Privacy Policy

5. Security

The Rood Group Ltd takes the security of any personal information we hold very seriously.

Our servers are housed behind a secure firewall that prevents access to our databases by unauthorised users. Our servers are housed in a secure environment with high levels of physical security. Data storage and transfer is encrypted.

The Rood Group Ltd will take appropriate measures to ensure that, wherever it is located, your personal information is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

6. International transfers

We may transfer your personal information to, and store it at, destinations outside of the European Economic Area ("EEA") for the purposes outlined in this privacy policy. It may be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us, for the Rood Group of companies or our service providers. By submitting your personal information, you agree to this transfer.

7. Access to and amending your personal information

We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct or remove personal information you think is inaccurate by contacting us (see below).

You also have the right to request a copy of the personal information that we hold about you. To do so, please contact us (see below). We may make a small charge for this service. You also have the right to complain to the ICO.

8. Changes to our Privacy Policy

We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we will place any updates on our Digital Channels.

9. Contact us

If you require further information or have any questions regarding this Privacy Notice, then please email us at info@roodsafe.com, telephone us on 0115 927 4111 or write to us at

Rood Group Ltd, Unit 21 Park Lane Business Centre, Park Lane, Nottingham, NG6 0DU.

Cookie Policy

1. What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file containing small amounts of information, which is placed by a platform onto a computer or device.

Cookies are designed to assist a computer or device to remember something the user has done within that platform e.g. remembering that the user has logged in to this website, or which buttons have been clicked.

By using this website platform, you are agreeing to our privacy and cookie policies and consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies by us and our carefully selected third party partners as described in these policies. If you do not agree to such use, please see the ‘Managing your cookies’ section for details on how to adjust your settings.

2. Why do we use cookies?

We use this information to improve our platform to offer the best experience for you.

3. Types of cookies

Cookies are available in two different formats:

First-party cookies

First-party cookies are those set by a platform that is being visited by the user.

Third-party cookies

Third-party cookies are cookies that are set by a party other than that of the platform being visited by the user. If a user visits a platform and another entity sets a cookie through that platform this would be a third-party cookie.

4. Definitions of cookies

Session cookies: These cookies only last for the duration of your visit to our platform. We use session cookies to help improve your experience with us and to support key activities that you want to undertake on our platform.

Persistent cookies: These cookies are uploaded onto your computer/device and remain in place until they expire or you choose to delete them. These cookies are used for instance to measure your engagement with our platform.

5. Do I have to accept cookies?

To make full use of the Rood Group platform experience, cookies need to be enabled on your browser; certain features will not work if you reject cookies. Cookies are used to offer a personalised experience when browsing the platform.

If you choose not to allow cookies you will still be able to browse the platform but your experience will not be as beneficial as if you have cookies enabled.

The main benefit of accepting cookies is that they allow us to improve your experience when using our website.

Are cookies used on web, mobile, tablet and apps?
Yes, cookies, or other data storing devices are used on all of our digital channels (web, mobile, tablet and apps).

6. Managing your cookies

You have different options to manage the cookies on your computer or device. You can change your application settings to prevent cookies from being accepted, or, depending on which application you are using, you might be able to receive an alert when a platform is trying to place one on your computer or device.

Your application’s ‘help’ menu should tell you how to block cookies or change your cookie settings. How you adjust your application will depend on the application you are using.

You can delete/restrict cookies stored in your computer or device by using a function in your application. Whilst this does not mean you won’t receive cookies in the future, it gives you freedom to delete/restrict your cookies after you have been online. This function is often known as ‘clearing cookies’.

Clearing your cookies on one application of one computer or device does not automatically clear them on another. You need to clear all applications on all channels ind

GDPR Policy 2021

Context and overview

Key details

• Policy prepared by: Christine Tacey
• Approved by board/management on: 26^th March 2021
• Policy became operational on: 25^th May 2018
• Next review date: 26^th March 2022

Introduction

Rood Group Limited (Roodsafe Limited, First Testing Limited, RS Safety Middle East DWC LLC & Roodsafe LLC) needs to gather and use certain information about individuals.

