I. ILO Core Labour Conventions

1. No Child Labour (ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182)
   1. Children below 15 years are not allowed to work (ILO Conventions 138)
   2. Young workers below 18 years are not allowed to do hazardous work (ILO Convention 182)
   3. Employers are held to keep records of all workers including birthdays (keep copies of the age verification)
   4. Implementation of a written down anti-child labour policy (template available).
2. No Bonded Labour (ILO Conventions No. 29 and No. 105)
   1. Employees are allowed to leave the workplace when they finish their working day
   2. No employment of workers recruited by human traffickers
   3. No use, attempted, or threatened use of physical force against the employees
   4. No forms of pressure intended to make employees dependent from employer such as: Withhold workers’ official documents (i.e. ID, passports), advances, payments and deposits, no unfair loans or other forms of economic pressure.
3. Labour Union Access and Collective Bargaining (ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98)
   1. Workers have the right to organise or join unions. Union representatives shall have access to their members at work.
   2. The workers have the right to bargain collectively.
   3. The employees have the right to name or elect a representative. Elected workers’ representatives shall not be subject to any kind of discrimination.
4. No Discrimination (ILO Conventions No. 100 and No. 111)
   1. No discrimination due to factors such as ethnicity, nationality, class, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or health status or due to any other factor that could be used to discriminate.
      1. in reference to employment, payment, or job promotion.
      2. in reference to any kind of practices that could result from one the mentioned factors.
   2. Prohibition of any kind of exploitation, mistreatment, insults, or sexual harassment.
   3. Implementation of a written down anti-discrimination policy. (template available)

II. Health and Protection of Workers

1. Safe and Healthy Workplace (ILO Conventions No. 155 Convention concerning occupational safety and the working environment; No. 148 Convention concerning the protection of workers against occupational hazards due to air pollution, noise and vibration at the workplace; No. 176 Convention concerning occupational safety and health in mines)
   1. Designation of responsible staff for health and safety
   2. Realisation of an annual health and safety training (including e.g. raising awareness of occupational diseases for instance silicosis)
   3. Risk-Assessment: written documentation of accidents and the application of adequate measures to avoid such accidents in the future
   4. Adequate workplace conditions regarding
      1. space (e.g. surface area of a workplace in a production facility with a minimum of 1,5 sqm)
      2. maximum temperature (e.g. by working in off-peak hours in quarries, provision of shadow shelter)
      3. reduction of dust e.g. by regular and sufficient sprinkling of water in high dust zone to prevent inhalation of dust by the workers or by wet processing and proper ventilation (ILO Recommendation 156) Dry processing only with dust detection on the machine and room air extraction in the work area. If the workplace air is dusty, provide suitable respiratory protection free of charge.
      4. proper lighting
      5. ergonomics and weight (e.g. reduction of vibrations at drills or grinding machines by isolation measures; maximum weight to lift per person) (ILO Recommendation 156)
      6. proper sanitation facilities
      7. Provision of safe drinking water
   5. Provision (free of charge) and usage of adequate PPE (FFP2 masks, eye protection, helmets, ear protection, gloves, aprons, and boots in appropriate size). Introduction of measures by employer to control the regular usage of PPE.
   6. Building and construction safety
      1. safe building structure
      2. Safety measures on machines (installation and usage) and valid inspection certificates and / or approvals for equipment (e.g. pneumatic drills) in accordance with the local law
      3. proper electrical installations (e.g. isolation of cables)
      4. elimination of tripping hazards
      5. fire-preparedness (e.g. fire extinguishers)
      6. availability and accessibility of emergency exits
      7. clear escape routes.
   7. In quarries: develop and implement a standard operational procedure for blasting according to the national regulation
   8. In case of danger, the right and duty of the employee to leave the workplace.
2. Medical Care
   1. First aid box (with all necessary, non-expired medicine) within reach (one first aid box for each 20 workers)
   2. Annual first aid training (at least 2 workers for each 50 workers should be trained in providing First-aid care in case of any accident)
   3. Doctor / hospital nearby or transportation by employer to the doctor / hospital in case of accident or illness during working hours. Visible display of the name and contact numbers of the doctors / physician.

