Cathay Pacific 2006 Annual Report Download - page 44

We at Cathay Pacific recognise a responsibility to
promote environmental awareness wherever possible.
Our aim is to help engender a deeper appreciation of
nature and a greater awareness of people’s individual
responsibility towards the environment. We are
Diamond members of the WWF Corporate Membership
Programme, and in 2006 the Cathay Pacific “All Stars”
team took part in the WWF Big Bird Race. We also
worked with the WWF to set up the Asian Waterbird
Conservation Fund, making an initial contribution of
HK$500,000, helping to conserve the wetland habitats
of migratory waterbirds across Asia.
We continue to make an effort to give our staff the
opportunity to participate in environmental activities,
helping to develop a keener awareness of the issues
at stake. Cathay Pacific joined the Friends of the Earth
Corporate Afforestation Scheme in 2004 – a three-year
tree planting and management programme launched
by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Department. This has allowed the airline to establish a
10,000-tree woodland site on Lantau Peak, which staff
visit on an annual basis. In 2006 we also organised
visits to the Ping Sham Historical Trail and Wetland
Park Walk and to the Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre.
Health and safety
The safety and security of our passengers and staff
is our highest priority, and our mission is to make
Cathay Pacific Airways the safest airline in the world.
Every effort is made to ensure that we operate in a
manner that safeguards the health and safety of all
sectors of the community. Our businesses comply
with international regulatory requirements or with our
own higher standards as applicable. As part of our
corporate good governance, we proactively identify
and manage potential threats and hazards, apply risk
management processes in our decision-making, and
appraise new systems and work practices for their
safety implications.
Our health and safety policies are kept constantly
under review, and continuous efforts are made
to achieve performance improvements. Staff are
provided with effective and appropriate education and
training, as well as timely feedback on security, health
and safety issues; we encourage management to
set the very highest standards by personal example.
Every employee is responsible for ensuring that, in all
aspects of their daily work, SAFETY COMES FIRST.
We encourage our business partners, contractors and
suppliers to share our vision.
We implement programmes to safeguard the health of
customers and staff. We continually monitor air quality
in our aircraft to ensure a safe, healthy and comfortable
environment for passengers and crew. We undertake
similar monitoring in our Hong Kong headquarters,
Cathay Pacific City, and in our training facilities and
airport lounges, and have been certified by the Hong
Kong Special Administration Region Government for
indoor air quality. We monitor the exposure of aircrew
to cosmic radiation and ensure annual dosages are
below international guideline limits. Cabin crew can
call a 24-hour aero-medical advisory service should a
passenger fall ill during a flight. We adhere closely to
advisories issued by the World Health Organisation,
IATA, The Centre for Disease Control and Hong Kong
Department of Health. We provide a variety of services
for special needs customers, as well as advice to
passengers on maintaining good health inflight.
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited Annual Report 2006
42
Corporate Responsibility