Quality Policy, Code of Conduct and Reduction of the Greenhouse Gasses
Introduction
This quality policy outlines our minimum requirements and expectations in terms of quality-conscious action, ethical behaviour and protection of the environment. Our company’s quality policy also serves as a code of conduct for employees and partners. It is made available to suppliers and other partners.
This quality policy sets out the fundamental principles and goals of our company. These are based on our strategic orientation and are the working basis of all employees of our company.
We expect our employees and partners to take all necessary measures to ensure compliance with our quality principles.
Quality as a basis
Quality is the basis of all activities of Sheffield Hi-Tech Refractories Germany GmbH; all employees make a significant contribution to this quality in our company.
Zero-defect quality in all trading services, processes and services is our prerequisite for safeguarding the future. To this end, we have procedures in place to regularly review the risks of our products, our processes and the company. We assess risks regularly.
Our primary goal is to attract and retain completely satisfied customers:
through defect-free products and services,through 100% adherence to deadlines,through competent and friendly cooperation with our customers,by actively contributing to social responsibility issues.
Maintaining the effectiveness of our quality management system requires all employees to be fully committed to quality in their individual work and to actively contribute to maintaining the quality of products, processes and services.
Quality through thought and action
In order to achieve our goals, the skills of all employees for customer- and quality-oriented thinking and acting must be constantly developed and trained.
Our actions are based on international, national and regional regulations and laws as well as relevant international standards. In doing so, the recognized state of the art and known reservations are taken into account.
Our employees regularly inform themselves about the status of their area of responsibility.
A trouble-free organization and the most advanced methods of quality management form the necessary framework for our company. Our understanding of quality and the correct attitude of all employees to quality are prerequisites for the satisfaction of our customers and thus for the long-term success of our company.
Quality through leadership
Managers are role models for their employees and all external contributors. They formulate clear, achievable goals and support the realization of these goals. Managers are responsible for meeting the goals.
Components of every management task are to ensure the quality of products, services and processes.
Within the scope of their area of responsibility and the tasks assigned to them, managers must ensure sustainable environmental protection, occupational safety and health protection.
Quality through outstanding products
Not only our employees, but also all external contributors as service providers for our customers, are in line with our quality policy.
We regularly question compliance with our quality specifications.
Our goal is to ensure that our products and work results stand up to any factual scrutiny.
Quality through process orientation and personal responsibility
We focus on value-adding processes. The goal is to optimize these processes and thus achieve “zero defects”.
Process owners are responsible for “their” processes.
In order to maintain – or if necessary to continuously improve – our process flows, we look at the interactions between the various processes and thus achieve an increase in efficiency and effectiveness.
Quality by paying attention to customer requirements and satisfaction
We strive to meet the market needs of our customers through innovative and economical solutions.
In a close partnership relationship between our customers and us, we contribute our knowledge and experience for the benefit of all.
It is our declared goal to fully meet customer expectations and minimize risks through intensive cooperation right from the development stage.
We regularly ask our customers for their opinion on our performance. We use the resulting criticism to make improvements.
Quality through innovation
Our success depends to a large extent on the development of markets worldwide. The constant observation and analysis of these markets ensures innovation and results in the strategic expansion of market shares.
Our goal is to secure our long-term success. To this end, we want to be better than comparable providers in all relevant areas.
In doing so, we protect intellectual property and prevent others from gaining access to it. At the same time, we expect our customers to protect our intellectual property and know-how.
Quality through competent employees
An important part of our corporate culture is to use the full potential of our employees to constantly improve our business activities. In doing so, all departments involved work together in a spirit of trust.
The competence and qualifications of employees are maintained and further developed. Management initiates targeted measures for qualification and further training and provides the appropriate resources.
Occupational safety and health protection are holistic tasks for our company. The aim is to prevent all accidents and work-related illnesses and to promote health.
Equal treatment in terms of salary and working hours must be implemented at all costs.
Quality through social responsibility
One of our company’s main tasks is to assume sustainable social responsibility. We strive to meet the constantly changing requirements of our society and thus of our customers.
We achieve this by complying with all relevant, relevant laws. We conduct our business in a socially responsible manner.
Quality through respect for human rights
All employees, and especially managers, are called upon to observe the protection of human rights (International Charter of Human Rights, UN Principles on Business and Human Rights, UN Global Compact, International Labour Organisation) at all levels.
Complicit responsibility for violations of human rights (in particular child labour, forced and compulsory labour, human trafficking and modern slavery) through our actions or by our employees is unacceptable and must be avoided.
In addition, we are committed to protecting freedom of association and protecting and supporting local communities and indigenous peoples.
Our employees may not discriminate, exclude or favour people on the basis of gender, age, religion, ethnicity, caste, social or national origin, disability, nationality, political affiliation, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics.
Quality through anti-corruption
Corruption in all forms, including extortion and bribery, must be avoided; even if economic disadvantages are to be expected in certain markets.
Employees must refrain from offering or accepting benefits that may influence transactions, agreements and contracts.
Quality through environmental protection
We support ecological and responsible action and always strive to examine and adapt the technologies we use for environmental compatibility and to minimise negative effects on the environment.
