At Grup Barcelonesa we carry out our activities focusing all our efforts on sustainability.
That is why we are committed to implementing good practices in the field of sustainability in the different sectors in which we work.
In order to advance in the goal of continuous improvement, we have several certifications and evaluations, such as SQAS. Do you know it? We tell you more.
WHAT IS SQAS AND WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE?
SQAS stands for Safety & Quality Assessment for Sustainability. In other words: “Safety & Quality Assessment for Sustainability”.
It is an external assessment system that analyzes compliance with certain safety, quality and sustainability requirements for all logistics service providers and distributors in the chemical industry.
These assessments are managed by CEFIC (the European Chemical Industry Council) and therefore guarantee their integrity.
They should not, however, be confused with certification systems (which confirm that specific requirements are met).
SQAS is not a certification system, but an evaluation system.
This means that, through an on-site assessment, it provides a detailed final report that allows chemical companies to choose their logistics service providers based on their own standards.
SQAS modules
SQAS covers the following modules within the chemical logistics and distribution sector:
- Transportation services.
- Rail operators.
- Tank cleaning stations.
- Warehouses.
- Chemical distributors.
But let’s dig a little deeper. What exactly does this evaluation system cover?
- Quality
- Environmental
- Safety
- Health
- CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).
So, through this report, the level of compliance of the company in each of these sections can be recognized.
The benefits of using SQAS
What are the advantages of using this evaluation system?
- It allows us to adhere to Responsible Care: through the AECQ (Spanish Association of Chemical Trade) we can adhere to this program, aimed at the chemical industry for the continuous improvement of its activities in favor of health, safety and sustainability. Within this program, the SQAS is a key tool in risk management in logistics operations.
- Uniformity: provides common assessment questionnaires for the entire industry.
- Trained SQAS assessors: the assessors are accredited professionals.
- Easy access to all assessment reports: SQAS has a central database from which assessments can be quickly accessed.
- Credibility: SQAS is a system supported and used by a large number of chemical companies and logistics service providers.
- Covers different types of suppliers: different logistics service providers active in land logistics are included in the 5 SQAS modules.
- No duplication: there is no duplication of assessments by individual chemical companies.
That is why we at Grup Barcelonesa also wanted to have the SQAS assessment.
SQAS ASSESSMENT OF BARCELONESA
Barcelonesa has been assessed by SQAS within the “chemical distributors” module. Our first year of assessment was in 2012 and, since then, we have gone through 4 SQAS assessments. But how have these assessments been?
The assessments consist of 3 days. In the last one, a very thorough field assessment was conducted in which 561 questions were answered.
In the last SQAS assessment (2021), Barcelonesa obtained an overall score of 84% in the results.
- SQAS Core + ESAD supplement assessment: Barcelonesa achieved a score of 75%, just one point below the European average.
- Site Assessment: in this assessment, Barcelonesa achieved a score of 90%, above the European average of 86%.
- Food, Cosmetic and Pharma assessment: Barcelonesa obtained a score of 89%. Again, above the 87% European average.
When comparing the score obtained in the different SQAS questionnaires by Barcelonesa, we can see that it is in similar figures to those of European Union countries with important chemical industries.
In comparison with the score of other chemical industries in Spain, Barcelonesa is well above the state average.
IS SQAS MANDATORY?
No, SQAS is a voluntary assessment, unlike other types of assessments that are mandatory by law.
However, this type of assessment is very useful for chemical companies to evaluate their suppliers according to their own standards and internal requirements.
In addition, the results of the reports we have shown you above are useful to establish an action plan and continue to improve.
SQAS AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT
For all that we have told you, Barcelonesa can say that it meets the standards imposed by many companies.
Therefore, if you want to count on a company that cares daily about sustainability and to go further, you can be sure that in Barcelonesa we put all our effort to achieve it.
If you want to contact us to ask for information about any of our services, do not hesitate to do so.
We will be happy to assist you.
