Chemical Industry Awards 2010

The winners of the 2010 Chemical Industry Awards were announced on 24 June at St George’s Hall in Liverpool.

Steve Elliott, Chief Executive of the Chemical Industries Association, paid tribute the members of the chemical industry and its key partners, "This year's quality of entries reflects the outstanding contribution made by the chemical industry to a better quality of life for us all despite a very tough trading times. The CIA awards are about recognising that excellence. This offers tremendous encouragement and visibility to an industry which is largely unsung, all of the entrants should be proud of their success."

Dow Reputation Award, sponsored by Dow Chemical
Winner: INEOS Manufacturing Scotland Limited
Since taking over the site in 2005 INEOS have devoted a lot of time to building community relations and engaging with stakeholders in promoting the chemical sciences throughout Scotland.  In particular INEOS have developed a fantastic programme of complementary activities for engaging with young people at every stage of their education, to develop their awareness, interest and understanding of our sector.

A recent innovation has been the INEOS lecture, in which leading scientists enthuse 17 / 18 year olds, with all local schools invited. The lecture forms part of wider drive to publicise their Engineers of the Future and modern apprentice programmes.

EDF Energy Low Carbon Award, sponsored by EDF Energy
Winner: GlaxoSmithKline, Irvine
Being the largest energy consumer amongst GSK’s manufacturing sites the pressure was on to set an example to the rest of the group.  A Sustainable Manufacturing Board was set-up, with the aim of mobilising the whole site to reduce energy through a programme of sustainable, energy efficient projects and ways of working.

Step change projects like a CHP plant and a wind farm are in progress but most of the gains have come from lots of small projects and a buy-in from the whole workforce to change the working practices and recognise the importance of developing a low carbon future.

National Skills Award, sponsored by COGENT and The National Skills Academy for the Process Industries
Winner: Pentagon Chemicals, Widnes
The acquisition of skills has been a major factor in sustainable development of Pentagon’s business and has helped reduce waste and costs at the same time as improving safety and financial performance.

An extensive training programme for all operators and shift managers has been undertaken with the aim of them all achieving qualifications in Business Improvement Techniques. The sites aim of achieving the Cogent Gold Standard for its training is well on the way to being achieved. A fantastic example of what can be achieved through investment in training even in challenging times.

Excellence in Engineering Award, Sponsored by BIS Industrial Services
Winner: Syngenta, Huddersfield
Constructive partnerships between Syngenta’s engineering department and external contractors  has been responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of pounds over the last 2 years. In modern language this Coalition has been used to change culture and working practice as well as develop innovative solutions to long standing problems.

Examples can be found in all areas from working with a scaffold company to find new access methods  to working with CHP plant engineers to improve energy output. Both these have created bottom line benefits for Syngenta as well as commercial benefits for the contractor.

Innovation Award, Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline
Winner: Oxford Catalysts
Generation of fuels from gas derived from biomass or waste offers huge potential for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but has many technical challenges. Oxford Catalysts are meeting many of these challenges through their novel catalyst technology combined with an innovative micro-reactor design which means that small scale production units can be set up almost anywhere, this avoids the need for transporting bulky biomass. The technology may also use ‘problem gas’ from areas of remote oil production, which is usually flared adding to the environmental burden. The first unit is now up and running in Austria, helping power a new eco town.

Environmental Leadership Award Sponsored by Johnson Matthey
Winner: GlaxoSmithKline, Ulverston
Faced with fierce global competition the site has seized the opportunity to reduce its environmental footprint and improve resource efficiency as a means of reducing costs and becoming more competitive.  Just a few of the many improvements include reduction in volatile organics by almost half, hazardous waste production is down by a quarter and energy use down by 15%.

Not only has the whole site been engaged through a targeted reward scheme but the approach covers the whole supply chain.  Work with customers has significantly reduced packaging waste  while work with suppliers has enabled them to cut their own end of pipe emissions.

ABB Manufacturing and Resource Efficiency Award, Sponsored by ABB Engineering Services Limited
Winner: GlaxoSmithKline, Montrose
When the judges visited Montrose it was apparent that commitment to continuous improvement is embedded in the culture. This is a holistic approach to excellence, not based on breakthrough technology, but by harnessing the will and knowledge of all employees.  Performance centers have been set up across the site where multi-disciplinary teams review performance on a daily basis. Detailed analysis and the ‘golden batch’ concept coupled with operator know-how drives production gains. Through improving efficiency and driving costs down the site has been able to win new products and secure its future.

Responsible Care Special Award for Process Safety Leadership, Sponsored by Shell UK
Winner: GlaxoSmithKline, Ulverston
Judges felt the Ulverston site provided clear evidence of wide engagement through the organisation, with a clear plan is in place which is reviewed fortnightly by the site leadership team. The approach has focused on improving procedures and behaviours with targeted capital investment. The site has involved suppliers to find new ways of working to reduce inventory of hazardous materials, thereby reducing the COMAH risk.

Process safety training has been given to all staff including detailed training in plant specific hazards and controls. This is consolidated by twice yearly awareness campaigns and a recognition process is in place to reward good ideas.

INEOS Responsible Care Award, sponsored by INEOS
Winner: Solutia UK Ltd
Responsible Care is embedded throughout all policy and site management systems as well as the culture at Solutia.  The policy is implemented through a frequently audited tiered system of Works Procedures encompassing the whole workforce.  During 2009 all staff and contractors undertook behavioural safety, risk assessment and safety observation training.

Solutia also have an enviable reputation with the local community earned through a robust and regular communication process.   With the aim of becoming carbon neutral Solutia are also getting a reputation for being a leading ’Green’ company in South Wales, having constructed a small wind farm and having been approached by a green waste company to construct an energy from waste plant.  

REACH Service Provider Award, Sponsored by REACH Ready
Winner: ENVIRON
Reliability and delivering good value are embedded in ENVIRON’s approach to helping clients through the maze that are the REACH regulations, and in many cases this has saved clients thousands of pounds in unnecessary costs.

As well as providing a service covering all aspects of REACH, ENVIRON works closely with clients to develop better systems and ways of working.  They have developed a database to enable suppliers to upload information reducing costs for downstream users. This is being rolled out by one blue-chip company to 10,000 suppliers.

BASF Young Ambassador Award, Sponsored by BASF
Winner: Joydip Sanyal, ABB
Joydip is a mechanical engineer working with ABB and has degrees in mechanical engineering and product design and management.  Joydip impressed the judges with his all round communication skills and ability to enthuse others.

He is highly active on Teesside, being a STEM Ambassador, working with local schools and engineering groups to attract young people into the industry as well as organising technical events.

Within ABB Joydip is also finding widespread acclaim for his leadership of a project modernising the way e-business is perceived and practiced within the company.

Company of the Year sponsored by The Haden Freeman Group
Winner: Dow Corning Limited
The Dow Corning Barry site has had an outstanding year despite the global recession, breaking production records in the fourth quarter of 2009.   It was a key contributor to the company priority of “Manage through the recession and be prepared for growth.”  Over the last 12 months the site has achieved significant growth together with great improvements in safety and environmental performance.  

A high proportion of staff are trained in Six Sigma and this has played a huge part in Dow Corning becoming a reliable, high quality but low cost producer.  This low cost production has gone hand in hand with improvements in environmental and safety performance, for example first aid and reportable injuries were cut in half in 2009 and use has been found for over 100,000 tonnes of material previously sent to landfill.

Dow Corning is also a great place to work being voted one of the Top 50 best workplaces in the UK in 2008 – one of only 3 companies in Wales.  It has also recently been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.