Environmental management covers a wide spectrum of issues such as air emissions, noise, waste management, effluent disposal, packaging waste and contaminated land. A similar level of diversity exists in respect of health and safety (H&S) issues – with topics of concern to the timber industry ranging from wood dust to manual handling and machinery.
Consequently, managers with environmental and H&S responsibilities are not expected to be experts on all relevant topics. They are required to be aware of basic requirements regarding legislation and best practice – with access to detailed information when required.
All companies should have copies of the key Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) as these contain practical advice for use in risk assessments. While non-compliance with the contents of an ACOP is not an offence in itself, it can be used as evidence of a failure to do all that was reasonably practicable unless a similar or better standard of H&S can be shown to have been achieved by other means.
The ‘six-pack’ ACOPs, typically costing £6 each, are numbered L21 to L26 and are available as a package which includes guidance on:
In addition, companies using woodworking machinery should obtain the sector specific addition to the PUWER regulations called the ‘Safe use of woodworking machinery’ approved code of practice (L114). All of these publications can be obtained from Health and Safety Executive (HSE) books (tel: 01787 881165) or www.hsebook.co.uk.
More detailed sector specific information is produced by the HSE Woodworking National Interest Group (WOODNIG). This group produces the HSE information sheets on woodworking issues. There are around 40 sheets covering a range of key issues, available free of charge from www.hse.gov. uk/pubns/woodindx.htm. Of particular interest are the sheets which focus on specific machines eg:
In addition, WOODNIG produces a newsletter, past copies of which can be viewed on www.hse.gov.uk/fod/ agwood.htm#newsletters.
HSE has increasingly moved towards the naming and shaming of badly performing companies. Its website contains a section entitled ‘enforcement in action’ which gives details of all prosecutions since April 1999 and all enforcement notices served since April 2001. This provides great detail on offenders including names, addresses, the reason for the notice and the deadline for compliance. A quick search under timber and furniture sectors shows that many companies are failing to address H&S issues adequately.
With regard to environmental management, companies should possess copies of any relevant process guidance note, eg:
Process Guidance notes are available from HMSO book shops (tel: 0207 873 9090). However, all of these notes are currently being revised, so it is not worth buying them until the updated versions are available – and there has been talk of the finalised notes being made available, free, on the internet.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs produces useful information and its website (www.defra. gov.uk/) is good for consultation papers and general information.
However, the most useful source of free environmental information is Envirowise – a government-sponsored initiative designed to promote cost savings in industry through waste minimisation and cleaner technology.
Envirowise produces a great deal of generic information on waste minimisation, solvent reduction, environmental management system implementation and packaging optimisation. It has a specific portfolio dedicated to furniture and this produces publications containing a significant amount of information which could be useful to timber companies. They include:
These publications can be obtained free from the helpline: 0800 585 794. The number also provides the gateway to free half-day environmental consultancy visits and one-day ‘Fast Track’ waste minimisation exercises. Envirowise publications and other information can be obtained over the internet from www.envirowise.gov.uk.
The potential benefits of such on-site assistance should not be underestimated. Waste costs a typical manufacturing site around 4.5% of company turnover – and it is generally relatively easy to save 1% of turnover through simple waste minimisation initiatives. This saving has the same bottom line benefit as a 10% increase in sales.
Twelve furniture manufacturers have already made use of their free Envirowise Fast Track visit. Savings of more than £563,000 have been identified across the sites, an average of around 2% of turnover or £1,000 per employee per year. Once implemented, these initiatives will save this sum year on year.
A number of organisations can also provide advice on a consultancy basis. BFM Ltd – the trade association for British furniture manufacturers – undertakes EHS audits, risk assessments and personal exposure monitoring as well as running training events. The organisation has published a free guide entitled Benchmarking solvent use in the UK furniture manufacturing sector which shows the levels of solvent reduction that can be achieved in specific sub-sectors and provides advice on best practice. The guide is available from BFM on tel: 0207 724 0851.
FIRA International Ltd has recently launched a H&S initiative for the furniture and timber industry entitled ‘Club 18000’. Membership is available at a number of levels ranging from information provision through to the provision of on-site help with risk assessments and training. FIRA has also produced the publication Optimising packaging use in the UK furniture manufacturing sector which details the results of a research project to optimise the levels of packaging used by specific furniture sub-sectors. This report summarises typical packaging solutions and their associated costs and return rates. It is available free from FIRA on tel: 01438 777700.
