Social Responsibility | Bldg Eng

Social

Inclusive Within the Workplace and Community

Our key objective is to ensure we have a truly inclusive workplace where every individual can shine regardless of gender, culture, identity, age, work style, or approach.

We leverage the value of diversity for all our stakeholders to deliver the best client experience and the best for project outcomes. We support and improve equality outcomes in the workplace and take a leadership position on diversity practices.

All employees are equally represented, valued, and rewarded by implementing workplace flexibility that accommodates differences in the background, perspectives, and family responsibilities of all employees.

In our endeavour to focus on the social aspects of inclusivity and equity and access for people of all abilities, we partner with not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, Victorian Aboriginal businesses, and Australian Disability Enterprises to address our social responsibility.

Building Engineering’s Social and Sustainable Procurement Policy and Framework is our commitment to achieving “triple bottom line” excellence, that is, driving positive economic, community, and environmental outcomes through social and environmentally sustainable procurement processes, while identifying and implementing workforce initiatives that provide opportunities to economically and socially disadvantaged Australians.

Power of Diversity and Equality

A progressive and dynamic company with a strong equal opportunity focus, Building Engineering has established a Diversity Working Group tasked with shaping and championing diversity strategies. The working group supports the implementation of key initiatives to ensure our Equity and Diversity Policy is a reality. We recognise the value of individual differences and manage them in a modern workplace.

Commitment to our RAP

Building Engineering has in place a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), endorsed by Reconciliation Australia in May 2021. Our RAP Working Group meets regularly to ensure initiatives are constantly progressing to promote inclusive employment for Victorian Aboriginal people.

The Building Engineering team undertakes indigenous cultural awareness training, to ensure we provide culturally safe workplaces. This has included the implementation of an internship program to provide opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people.

Environmental

Creating Healthy Working Environments

We are committed to designing, constructing, and managing buildings that provide a healthy working environment. We take a pragmatic approach to achieving sustainability ratings, ensuring we apply a commercial lens to any modifications and validate that they will deliver cost-effective outcomes. We provide life-cycle cost modeling data to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of environmental modifications over the life of a building.

Our team is trained at induction to implement our Waste and Recycling Procedure which is based on the hierarchy of avoidance, reuse, recycling, recovery of energy, treatment, containment and disposal. We endeavour to minimise the impact on the environment by purchasing goods, services, and construction that avoids air, water, and soil pollution and minimise natural resource and biodiversity depletion.

We continually seek to improve our environmental impact through the implementation of the efficient use of resources, reduction of emissions and waste, improving our processes and practices, and regular monitoring and reporting. We work closely with our clients, designers, local authorities, subcontractors and suppliers, and the local community to continually improve our processes and management in environmental best practice.

Pursuing Sustainable Building Practices

Building Engineering is certified to ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems and has been a member of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) since 2013. We undertake appropriate research into the planning and construction stages of each project to ensure an environmentally sustainable design is incorporated throughout.

Our Environmental Management System forms part of our Integrated Management System (IMS). For each of our projects, an IMS (Safety, Quality and Environmental) Plan is developed prior to commencement on site which includes project-specific environmental considerations and mitigation controls. All Building Engineering staff are trained in Environmental Awareness including identifying and controlling hazards.

Economic

Enriching Local Economies

In our commitment to supporting local businesses and economic diversity and viability, we seek to engage innovative and emerging sectors within the communities in which we work, employing a number of local residents and engaging local subcontractors.

We have established partnerships with local charities that have seen the development of a direct skill development and employment model for disadvantaged young people. Successful candidates are offered paid internships through this program. Under the internship model, each individual is paired with one of our project teams. The individual gains exposure to the industry, is exposed to a variety of trades, understands pathways available to them, develops peers, increases confidence, and develops work readiness and self-efficacy.

Drive Diversity Through Procurement

We are committed to driving positive economic, community and environmental outcomes through social and environmentally sustainable procurement processes, while identifying and implementing workforce initiatives that provide opportunities to economically and socially disadvantaged Australians.

As part of our environmental, and social sustainability policies, framework, and overall project approach, we engage a significant number of local businesses, suppliers, and materials on each of our projects.