MACHINE MANUFACTURER UTH FIRMLY COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Internationally recognized: environmental management certificate according to DIN EN ISO 14001

Fulda/Germany. UTH GmbH’s management systems in the areas of quality and environment have now been certified according to the internationally recognized norms DIN EN ISO 9001 and DIN EN ISO 14001.  The focus of the worldwide operating machine manufacturer was on the validation of their in-house environmental management. “We want to transparently show that social responsibility and our commitment to sustainabiliy is anchored in UTH’s corporate management”, says Managing Director Peter J. Uth.

During the certification the auditors examined all quality and environment management processes that have been implemented and continuously refined by UTH. Especially with regard to the environment all information concerning relevant topics in the different departments were evaluated. These include for example ecological aspects in the product development and the production, the selection of suppliers, the handling of hazardous substances or in the waste separation and disposal. Additionally, the examiners inspected the risk management and the emergency plans.

“The auditors have confirmed that our environment management fulfills the required criteria for DIN EN ISO 14001:2015”, Peter J. Uth underlines. He continues “This certification is a determined step for UTH GmbH because it is a decisive benchmark for our customers: environmental protection, sustainability in the supply chain as well as transparency are continuously gaining importance in business relationships. The certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001 is also a highly gratifying result. It proves the high standard of our quality management system, which many of our customers from the rubber, tyre and silicone industries worldwide rely on.”

Highly committed staff
The auditors were convinced by the determined realization of the two management systems in all departments and pointed out the good working environment and the high dedication of the employees during the certification. “At Uth GmbH, both the quality as well as the environmental management system are practiced by the employees out of conviction”, stressed Christian Weinmeister, chief auditor of CERTainable, appreciatively during the concluding meeting of the certification audit. A statement that Sascha Klüber, Project Manager for Quality and Environment Management at UTH, was pleased to confirm: “The company management, the department managers and their teams very much identify with the topics sustainability, climate and work protection – and they have done so for a very long time. Finally, the attained certification is an official recognition for our work which we are very proud.

The sustainability concept is deeply embedded in the departments Development, Design, Production, Procurement and After Sales; all of which employ resource-saving technologies, use sustainable recyclable raw materials and avoid the use of critical ones. The auditors particularly remarked on the consistent separation of waste, its documentation and proper disposal as well as the internal communication channels for environmental topics, such as intranet, information boards and a central placed digital communication box.

Sustainability in action: Setting goals and optimizing processes
Sascha Klüber explaines that single environmental aspects and their associated chances and risks are analyzed in a differentiated manner to establish specific environmental goals. For example, the production headquarters in Fulda aims at reducing the energy consumption and the associated CO₂ pollution: The company operates a photovoltaic system which covers around 30 percent of the annual usage, thereby saving 50 tons of CO₂. In addition, the implementation of further energy-saving measures is in planning.

The DIN EN ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications are bades on the principle of continuous process improvement. “This ensures that our management systems will go on to be optimized in the medium and long term”, says Peter J. Uth. The concept of continual optimization is firmly implemented at UTH: “All processes are regularly checked and enhanced if necessary.” In this way the company is well-positioned for the future – in a market which is characterides by ever-increasing requirements, new standards and specifications.

DIN certificates award ceremony in May 2023: Peter J. Uth (Managing Director at UTH, second from right) and Sascha Klüber (Project Manager Quality and Environment Management, second from left) receive the DIN EN ISO 14001 and DIN EN ISO 9001 certificates– presented by Christian and Sarah Weinmeister from the certification company CERTainable.