It is our concern to convey to all employees, service providers, suppliers and customers our responsible actions towards the environment (sustainable production processes, responsible use of resources, protection and promotion of biodiversity, use of the best possible technologies) and to inspire them to participate.
Our employees are regularly advised to pay attention to reducing emissions, energy efficiency and water quality in their actions.
We also observe the Paris Climate Agreement, are committed to low-carbon production as far as possible and strive for climate neutrality.
Quality through compliance with legal requirements
We comply with all legal and statutory regulations for the management and monitoring of companies as well as the internationally recognized standards of good and responsible corporate governance. This includes tax aspects as well as requirements for money laundering, data protection, minerals and rare materials.
Sanctions lists (CFSP list, terrorist lists of the Federal Gazette, OFAC SDN List, US BIS Entity List / Denied Persons List) must be observed at all times. In the case of deliveries to other countries, it must be checked whether further lists need to be checked.
The legal regulations we observe also include environmental laws and regulations, such as the international conventions of Minamata (mercury), Stockholm (persistent organic pollutants) and Basel (hazardous waste).
Quality through clear, open and fair behaviour
Clear, open and fair behaviour towards all market participants ensures our interests in the long term. Restrictions on free competition and violations of competition and antitrust regulations are unacceptable.
Agreements on prices and conditions, the division of markets, customers or projects, as well as quotas and quantities will not be tolerated.
Quality through silence
Confidentiality must be maintained about sensitive commercial information. (pricing, terms of sale, costs, production capacities, capacity utilization, salaries, technical developments and innovations).
Quality through IT protection
Our IT must be used properly and carefully and protected against loss, theft or misuse. Internet, intranet and e-mail and all work equipment serve the operational requirements. They must be equipped with access protection within the scope of technical possibilities. Passwords may not be passed on.
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We expect all our managing directors, managers and employees to behave in accordance with these principles.
Violations of these principles can have serious consequences not only for the individual personally, but also for all of us. Therefore, deliberate misconduct towards these principles will not be tolerated.
Emmerich, 01.06.2026
Reduction of the Greenhouse Gasses
Sheffield Hi-Tech Refractories Germany GmbH investigates and determines whether climate change is a relevant issue for it and reconsiders the potential impact of climate change on its own business.
Therefore, our company is guided by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol system when considering and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Due to our corporate structure, our direct operating emissions are comparatively low. Our reduction targets and measures are therefore determined according to materiality and actual influence.
Scope 1 – Direct emissions
Scope 1 includes all direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or directly controlled by the company. This includes emissions from our own heating systems (no incineration plant in our sphere of influence), company-owned vehicles (electric lifting vehicles only) or other combustion processes (no other combustion processes in our sphere of influence).
Our goal is to continue to keep these direct emissions as low as possible. However, due to our business activities, there are only low emission sources here (see above). In future investment and procurement decisions, energy-efficient or lower-emission solutions will be preferred.
Scope 2 – Indirect emissions from purchased energy
Scope 2 covers indirect greenhouse gas emissions that arise from the generation of the energy purchased and used by the company. This includes, in particular, the electricity purchased and, if applicable, purchased heating or cooling.
For offices and warehouses, we pursue the goal of continuously reducing energy consumption. This is achieved in particular through economical energy use, energy-efficient lighting and appliances, and consideration of the lowest possible emission energy supply, insofar as this can be influenced by us.
Scope 3 – Further indirect emissions along the value chain
Scope 3 includes all other indirect greenhouse gas emissions that arise in connection with the company’s business activities but do not fall under Scope 1 or Scope 2. These include, in particular, emissions from the manufacture of purchased products and materials, transport and logistics services, business travel, and other upstream and downstream activities within the value chain.
The majority of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our business activities are generated within this upstream and downstream supply chain, in particular through the manufacture of the refractory products we trade and their transport.
Our focus is therefore on gradually improving transparency and reducing these indirect emissions. To this end, we take environmental and energy aspects into account when selecting and evaluating suppliers – as far as possible – prefer efficient transport routes and bundled deliveries – as far as economically and technically feasible – and include available information from our suppliers on energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and our own reduction measures – where available – in our procurement decisions.
We are also investing in research and development in order to continuously reduce the use of raw materials and energy.
This includes by far our latest development – STOPFIX (still in the first test phase), which should reduce the use of raw materials in the production of stoppers by up to 30%.
Simply put, this should bring 30% weight savings in tamping and thus represent a significant saving in raw materials and means of transport.
Furthermore, we deal with the design of various refractory materials, which we construct in such a way that the best possible performance can be achieved with the least amount of material: For example, inner sleeve for our dip tube changer or upper nozzle for our CNC system.
Conclusion
Due to the size of our company and our limited direct influence on our suppliers’ production processes, we have not currently defined absolute percentage reduction targets for all Scope 3 emissions.
Our approach is to record the main sources of emissions and available data along the supply chain and to derive reliable reduction measures that can be influenced by our company.
The reduction targets are regularly reviewed and further developed in accordance with the availability of data and our actual possibilities of influence.
01.06.2026: Reviewed, no significant changes to the content