At Applied Medical, we have been committed to conducting business ethically and in full compliance with the law since it was enacted. We fully support global efforts to combat human trafficking and modern slavery. This statement fulfills the disclosure requirements of the U.K. Modern Slavery Act of 2015, which aims to provide transparency into the actions that companies take to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.
As a vertically integrated company, Applied Medical handles all aspects of production design, development, and manufacturing in-house at our corporate headquarters in California and European headquarters in the Netherlands. By minimizing outsourcing, we maintain strict employment standards, ensuring ethical labor practices that benefit our global workforce.
Our key suppliers are based and work within Member States of the European Union, classified as low risk due to their geographic location, according to the Global Slavery Index. However, we remain vigilant and conduct ongoing risk assessments to monitor and uphold ethical labor practices, not only within our supply chain but across our own operations.
Applied Medical's standards require full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. When we engage outside suppliers, we ensure they uphold these same high standards. All suppliers are expected to adhere to our Supplier Handbook, which mandates compliance with all relevant laws, including those related to modern slavery and human trafficking.
Applied Medical relies on our suppliers to audit their operations for compliance with our standards and, where applicable, to verify that their supply chains are free from any unethical practices. As part of our due diligence process, we have implemented a comprehensive questionnaire and reserve the right to conduct audits when necessary. While we do not routinely audit our direct suppliers, we retain the right to do so, and our suppliers are required to cooperate by providing the necessary information. If a supplier fails to meet our standards, comply with requests for information, or adhere to national, or international laws, we reserve the right to terminate the business relationship.
At Applied Medical, we enforce a zero-tolerance policy for any actions within our operations or supply chain that violate the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the U.N. Convention Against Corruption, and ILO conventions on forced labor, child labor, discrimination, and freedom of association. We are committed to preventing modern slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking, and we ensure that our suppliers adhere to these same standards.
We strongly encourage all team members, contractors, and suppliers to report any suspicions of modern slavery or human trafficking through our whistleblower tool or other confidential reporting mechanisms. All reports will be investigated promptly and thoroughly, with protections in place to safeguard those who report concerns from retaliation. This commitment is supported by our whistleblowing policy, ensuring transparency and accountability across our operations.
Applied Medical is committed to promoting a workplace that respects human rights. We hold all our team members to the highest ethical standards and have internal policies for training and disciplining those who fail to uphold our values. We require all team members to comply with our corporate social responsibility programs, reflecting our mission to make a positive difference in everything we do. Our team members are trained at the start of employment as well as regular intervals on all topics of compliance and reporting of wrongdoings.
The effectiveness of these measures is continuously evaluated through regular reviews, audits, and risk assessments to ensure ongoing compliance and improvement as Applied Medical strives to develop sustainable practices that not only meet or exceed regulatory standards but also balance our economic, environmental, and social responsibilities in the communities where we operate.
Applied Medical has been committed to doing business in a lawful and ethical way since our founding and applauds the global efforts to tackle the problem of human trafficking and slavery. This notice fulfills the disclosure requirements of the California Transparency and Supply Chains Act of 2010, which aims to provide transparency into the efforts that companies are making to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. As a vertically integrated company, Applied Medical’s own team members handle all our production design, development and manufacturing processes in-house at our corporate headquarters in California and our European headquarters in the Netherlands. By striving to minimize outsourcing, we are able to ensure that the highest standards of employment practices are maintained, which benefits our team members
Applied Medical’s standards require compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and, when we do use outside suppliers, we require our suppliers to comply with these same company standards. Applied Medical depends on our suppliers to audit their operations for compliance with our company standards and, as required, verify that their supply chain is free of objectionable conduct. Currently, Applied Medical does not require our direct suppliers to certify that materials incorporated into the product comply with slavery and human trafficking laws of the countries in which they are doing business.
Applied Medical does not presently audit suppliers or use third-party auditing agencies to perform independent, unannounced audits. However, Applied Medical does reserve the right to terminate any agreement with a supplier who fails to comply with local, state, or U.S. laws. We also have zero tolerance for any action within our operations and from our raw materials suppliers that goes against the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the U.N. Convention against Corruption, and the International Labor Organization conventions on forced labor, child labor, discrimination, and freedom of association.
Applied Medical promotes a workplace that respects human rights. Applied Medical holds all its team members to the highest ethical standards, and has internal standards and procedures for training and disciplining team members that fail to uphold our standards. Applied Medical requires all its team members to comply with its Corporate Social Responsibility programs as part of its corporate mission to make a meaningful, positive difference in everything we do. Applied Medical aims to actively pursue strategies that consistently meet or exceed regulatory standards, as well as develop sustainable practices to balance its economic, environmental, and social impacts in the communities where we work.
