This statement, made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, sets out steps Vulcain has taken and is continuing to take to understand and minimise the potential risk of modern slavery in its business and supply chains.

Vulcain is committed to driving out acts of modern day slavery and human trafficking within the business and from within its supply chains, including sub-contractors and partners.  Vulcain is committed to and acknowledges responsibility to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking.  Vulcain will ensure transparency within the organisation, including its suppliers of services which make up the supply chain within Vulcain Engineering Limited.

As part of its commitment to modern slavery, Vulcain has in place and maintains a number of important internal policies and procedures.

As an equal-opportunities employer, Vulcain is committed to creating and ensuring a non-discriminatory and respectful working environment for its staff.  Vulcain wants all its staff to feel confident that they can expose wrongdoing without any risk to themselves.

Vulcain recruitment and people management processes are designed to ensure that all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in the UK and to safeguard employees from any abuse or coercion once in our employment.

In support of the above, Vulcain maintains the following policies which can all be found in our handbook:

• Code of conduct
• An ethics policy
• Whistleblowing policy
• Bullying and harassment policy
• Diversity and inclusion policy
• Recruitment and selection policy

Vulcain will not support or enter into business with any organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to be involved in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

As part of Vulcain’s commitment to identify and mitigate risk in this regard, it will seek to:

• encourage reporting of concerns surrounding potential breaches of our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy including a culture of mutual responsibility and transparency
• protect whistleblowers
• identify, assess and monitor potential risk areas in Vulcain’s supply chains
• mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in Vulcain’s supply chains
• where appropriate, use procedures to terminate agreements with individuals and organisations who breach Vulcain’s Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy.

Due to the nature of our business, Vulcain considers itself to have a low risk of Modern Slavery in our business and supply chains.  Our supply chains are limited and we procure goods and services from a restricted range of UK and overseas suppliers.

The above principles will continue to be embedded by the following activities:

• Appropriate action is taken if a suspected a case of slavery or human trafficking arises.
• Ensure that consideration of the modern slavery risks and prevention are added to Vulcain’s policy review process as an employer and procurer of goods and services.
• Continue to take action to embed a zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery.
• Ensure that all staff members are educated and familiar with Vulcain’s approach to modern day slavery and human trafficking, and have an understanding of the consequences of any failure to eradicate such practices from its business and supply chains.

This statement constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2023  and will be reviewed and updated annually.  The organisation will provide a copy of our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy Statement to anyone who makes a written request of the policy within the 30 days of the request being received.

Many of the enslaved people working in the UK are working behind closed doors and are forced into crimes such as prostitution, cannabis cultivation and pickpocketing against their own will.  Some are also domestic servants working for couples or families.

If you suspect that someone is being exploited, call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.