THE International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Occupational Health & Safety Advisory Services (OHSAS) have granted Nestlé's Palestine warehouse and offices operations the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification, and the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Assessment System certification. This ISO certification is a demonstration of Nestlé commitment to environmental protection through conserving water and energy and calculating environmental risks at its Palestine operations, while the OHSAS award confirmed the company's prioritizing of health and safety by ensuring a secure work setting for its employees. “Nestlé in Palestine follows a rigorous internal Safety, Health and Environmental guide, in line with Nestlé's recently published Creating Shared Value commitments to society in the Middle East which include ensuring that all Nestlé units have the necessary systems in place to deliver the same level of basic safety and health protection for all employees,” said Anton Hazboun, Nestlé's General Business Manager in Palestine. “It entails training employees on issues such as civil defense, safe driving, safety at work and more.” At the end of 2014, all Nestlé factories in the region were certified for OHSAS 18001, in addition to its distribution centers in Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon. The company continues to focus on safety in all its operations, including within its offices and everyday activities. Nestlé's regional commitment to improve resource efficiency in its operations is also applied in Palestine through various means, including a program to tackle vehicle gas emissions and emergency electricity generator noise levels, as well as partnering with local municipalities on waste sorting and recycling. Nestlé in Palestine In November 1997, Nestlé became the first multinational Food and Beverages company to invest in the establishment of full operations in Palestine with the creation of Nestlé Trading P.L.C. Headquartered in Bethlehem with additional facilities in Nablus, Nestlé employs a staff of 40 and collaborates with two distributors in Gaza to serve the people of Palestine a wide portfolio of products. — SG
