Glossary
An undesired event resulting in death, injury, damage to health, damage to property or other form of loss.
The principle according to which individuals, organisations and the community are required to account to others for their actions. Organisations and their employees must be able to account to appropriate regulatory authorities, to shareholders or members and to the public to meet statutory obligations, audit requirements, relevant standards and codes of practice, and community expectations.
Official authorisation or approval issued by a competent body to auditing companies or organisations, which ensures that they can perform audits. For the purposes of the BSCI, auditing companies need to be accredited by Social Accountability Accreditation Services.
It is a BSCI activity to provide BSCI producers with particular knowledge and skills to address specific social non-compliances. The Advanced training workshop focuses on defined topics and the involvement expected from the participants. It may include practical exercises (See supplier and producer).
Makes the connection between the buying company and the company selling the goods. The agent does not own the goods or produce them. For the BSCI purposes, an Agent is a supplier.
Someone who undertakes a system of learning a craft or gains specific expertise within a company of that sector of knowledge. The terms of apprenticeship are usually regulated by law as well as by labour agreements to avoid that this kind of contract covers a regular work relationship.
Systematic, long-term training alternating periods in a school or training centre and at the workplace; the apprentice is contractually linked to the employer and receives remuneration (wage or allowance). The employer assumes responsibility for providing the apprentice with training leading to a specific occupation.
A systematic process of collecting and analysing data to determine the current, historical or projected status of an organisation.
These are any organisation or natural persons who do not meet criteria of ordinary members but support the goals of the Foreign Trade Association (FTA). Associate FTA members can participate in Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) but they cannot receive the International Trade Policy (ITP) services offered by the FTA. They support the work of FTA but have limited membership rights (e.g. no voting rights).
A methodical examination or review of a condition or situation. For the purposes of the BSCI, the audits will verify working conditions in the supply chain of BSCI participants, against the BSCI Code of Conduct.
A person appointed and authorised to deliver a qualified audit judgment on the social performance of the auditee. The auditor may collect evidence by means of examination of documents, interviews and site inspection.
For the purposes of BSCI, auditors shall be experts of SAI accredited auditing companies. They must satisfy high quality criteria and meet the requirements of SAAS (See also internal auditor).
A BSCI mechanism activity that addresses BSCI producers to explain Corporate Social Responsibility and the BSCI system.
The objective is to introduce the background, principles and process of BSCI and explain its requirements prior to the initial audit.