SHE policy
The most important policy provisions on health, safety and
the environment are established in the general Safety, Health
& Environment Policy (SHE), the recently revised version of
which is very actively brought to the attention of all plants.
These basic rules for SHE not only serve as a reference for daily
thought and action, but also incorporate the common aims for
all staff members to ensure that Recticel meets its social and
industrial commitments with the greatest care.
In extending the SHE policy, Recticel attempts first of all to
map out in detail all possible operational health, safety and environmental
risks. At a second stage, after an in-depth evaluation,
the necessary protective measures are defined. The final
purpose of these measures is to arrive at situations in which
the various potential risks and their possible consequences are
reduced to an acceptable minimum. The Group usually goes a
step further than the regulatory requirements.
Safety
The key elements of Recticel’s safety policy are::
- the ultimate goal is for zero accidents
- safety campaigns are launched on most sites very regularly
to keep the subject to the forefront
- information sessions are organised regularly at Group level,
during which expertise is exchanged on preventing accidents
and/or reducing the risk factors
- efforts are made to integrate the Group safety policy as
quickly as possible at new acquisitions and/or joint ventures.
During the past year, a number of significant results were
achieved with regard to safety:
- the general improvement in internal communication.
- preventive measures (in cooperation with the works doctor)
regarding the effects of exposure to TDI.
- preparation, monitoring and implementation of the new
safety and environmental requirements under the Globally
Harmonised System (GHS). GHS is the new worldwide
standardised labelling system which will become compulsory
from 2010-2011. These new standards, which in Europe
have been translated into the CLP Regulation (Classification,
Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals), will basically have
significant administrative consequences for the Group,
such as information requirements and new labelling of the
chemicals which the Group manufactures itself.
- at the various sites, particular efforts have been made as regards
personal protective and safety gear which must comply
with the state-of-the-art technical standards.
Environment
Generally speaking, Recticel belongs to a low to medium
carbon-intensive sector, since no fossil fuel consumption
is needed for the manufacture and conversion of polyurethane
foam. In other areas too, the Group’s activities
generate little pollution.
Despite this favourable basic premise, Recticel nevertheless
strives to preclude any environmental impact, or
at least to limit it as far as possible. The Group therefore
concentrates its search on production processes which use
natural resources and energy more efficiently. In addition,
Recticel aims to reduce waste and emissions in order to reduce
the pressure on the environment (air, water and waste)
as far as possible to acceptable levels. In general, our products
make a significant contribution to sustainable growth.
The considerable reduction in the weight of cars through
the use of lighter materials, such as polyurethane, yields
fuel economies. The increasing use of polyurethane as thermal
insulation in buildings results ultimately in far lower
energy consumption and therefore in lower CO2 emissions.
In this context, an important point is that Recticel was one
of the initiators for the introduction of the Certipur-label via
the European sector organisation (see chapter on Corporate
Social Responsibility).
- In addition, Recticel is well placed to offer a response to the ever rising demand for solutions to environmental
problems outside manufacturing. Recticel’s technological
expertise in polyurethane materials enables innovative
solutions to be offered to new needs of industrial partners
and end-consumers.
- The use of lightweight, innovative polyurethane foams to
replace heavier metal and wood in furniture. Lighter endproducts
in turn contribute to lower fuel consumption in
transport.
- The reuse of trim foam from the conversion process in new
products and applications reduces the volume of waste.
Recticel embarks on installation
of solar panels
Last year, Recticel took its first steps in seeking alternatives to energy from fossil fuels. In its Belgian plants in
Wevelgem and Wetteren, Recticel set up a project team to
maintain better control of energy consumption. By installing
solar panels on the extensive roofs of the two sites,
Recticel now makes a considerable contribution to efficient,
sustainable management of the generation and supply of
energy.
The use of a creative formula is striking here, which enables Recticel on the one hand to achieve its energy targets
and on the other hand nevertheless to keep its investment
budget under control. Recticel worked out both projects
with an external partner which takes charge of the investment.
Recticel rents its roofs to this partner and in return
obtains the green electricity generated by the solar panels
for twenty years. In total, these solar panels will generate
some 1,150,000 kWh of green electricity per year, which
boils down to a CO2 reduction of 460 tonnes per year. This
satisfies about 7% of the annual electricity consumption of
the two sites.
Recticel is further investigating whether it can extend
this worthwhile formula to the other plants.
|
