Better Health for All

STERIS's principal goods and services, including sterilization solutions, infection prevention systems, and surgical equipment, deliver transformative health benefits by preventing infections and enabling safe medical procedures. The company's entire business model is built around a revolutionary focus on disease prevention, with products designed to reduce surgical site contamination, inactivate biological contaminants, and ensure sterile environments. STERIS maintains a near-perfect safety record for its products, reporting zero Class I Recalls, FDA MedWatch Safety Alerts, or FDA enforcement actions in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The company generates no revenue from products with significant negative health impacts. STERIS demonstrates excellent healthcare data responsibility through a comprehensive cybersecurity program, including CISO and CSO roles, an Executive Cybersecurity Steering Committee, and Board Audit Committee oversight, safeguarding sensitive information for employees, customers, and partners.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

STERIS plc has publicly committed to upholding human rights and labor standards, including providing a safe and healthy workplace

, prohibiting child and forced labor , respecting employees' rights to association and collective bargaining , and ensuring non-discriminatory practices . The company's actions to prevent human trafficking and slavery include a Code of Business Conduct , Supplier Code of Conduct , annual due diligence , supplier surveys , non-compliance investigations , employee training , and reporting mechanisms . However, the provided articles do not contain specific quantitative data for living wage coverage, CEO to median pay ratio, collective bargaining share, safety incident rate, pay equity ratio, worker engagement score, turnover rate, labor violation incidents, insecure contract share, or health insurance coverage, which are necessary for scoring against the rubric.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

STERIS plc has implemented several policies and practices to promote fair trade and ethical sourcing.

The company maintains a comprehensive Human Rights and Labor Rights Policy, committing to a safe workplace, prohibiting exploitative child labor, opposing all forms of forced labor and human trafficking, and respecting collective bargaining. A Supplier Code of Conduct outlines minimum requirements for all suppliers and their subcontractors, emphasizing compliance with human rights and labor practices. STERIS actively works against human trafficking and slavery through due diligence, supplier surveys, and training. The company also has a Conflict Minerals Sourcing Policy, which includes surveying suppliers and supporting third-party audits of smelters. Additionally, STERIS operates a Supplier Diversity program to build a diverse supply chain by partnering with certified minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, and small businesses.

Honest & Fair Business

STERIS plc reported no monetary losses from legal proceedings related to false marketing claims in fiscal years 2022 and 2023

, and no losses due to bribery or corruption in fiscal year 2024 . The company maintains comprehensive anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies , which include regular employee training and the use of third-party background checks for compliance . STERIS operates an Integrity Helpline for anonymous reporting of ethical concerns , with monthly reviews by an Ethics Committee and quarterly updates provided to the Board of Directors' Compliance Committee . All employees receive regular training on the Code of Business Conduct .

Kind to Animals

STERIS has an Animal Welfare Directive

and states it does not conduct any animal research in-house. Animal testing is conducted by third parties only when required by regulatory bodies such as the EPA and FDA. When animal testing is required, STERIS uses third parties accredited by organizations such as AAALAC and IACUC. The company follows clause 4.2 of BS EN ISO 10993-2:2022 Biological evaluation of medical devices — Animal welfare requirements and aims to incorporate strategies for the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal tests. In January 2025, STERIS's Brooklyn Park, Minnesota laboratory began offering bacterial endotoxin testing using recombinant cascade reagents, an innovative non-animal method that reduces reliance on animal-derived components.

No War, No Weapons

STERIS plc has secured multiple contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, including a 10-year, $225 million contract in 2020

and a $393.8 million contract extension in 2019 . These engagements are for healthcare support, patient monitoring systems, capital equipment, and integrated operating room components , . The company explicitly states these products and services are unrelated to weapon manufacturing, offensive military capabilities, or direct military operations related to conflict , . STERIS implements policies for responsible sourcing, aligned with the Dodd-Frank Act, to ensure transparency in the use of minerals like 3TG to avoid conflict regions . The company also has a Human Rights Policy addressing labor and anti-slavery within its operations .

Planet-Friendly Business

STERIS tracks Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions and participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project, having completed a baseline review of upstream and downstream emissions in fiscal 2024.

However, in 2023, a shareholder resolution urged the company to set science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets, indicating a lack of validated targets. The company has implemented several environmental initiatives, including the Sustainable EO sterilization services program, launched in 2017, which aimed to cut ethylene oxide gas use by 50% over five years. Other efforts include Prolystica® Ultra Concentrate Cleaning Chemistries, designed to reduce waste and emissions, STERI-Green water systems that reduce water use by 35% per cycle, and AMSCO 1215, which cuts water use by 75%. Additionally, STERIS has installed LED lighting to enhance energy efficiency.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

STERIS plc provides formal grievance mechanisms, including an Integrity Helpline and Webline, available to Associates, Customers, Suppliers, and all other business partners globally.

The company demonstrates strong language inclusivity, with its Code of Business Conduct and Supplier Code of Conduct translated , LinkedIn Learning courses offered in 13 languages , and Canada sites providing both English and French options . A management Ethics Committee meets monthly to monitor and investigate Code of Business Conduct violations , with quarterly reporting to the Board, indicating a proactive response framework for incidents. The company's operations, primarily in the healthcare sector, do not typically involve activities that impact cultural contexts or heritage sites, making cultural impact assessment protocols, cultural site protection, and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes not applicable. There are no reported cultural appropriation incidents. All Associates are required to participate in annual Code of Business Conduct training and Harassment Prevention training , which aligns with standard diversity training without specific cultural sensitivity components. The concept of social license to operate is not applicable to the company's business model.

Safe & Smart Tech

STERIS has not experienced any cyber-attacks or intrusions resulting in a material adverse impact on operations.

The company maintains a robust cybersecurity framework, including an Executive Cybersecurity Steering Committee led by a CISO, and an Incident Response Team. It integrates cybersecurity risk management into its Enterprise Risk Management program, conducts regular vulnerability and penetration testing with third-party experts, and provides information security and awareness training for employees and additional training for leadership. STERIS's Privacy Policy outlines user rights for personal data, including access, deletion, correction, and opting out of data sales or sharing. The company also has a Biometric Data Privacy Policy and emphasizes compliance with applicable data privacy regulations, including the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act and FDA requirements for AI. While STERIS acknowledges ethical considerations for AI, details on formal governance or audit practices are not provided.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

STERIS implements numerous waste reduction initiatives, including Lean training, increased recycling programs, a "Ditch the Disposables" campaign, and efforts to reduce material usage in manufacturing.

These efforts have led to specific outcomes such as tanker truck deliveries saving 936 kg of plastic per shipment, a paper-free biological indicator reducing over 100 lbs of paper waste annually, and water re-circulating systems saving up to 35%, 99%, and 75% water during sterilization cycles. The company also introduced Sustainable EO sterilization services with a target to reduce ethylene oxide usage by 50% over five years. Circular design principles are applied to several product categories through initiatives like the Certified Pre-Owned program, which repairs and refurbishes eligible preowned equipment, and Instrument Management Services for surgical device and scope repair. These services also indicate very good product repairability. STERIS provides comprehensive customer education on product lifecycle management, including articles on sustainability in sterile processing and a TakeAway Recycle System for specific products. The company maintains compliant hazardous waste management, identifying and classifying waste according to regulations. In fiscal year 2025, STERIS reported no warning letters, seizures, or consent decrees related to waste disposal.