These can include customers, suppliers, business contacts, employees and other people the organisation has a relationship with or may need to contact.

This policy describes how this personal data must be collected, handled and stored to meet the Group’s data protection standards – and to comply with the law.

The Rood Group of Companies holds personal information for/about employees, clients and suppliers (potential and existing) under the Legitimate interests basis and under the Legal obligation basis where compliance with the law is necessary. Explanations of both can be found on the ICO website. Explanations of both can be found on the ICO website. We keep your information for a period of 7 years for employees or for the period of a contract for clients and/or suppliers to a maximum of 50 years.

Why this policy exists

This data protection policy ensures Rood Group Limited:

• Complies with data protection law and follow good practice
• Protects the rights of staff, customers and suppliers
• Is open about how it stores and processes individuals’ data
• Protects itself from the risks of a data breach

Data protection law

The Data Protection Act 1998 describes how organisations including Rood Group Limited must collect, handle and store personal information.

These rules apply regardless of whether data is stored electronically, on paper or on other materials.

To comply with the law, personal information must be collected and used fairly, stored safely and not disclosed unlawfully.

The Data Protection Act is underpinned by eight important principles. These say that personal data must:

• Be processed fairly and lawfully
• Be obtained only for specific, lawful purposes
• Be adequate, relevant and not excessive
• Be accurate and kept up to date
• Not be held for any longer than necessary
• Processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects
• Be protected in appropriate ways
• Not be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EAA), unless that country or territory also ensures an adequate level of protection

People, risks and responsibilities

Policy scope

This policy applies to:

• The head office of Rood Group Limited
• All branches of Rood Group Limited
• All staff and volunteers of Rood Group Limited
• All contractors, suppliers and other people working on behalf of Rood Group Limited

It applies to all data that the Group holds relating to identifiable individuals, even if that information technically falls outside of the Data Protection Act 1998. This can include:

• Names of individuals
• Postal addresses
• Email addresses
• Telephone numbers
• … plus any other information relating to individuals necessary to performing our business activitiies

Data protection risks

This policy helps to protect Rood Group Limited from some very real data security risks, including:

• Breaches of confidentiality. For instance, information being given out inappropriately
• Reputational damage. For instance, the Group could suffer if hackers successfully gained access to sensitive data.

Responsibilities

Everyone who works for or with Rood Group Limited has some responsibility for ensuring data is collected, stored and handled appropriately. Each team that handles personal data must ensure that it is handled and processed in line with this policy and data protection principles.

However, these people have key areas of responsibility:

• The Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for ensuring that Rood Group Limited meets its legal obligations.
• The Managing Director (data protection officer) is responsible for:

• Keeping the board updated about data protection responsibilities, risks and issues.
• Reviewing all data protection procedures and related policies, in line with an agreed schedule.
• Arranging data protection training and advice for the people covered by this policy.
• Handling data protection questions from staff and anyone else covered by this policy.
• Dealing with requests from individuals to see the data Rood Group Limited holds about them (also called ‘subject access requests’).
• Checking and approving any contracts or agreements with third parties that may handle the Group’s sensitive data.
• Ensuring all systems, services and equipment used for storing data meet acceptable security standards.
• Performing regular checks and scans to ensure security hardware and software is functioning properly.
• Evaluating any third-party services the Group is considering using to store or process data. For instance, cloud computing services.
• Approving any data protection statement attached to communications such as emails and letters.
• Addressing any data protection queries from journalists or media outlets like newspapers.
• Where necessary, working with other staff to ensure marketing initiatives abide by data protection principles.

