Our credentials
are clear
We chat to Steve from our Lostock site about all things environmental compliance.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
Steve joined us as a fresh-faced apprentice at the age of 16 and has gone onto complete A-Levels, a First-Class Honours Degree in Chemistry and various leadership training courses. From a Shift Process Operator to Area Plant Manager and now working at the Lostock site, he’s a good example of how TCE invest in people.
Compliance in action
“Every morning we have an operations review to assess the shift production logs and data from the past 24 hours and we carry out daily environmental analyses. We’re constantly assessing production, identifying vulnerabilities and establishing appropriate action plans. From daily production to long term projects, everything we do starts by considering safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ). It’s ingrained in the business that SHEQ comes before production. So, as you can see environmental compliance really is front and centre.”
Minimising waste
“Here at TCE we pride ourselves on running highly efficient systems and processes. We eliminate waste at source where we can and reuse or recycle as much raw material as we can. We recycle at least 95% of the ammonia that we use which is fed back into the process, and chemical waste such as burnt lime can be used for soil enrichment on farmland, for making cement and neutralising battery acid. Aside from our production, we recycle damaged pallets which are collected, repaired and resold. We also encourage our staff to recycle their own waste and have big skips across site for plastic, wood, metal and paper.”
The right thing to do
“By our very nature, our processes, our permits and our CCU (which is the first of its kind) we prove that we follow through on delivery and our credentials are clear. These days, environmental compliance is heavily scrutinised but at the end of the day it’s just the right thing to do. At TCE, looking after the planet is everyone’s job. From the people on plant, to head office, to contractors, to members of the local community and even the Environmental Agency – we all need to be working hand in hand to reduce our environmental impacts. It’s not just about making money, it’s about creating a place for those, like me, who started here young and want to see the business grow and develop and to do that we need to be taking compliance seriously.
“With everything happening in the world at the moment, it’s fair to say we’ve had our fair share of challenges and have shown great resilience. Where my role has been most challenging recently has largely been down to external factors. The rising cost of energy has meant managing efficiencies has become more important than ever so that ultimately, we are saving TCE time, energy and money.”
A safe space
“Environmental standards are intrinsic to our training process. We don’t just walk around and show people how to use things, we want them to understand the theory behind it. I don’t like just telling people what to do, I want them to understand why I’ve asked them to do certain things, I want them to fire questions at me and challenge me. I think that’s the key to boosting team engagement.
‘’What’s more I’m a proud mental health first aider. After my own personal experience and then seeing another business adopt mental health first aid training, I was keen for TCE to follow suit. Now there are 26 of us based across our plants and offices. It’s not about solving people’s problems; it’s about being a safe space for them to talk if they want to and signposting them available support and resources if appropriate.”
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