Assessment Grading Process

評估分級程序

It is the auditor’s responsibility to determine if an applicable law has been violated, as well as to identify whether other SGP non-conformances have occurred that are not violations of law. Once the auditor(s) have determined that a non-conformance exists, they assign it to one of the following severity categories, which are described in more detail below:

Immediate Notification findings are findings that pose a significant risk to TCCC or any of its operations. These include any finding at the facility that could create a major concern, require production to be stopped immediately, or necessitate the initiation of marketplace actions. Immediate Notification findings also include any finding that could result in a major public relations issue or regulatory intervention that might threaten TCCC’s integrity or reputation, reduce or eliminate current or future sales, or reduce or eliminate the financial success of an operation.

Any time an Immediate Notification finding is identified, the facility may be de- authorized, depending on the severity of the finding(s). In other cases, the facility may be retained under the condition that corrective action is initiated immediately and completed before additional product is purchased from the facility. In any case, the service provider will communicate the finding immediately to Workplace Accountability (WA) and the business unit responsible for the assessment. WA will then notify the appropriate TCCC management.

Specific examples of Immediate Notification findings include operating without a legal business license, observed child labor, non payment of wages for more than one month, or health and safety findings that pose an imminent threat to workers and are likely to cause a fatality or serious injury.

Potential Risk findings include any medium impact finding that is in violation of local law, but is not considered an Immediate Notification finding. Although such findings are not considered Immediate Notification when viewed individually, they may present a critical risk to the operation when reviewed collectively. Potential Risk findings may require verification of corrective action through a follow up assessment. Corrective action should be a priority of the supplier and may be a condition of future purchases from the supplier.

Examples of Potential Risk findings include failure to produce adequate timecard records, payroll records, or other necessary documentation to demonstrate compliance with local laws; systemic minimum wage or overtime pay findings; blocked or locked emergency exits; failure to provide legally required protective equipment to workers; and denial of access to employees for interviews.

Improvement Opportunity findings are defined as any low impact finding (isolated or non systemic), which is not a structural shortcoming. Such findings may exist where the current system meets the TCCC requirements but an important opportunity exists for improvement. A number of improvement opportunities, when reviewed collectively, may present a potential risk to the operation.

Examples of Improvement Opportunity findings include expired labor contracts, unintentional payroll errors, unmarked emergency exits, or inadequate safety training. Upon receipt of a facility’s assessment report, Workplace Accountability calculates a numerical score based on the number and severity of violations discovered during the assessment. A facility’s score is the sum of all points received.