III. Contractual Issues

1. Employment
   1. Written company contracts also in the language of workers. Records of all workers (including temporary, seasonal and migrant workers) need to be kept. Identity cards for all workers.
   2. The right to change the employer according to the contract or to terminate the employment by the employees.
   3. Information to all staff about the workers’ rights, the purpose of the XertifiX standard and the audit processes (especially regarding the rights and duties of the workers to fulfil this standard)
2. Fair Payment
   1. Payment of minimum wage according to the local law. (ILO Convention No. 131 Convention concerning the Minimum Wages, with Special Reference to Developing Countries).
   2. Payment of living wage, if the minimum wage is below the living wage (ILO Convention 131)
   3. Punctual payment according to the contract
   4. Paid annual leave and paid leave in case of sickness according to the local law
   5. No wage reduction as disciplinary measure
   6. Payment of social insurance according to the local law (e.g. „Employees State Insurance“ / „Provident Fund“ or “Pension Insurance”/ ”Medical Insurance” etc.)
   7. Workers’ wage records are to be maintained
3. Fair Working Hours
   1. Working hours maximum 8h per day and maximum working hours per week according to the local law, but not more than 48h (ILO Convention 1)
   2. At least one day off after 6 working days (ILO Convention No. 14 Convention concerning the Weekly Day of Rest in Industrial Establishments).
   3. Overtime work is voluntary and must be paid higher than regular work (according to local law; ILO Recommendation R116); it shall not exceed 12h per week.
   4. Breaks during the working day (minimum 30 minutes at working days of more than 6h)
   5. Records of individual working hours need to be kept.
4. Women’s Rights: Compliance with all gender guidelines
   1. No discrimination based on gender and pregnancy.
   2. Adequate work for pregnant women and special leave at pre- and post-delivery (according to local law, at least ILO convention 183)
   3. Provision of adequate facilities for babies and small children at workplace
   4. Equal wage for equal work (ILO 100)
   5. Company takes steps (e.g. through training or a corresponding brochure / leaflet) to protect women against sexual violence and harassment at the workplace (ILO Convention 190).

IV. Environmental Protection

1. Ecosystem and protected areas
   1. Minimize the negative effects on the ecosystem according to the local law (e.g. by offsetting the residual net loss of biodiversity). Ensure adequate financial resources for this purpose.
   2. Safeguard of legally protected and internationally recognized areas
2. Environmental Management System
   1. Protection of the surrounding area of the quarry and processing facilities against damage (e.g. caused by hazardous waste, dust, waste and sewage by natural stone production and processing, waste water slurry).
   2. The environmental impact must be evaluated by the producer. In case of detected potential environmental risks or negative impacts: the company documents these effects and develops a plan of concrete mitigation measures. Ensure monitoring that the mitigative measures are effective. It is recommended to rely on external expertise for this purpose.
3. Pollution and Waste Management
   1. Segregation, proper storage, and disposal of all kind of waste according to the local law (e.g. quarry waste, hazardous waste, waste water, waste water slurry, sludges, chemical containers, glass, plastics etc.). Where applicable, official documents for the disposal of the waste (e.g. disposal of sludges).
   2. Reduction of noise emission according to the local law (e.g. by setting limits to rock blasting times).
   3. Reduction of air pollution according to the local law (e.g. by filtering mechanisms)
   4. Recycling of material and/or re-use of materials (where applicable)
4. Water Management: Develop and implement water management measures (incl. monitoring the water consumption; identifying the saving potential e.g. by water saving installations, the re-usage of water or the usage of rain water)
5. Energy Management: Develop and implement energy management measures (e.g. by using power saving equipment or renewable energy sources (RES))
6. Hazardous materials (e.g. chemicals, fuels): Proper storage, use, and handling of hazardous materials (e.g. a list about origin and use of hazardous materials, labelling of hazardous materials, locked storage rooms, handling by qualified personnel)
7. Availability of all relevant official environmental documents and permits (e.g. water use and land use titles).

V. Community

1. Installation of a grievance mechanisms for affected communities (e.g. a system for reporting, assessing, and addressing complaints and claims by affected parties in the region where the economic activity is taking place.). It is recommended that this grievance mechanism meets the criteria of accessibility (especially for vulnerable groups), legitimacy, transparency, predictability, equality, rights compatibility and source of continuous learning.
2. Living conditions of the workers (if accommodation is provided)
   1. Separation of accommodation from production area.
   2. Availability of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities
   3. Reasonable levels of decency, hygiene, and comfort (ILO recommendation 115–II). according to the local customs
   4. No excessive and inadequate charging for the provided accommodation.

VI. Legality, traceability, and business ethics

1. Legality
   1. Legality of the production site
   2. Compliance with local and national laws and regulations
2. Traceability of the supply chain from the importer to the exporter, to the processing factory, and to the quarry
3. Corruption and Bribery
   1. Implementation of a written down anti-corruption and anti-bribery policy. (template available)
   2. Owners, managers and employees of the company should behave in a way that does not create (personal) dependency, obligation or influence. There is no visible evidence or feedback of such behaviour.
4. All policies should be communicated to all employees and must be publicly accessible.