What is a BSCI Audit for Promotional Products?

Ever wondered about the people behind the branded merchandise sitting in your consumers’ houses? This is where a BSCI audit comes in. The consumer market has always been the end and goal of promotion or marketing strategies employed by businesses.

However, it starts in the meeting rooms of employees and managers, huddled together to come up with marketing ideas up to the factories that bring these ideas to life. Learn more about BSCI audit through amfori today.

Amfori is an organization that brings together thousands of retailers, importers and brands from 40 countries across all industries. It aims to support businesses to enhance human prosperity, use natural resources responsibly and drive open trade globally.

Its motto of “trading with purpose” backs up its valiant effort to ensure businesses will have a systematic way of overseeing their processes and improving working conditions as well as taking steps to the responsible use of the world’s finite resources.

What Is The Amfori BSCI Audit?

Launched by the Foreign Trade Association (FTA), the amfori BSCI audit checks and looks to improve social performance as well as enhance working conditions. They focus on ensuring the enterprises will operate in an ethical, transparent and sustainable way. Thus, they have a Code of Conduct which covers performance areas that can be graded as per audit visit that is effective for two years.

Here’s a quick overview of Amfori BSCI Code of Conduct based on international laws and regulations such as the International Labour Organization and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Rights of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Businesses must respect the rights of workers to form and join unions without discrimination for doing so. They must also respect the workers’ right to bargain collectively.

No Discrimination

Businesses shall not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, religion, race, birth, social background, disability, ethnic origin, nationality, political opinions, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, marital status, diseases or any other condition that could give rise to discrimination.

Fair Remuneration

The business shall comply with wages mandated by governments’ minimum wage legislation, or industry standards approved on the basis of collective bargaining, whichever is higher. These are to be paid in a timely manner, regularly, and fully in legal tender.

Decent Working Hours

Workers are not required to work more than 48 hours per week. The use of overtime is meant to be exceptional, voluntary, and paid at a premium rate and shall not represent a significantly higher likelihood of occupational hazards.

Occupational Health and Safety

They shall take effective measures to prevent workers from having accidents, injuries or illnesses, arising from, associated with, or occurring during work. See the stability and safety of the equipment and buildings they use, including residential facilities for workers when these are provided by the employer.

No Child Labour

Ensure they do not directly or indirectly hire children under the age of 15. However, age verification should not be in any way degrading or discriminating. When removing children from the workplace, they shall provide decent work to adult household members.

Special Protection for Young Workers

Ensure young persons do not work at night and that they are protected against conditions of work which are prejudicial to their health, safety, morals and development.

No Precarious Employment

Before entering into employment, business partners are to provide workers with understandable information about their rights, responsibilities and employment conditions, including working hours, remuneration and terms of payment.

No Bonded Labour

Businesses shall not engage in any form of servitude, forced, bonded, indentured, trafficked or non-voluntary labour. Workers have the right to leave work and freely terminate their employment provided they give reasonable notice.

Protection of the Environment

They should assess the significant environmental impact of operations, and establish effective policies and procedures that reflect their environmental responsibility.

Ethical Business Behaviour

They are not involved in any act of corruption, extortion or embezzlement, nor in any form of bribery – including but not limited to – the promising, offering, giving or accepting of any improper monetary or other incentives. They should collect, use and otherwise process personal information with reasonable care.

Amfori: What Else Does It Offer?

As a leading global association for open and sustainable trading, Amfori offers more services to its members. Any business from a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), to a large company or an association, can join Amfori.

They can have access to world-class services for all types of members across the globe across industries.

These are the Business Environmental Performance Initiative (BEPI) which focuses on the environmental areas of the business; the Amfori Advocacy which allows businesses to tools and resources for equity as well as tailor-made advice; and, Quality Management Initiative (QMI) which is an integrated strategic approach offering quick scan tools to help quality management.

More related reads you should know about:

Factory audits like BSCI require preparations. Check out this blog below for types of factory audits, its processes and the preparation needed for a successful one.

The Oeko-Tex Organization label certifies that every component of a promotional product, from the fabric to the thread and accessories, has been rigorously tested against a list of up to 350 toxic chemicals. Learn more here:

A good manufacturing practice (GMP) means your company adhered to FDA standards. FDA is an agency that oversees the mass production of any type of branded product meant for human consumption. Read more details below:

Ensure your intellectual property will not be used by others, especially in sourcing contract manufacturers in China through an NNN agreement. Check out all the details here:

One of the most thorough sustainability rating tools in the world, EcoVadis assesses both public and private businesses for their social, ethical, and environmental implications.

Much like the NNN agreement, Non-disclosure agreements (NDA) help product developers maintain their right to the information or data relating to the innovations they have developed or owned. Additionally, this safeguards their intellectual property by making them less susceptible to imitators and copycats.

In Conclusion,

The BSCSI audit ensures the businesses behind the promotional products and branded merchandise all adhere to ethical, transparent and sustainable processes. This allows people to know what standards factories and businesses work on which saves them time and resources of checking the businesses themselves. It helps them decide with whom they want to do more business.

Work With ODM!

ODM Group is a promotional merchandise company that has been in the industry for decades. We can assist you in auditing based on ethical and environmental standards.

Aside from that, we also offer services such as manufacturing point-of-sale displays such as branded FSDU and shelf talkers. As well as brainstorming with our creative team, Mindsparkz, for the designs for your corporate gifts with its luxury packaging. Email us today!

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