act of harassment or bullying culture.
Occupational Health and Safety
- 2.D.iOperational risk prevention and occupational health management system based on international standards.
- 2.D.iiContinuous training for all our personnel so that they can perform their tasks safely.
- 2.D.iii Implementation of risk prevention and occupational health standards for all our contractors, with the same characteristics as the standards for our own employees.
- 2.D.ivFurtherance and control in our operations and facilities to ensure an alcohol and drugs free environment.
- 2.D.vEncouraging a healthy lifestyle for our employees and our contractors’ employees.
Opportunities, development and satisfaction:
- 2.E.i)Creation of competitions and opportunities for internal mobility.
- 2.E.ii)Training our employees to improve their skills in regards to job positions.
- 2.E.iii)Continuous performance evaluation of our employees and workers, in regards of plans implementation allowing continuous improvements in their work performance.
- 2.E.iv)Implementation of a recognition system to encourage SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition values within work teams.
- 2.E.v)Monitoring through surveying work teams to determine strengths and opportunities for improvement, establishing an action plan for this purpose.
Value Chain
- Encourage responsible and sustainable sourcing.
- To Comply with and encourage respect for human rights, including labor rights for our supply chain workers, consultants, contractors, distributors, independent contractors, subcontractors and wholesalers.
- To deliver quality products to our customers, which strictly comply with our highest standards and applicable safety regulations, as previously committed.
Suppliers
- 3.A.iResponsible sourcing policy.
- 3.A.iiDisclosure of said policy to the supply chain.
- 3.A.iiiEvaluation of our suppliers incorporating sustainability criteria, along with tools to support the understanding of these criteria for those who might require it.
- 3.A.ivEncouraging participation and development of local suppliers.
Costumer
- 3.B.i To ensure quality in all our processes and products and/or services through adequate risk management and analysis.
- 3.B.iiTo have a channel available and with easy access to receive complaints, queries and requirements.
- 3.B.iii - Generate permanent updated information for customer use regarding sustainability of our products and their potential effects on health and safety.
- 3.B.ivGenerate customer satisfaction indexes that incorporate high representativeness.
- 3.B.v - Maintain continuous relationship mechanisms with our customers in order to understand and meet their needs, as well as those of other customers in the supply chain of our products.
- B.vi- Develop R&D programs that respond accordingly to the needs of our customers.
Environment and Sustainable Development
- To comply with current environmental regulations and observe the best practices related to applicable international standards.
- To evaluate the impact events of our operations in the environment and nearby human communities in advance.
- To develop and implement appropriate prevention, mitigation and repair measures to reduce the effects associated with our operational processes.
- To boost development and implementation of technical advances and best practices that allow for sustainable development.
- To encourage the involvement of local communities in the environmental management of our investment projects, starting at the design all the way through implementation stages and the corresponding follow-up of the associated commitment.
- To continuously improve our environmental management system based on international standards.
- To adequately prepare our personnel, protocols and technology to respond accordingly to eventual environmental emergencies.
Water Management
- 4.A.iQuantification and reporting of fresh water use according to operation and product.
- 4.A.iiCare and optimization of water use resources, implementing the industry’s best practices.
- 4.A.iiiIdentifying possible effects on the nearby ecosystems due to use of inland water from our operations.
- 4.A.iv Monitoring and implementing measures to ensure that water use in our operations does not generate adverse effects on the ecosystems and nearby communities.
Climate Change
- 4.B.iMitigation through the quantification of our GHG emissions according to international methodologies, as well as being periodically verified, in search of internal management in each of our production sites, in order to meet reduction goals established in our sustainability strategy. Our management guidelines include the identification, evaluation and implementation of opportunities in favor of reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions, in addition to carrying out periodic follow-ups.
- 4.B.iiAdapting our operations, production and logistic processes accordingly to specific needs and risks existing in each project, incorporating climate change within the parameters present in their periodic evaluations, with the purpose of identifying, evaluate and successfully manage possible impact events that the ever-growing effects of climate change might bring.
Emissions and Waste
- 4.C.iProduction of waste management under the criteria of quantification, characterization, treatment and reduction of emissions, according to current environmental regulations.
- 4.C.iiQuantification, segregation, reuse and recycling of solid waste, with a focus on minimizing its impact and favoring a circular economy.
- 4.C.iiiContinuous search for alternatives to minimize emissions and waste production.
Identification of Aspects and Impact Assessment
- 4.D.i Early identification of all environmental aspects at each of our sites, and periodic reevaluation of said aspects.
- 4.D.iiRigorous evaluation of potential impacts and their significance, and establishment of adequate control protocols for impact reduction.
Communities
- To encourage citizen participation, in accordance to current regulations, and to provide transparent and timely information regarding our projects, as well as periodically report on environmental issues.
- To encourage citizen participation of indigenous relevance and with prior consultation, which will be free, informed and in good faith in regards to communities that might potentially be affected by our projects, in accordance to current legislation.
- To respect the authority and traditional values of the communities where we operate.
- To encourage and support sustainable economic development of communities and the generation of shared value projects between our operations and the nearby communities around us.
- To implement communication channels that will allow a permanent dialogue with the community, as well as develop effective due diligence in human rights mechanisms.
Indigenous Communities
- 5.A.iInformed participation, with transparency and cultural relevance.
- 5.A.iiIEncourage development of indigenous communities.
Citizenship and Local Development
- 5.B.i Education: Supporting improvements in the quality of pre-school and school education, as a means of providing long-term sustainability to the community’s quality of life.
- 5.B.iiSocial and Productive Development: Encouraging initiatives that give a boost in autonomous income, inclusion and associativity.
- 5.B.iiiHeritage and Culture: Support and implementation of cultural initiatives for the benefit of the community, as well as initiatives to value and rescue tangibles and intangibles of the community’s cultural heritage.
- 5.B.ivSports and Healthy Lifestyle: To develop initiatives in order to encourage sports and wellness, in addition to include people with disabilities and support health programs for the community.