General staff guidelines

• The only people able to access data covered by this policy should be those who need it for their work.
• Data should not be shared informally. When access to confidential information is required, employees can request it from their line managers.
• Rood Group Limited will provide training to all employees to help them understand their responsibilities when handling data.
• Employees should keep all data secure, by taking sensible precautions and following the guidelines below.
• In particular, strong passwords must be used and they should never be shared.
• Personal data should not be disclosed to unauthorised people, either within the Group or externally.
• Data should be regularly reviewed and updated if it is found to be out of date. If no longer required, it should be deleted and disposed of.
• Employees should request help from their line manager or the data protection officer if they are unsure about any aspect of data protection.

Data storage

These rules describe how and where data should be safely stored. Questions about storing data safely can be directed to the data protection officer.

When data is stored on paper, it should be kept in a secure place where unauthorised people cannot see it.

Data can be erased at the subject’s request providing there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.

These guidelines also apply to data that is usually stored electronically but has been printed out for some reason:

• When not required, the paper or files should be kept in a drawer or filing cabinet or fireproof safe.
• Employees should make sure paper and printouts are not left where unauthorised people could see them, like on a printer or desk.
• Data printouts should be shredded and disposed of securely when no longer required.

When data is stored electronically, it must be protected from unauthorised access, accidental deletion and malicious hacking attempts:

• Data should be protected by strong passwords that are changed regularly and never shared between employees.
• If data is stored on removable media (like CD or DVD), these should be kept locked away securely when not being used.
• Data should only be stored on designated drives and servers, and should only be uploaded to an approved cloud computing devices.
• Servers containing personal data should be sited in a secure location, away from general office space.
• Data should be backed up frequently. Those backups should be tested regularly, in line with the Group’s standard backup procedures.
• Data should only be saved to password protected laptops or other mobile devices like tablets or smart phones.
• All servers and computers containing data should be protected by approved security software and a firewall.

Data use

Personal data is of no value to Rood Group Limited unless the business can make use of it. However, it is when personal data is accessed and used that it can be at the greatest risk of loss, corruption or theft:

• Personal data should not be shared informally.
• Data must be encrypted before being transferred electronically. The data protection officer can explain how to send data to authorised external contacts.
• Employees should not save copies of personal data to their own computers. Always access and update the central copy of any data.

Data accuracy

The law requires Rood Group Limited to take reasonable steps to ensure data is kept accurate and up to date.

It is the responsibility of all employees who work with data to take reasonable steps to ensure it is kept as accurate and up to date as possible.

• Data will be held in as few places as necessary. Staff should not create any unnecessary additional data sets.
• Staff should take every opportunity to ensure data is updated. For instance, by confirming a customer’s details when they call.
• Rood Group Limited will make it easy for data subjects to update the information Rood Group Limited holds about them.
• Data should be updated as inaccuracies are discovered. For instance, if a customer can no longer be reached on their stored telephone number, it should be removed from the database.

Subject access requests

All individuals who are the subject of personal data held by Rood Group Limited are entitled to:

• Ask what information the Group holds about them and why.
• Ask how to gain access to it.
• Be informed how to keep it up to date.
• Be informed how the Group is meeting its data protection obligations.

If an individual contacts the Group requesting this information, this is called a subject access request.

Subject access requests from individuals should be made by email, addressed to the data controller at info@roodsafe.com. The data controller can supply a standard request form, although individuals do not have to use this.

The data controller will aim to provide the relevant data within 30 days.

The data controller will always verify the identity of anyone making a subject access request before handling over any information.

The Group may make a small charge for this service.

Disclosing data for other reasons

In certain circumstances, the Data Protection Act allows personal data to be disclosed to law enforcement agencies without the consent of the data subject.

Under these circumstances, Rood Group Limited will disclose requested data. However, the data controller will ensure the request is legitimate, seeking assistance from the board and from the Group’s legal advisers where necessary.

Providing information

Rood Group Limited aims to ensure that individuals are aware that their data is being processed, and that they understand:

• How the data is being used
• How to exercise their rights

To these ends, the Group has a privacy statement, setting out how data relating to individuals is used by the Group.

(This is available on request. A version of this statement is also available on the Group’s website). Please also view 2018's version below for further clarification if necessary.