Social Compliance
Global buyers, brands, and retailers increasingly require verifiable social compliance from their supply chains. SA8000 certification and SEDEX SMETA audits are the two most widely required frameworks — and they measure different things.
SA8000 — Social Accountability Certification
SA8000 is an internationally recognised, auditable social accountability standard published by Social Accountability International (SAI). It is based on ILO conventions, the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. SA8000 covers nine elements: child labour, forced labour, health and safety, freedom of association, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, remuneration, and management systems.
SA8000 certification requires an independent audit by an SAI-accredited certification body. Fusion Certification is a consultancy — we help you build and document the compliant system before the audit, not conduct the certification audit itself.
Who Requires SA8000?
- Garment, textile, and apparel manufacturers supplying to European and US brands (H&M, Primark, Marks & Spencer, Walmart).
- Footwear, accessories, and home furnishings manufacturers in export supply chains.
- Companies whose buyers reference SA8000 or equivalent social standards in supplier codes of conduct.
- Manufacturers participating in industry programmes (amfori BSCI, Higg FEM) seeking a recognised third-party certification.
SEDEX & SMETA — Platform and Audit Methodology
Important distinction
SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a membership-based data-sharing platform where supply chain data and audit reports are shared between buyers and suppliers. SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is a specific audit methodology — not a certification — used to assess suppliers against four pillars: Labour, Health & Safety, Environment, and Business Ethics. SEDEX does not issue certifications. Fusion Certification is not a SMETA auditing body.
Fusion Certification provides pre-audit preparation — helping you build the policies, processes, and records that a SMETA auditor will expect to find. This preparation reduces the risk of major findings and helps your organisation improve sustainably rather than document-patch before each audit.
How We Help with SEDEX/SMETA Readiness
Labour Standards Assessment: We review employment contracts, wage records, working hours, leave policies, and corrective action mechanisms against SMETA Labour pillar criteria.
Health & Safety Baseline: We conduct a facility walkthrough and document assessment covering PPE, emergency procedures, chemical handling, fire safety, welfare facilities, and machinery guarding.
Environment Review: We assess environmental permits, waste disposal records, and resource consumption data against the SMETA Environment pillar.
Business Ethics Documentation: We review your anti-bribery policy, sub-supplier agreements, and grievance mechanisms against the SMETA Business Ethics pillar.
SEDEX Platform Support: We help you understand what documents to upload to your SEDEX profile and how to share your audit reports with buyer organisations.
Ethical Trade Due Diligence
European regulation is increasingly mandating supply chain due diligence. Germany's Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), and the UK Modern Slavery Act all require documented due diligence processes for human rights and environmental impacts across supply chains. Indian suppliers to European companies are increasingly asked to provide evidence of their due diligence practices.
Due Diligence Preparation
- Human rights impact assessment template development for supplier self-disclosure.
- Modern Slavery Act statement preparation for Indian subsidiaries of UK-listed companies.
- Supply chain mapping documentation for Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier visibility.
- Grievance mechanism design — accessible, confidential, and effective for all workers.
- Policy development: supplier code of conduct, anti-forced labour, anti-child labour.
Fusion Certification is an independent consultancy. SA8000 certificates are issued by accredited certification bodies approved by Social Accountability International (SAI), not by Fusion. SEDEX is a membership and data-sharing platform — Fusion supports audit preparation and system readiness, not SEDEX membership registration or SMETA audit delivery.