Product Despatch and Delivery

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that product and materials shipped to customers arrives correctly with quality uncompromised and that any product damaged during transit is addressed.

Background

Product quality shall be maintained on all shipped product and materials to domestic and/or international customers during delivery

Scope

Applies to product and materials being delivered from the company to either internal or external customers.

Responsible Manager and/or Environmental Health and Safety Manager is responsible for:

• Determining special delivery requirements
• Creating reference procedures

Handler is responsible for:

• Implementing standard and special delivery procedures

Definitions

• “Packaging” means the final product shipping container, packing material and the marking on the container.
• “Carrier” means a commercially available transportation specialist, such as a courier service or trucking firm.
• “Handler” means the person who arranges product for delivery or receives, manufactures, moves, stores or packages the product.
• “FOB” means Free On Board, a protocol for shipping goods in which the supplier bears the risk associated with safe delivery of the goods up to the point where the goods are passed into the hands of the shipper.
• “CIF” means Cost, Insurance and Freight, a protocol for shipping goods in which the supplier bears the risk associated with the safe delivery of the goods up to the shipping destination.
• “DDP” means Delivered Duty Paid, a protocol for shipping goods in which the supplier bears the risk associated the safe delivery of the goods to the customer and also ensures their safe delivery through customs, including loading and unloading fees, import licensing and related duties payments.
• “Responsible Manager” means the individual directly responsible for ensuring a high quality organization by complying with policies or procedures.

Procedure

Delivery – General

1. Subcontracted delivery carriers shall be identified through an approved vendor evaluation process.  See Supplier Management.

2. Common carriers shall be considered acceptable for delivery unless there are special delivery requirements.

3. Finished products/goods awaiting delivery shall be stored in a designated area to avoid mix-up with other products in accordance with Product Storage.

4. All product and materials for delivery shall be packaged in accordance with Packaging.

5. Deliveries are [FOB].

6. Damaged product received by customers shall be addressed as required.  See Customer Complaints. For damages resulting from transit, the delivery carrier shall maintain liability and return the damaged product to the company.

7. Any damaged product returned to the company shall not be distributed for sale until inspected and if suitable, released for distribution by the Responsible Manager.

Special Delivery

1. Special delivery procedures shall be used as determined by the Responsible Manager.

2. Special delivery procedures shall be prepared and implemented for delivering materials that may be biological, radioactive, explosive, flammable, highly pressurised, corrosive or reactive.

3. Proper training shall be implemented, as required, when following special delivery procedures, to ensure a safe level of delivery.

4. Special delivery may be required for temperature-sensitive or time-sensitive materials and product.

5. All special delivery conditions shall be clearly identified and communicated with the delivery carrier in advance.