WIN!
The
FITBIT CHARGE 3
… YOUR MUNICIPAL DIVISION NEWSPAPER
WHAT’S INSIDE…
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BENEFIT BONANZA Discover what RenewiYOU has in store for you
February 2019
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PART OF THE TEAM Meet our new engineering apprentices
THE EYES AND EARS OF OUR SITES
LIFT LIKE AN OLYMPIAN To help you move heavy objects onsite more easily, a new video has been launched to teach the four principles of Olympic weightlifting. As well as taking a new approach to manual handling, the film also looks at slips, trips and falls to help on-site operatives stay safe when going about their day-to-day tasks. Adam King, Head of SHEQ, said: “We worked with Pristine Condition to develop the film. They are renowned for their manual handling teaching, so it’s great that our colleagues can now benefit from their expertise. “We hope the video will help colleagues on-site to remember how to stay safe when they’re lifting or moving heavy objects and help to prevent injuries.” Continued on page 8
ON A MISSION The Bring Site brigade putting customers first – p7
GOODBYE TO HISTORY
A huge floating operation to remove a historic 132-tonne jetty has been completed. Phoenix Jetty had to be removed after the structure became unstable and a potential risk to passing ships. The team brought in marine specialists, floating cranes and a 30-tonne weight to remove the jetty. Mark Robinson, Head of Property and Insurance, led the team and said the project was a huge success. Continued on page 6
02 ❙ February 2019
CHECK OUT YOUR CHAMPIONS! We’re always looking for stories about the people who make Renewi Municipal what it is, so our panel of Communications Champions are here to make it easier. Got a story about a hobby, fundraiser or best practice? Contact your Communications Champion and we’ll do the rest.
ARGYLL & BUTE
BDR
Eddie Ingram, Abi Cox, eddie.ingram@renewi.com abigail.cox@renewi.com
CANADA
CUMBRIA
Ann-Marie Cooper, amcooper@orgaworld.ca
Joanne Crone, joanne.crone@renewi.com
ELWA
DERBY Emma Ray, emma.ray@renewi.com
Gurjeet Kaur-Assi, gurjeet.kaur-assi@ renewi.com
ENGINEERING
FINANCE
Steve Bullock, steve.bullock@ renewi.com
Rachel Lindley, rachel.lindley@ renewi.com
HR
ICT
Claire Stackpoole, claire.stackpoole@ renewi.com
Simon Betts, simon.betts@renewi.com
LEGAL
PROCUREMENT
Sandra Dunsterville, sandra.dunsterville@ renewi.com
Heidi Brown, heidi.brown@renewi.com
MATERIALS
SHEQ
Nigel Currie, nigel.currie@renewi.com
Jade Bale, jade.bale@renewi.com
POCKET SUPPORT
Portable checklist could save lives A new tool to help colleagues stop, think and plan through jobs has been created after a close call made one of our teams rethink their handover process. When a safety guard wasn’t replaced on a refinement unit after maintenance, Site Manager Paul Wetherell and his team decided to take another look at the handover checks between the technician and operative teams. Helped by Regional Maintenance Manager Robert Barr, the team at Hespin Wood put their heads together and came up with a pocket-size solution for the handover. Paul said: “Before, the technician would radio up to the control
It really helps to get the simple message of ‘stop, think and plan’ across
room after they’d finished their maintenance to tell the controllers to switch the plant back on. “There were no official documents that meant controllers and technicians could be sure that everything had been checked before and after work was done.” THINK AND PLAN The pocketbook checklist is still being developed by the teams to make sure jobs are completed safely. Paul said: “Both technicians and controllers have to sign off to say the job’s been done. It’s still a work in progress and we’re getting feedback from guys and girls on-site all the time. “We’re working to make it perfect but are pleased with it so far. It really helps to get the simple message of ‘stop, think and plan’ across.”
The pocket-size checklist will reduce the risk of close calls
NEW YEAR, SAME FOCUS This year, we will support you to be the best that you can be, says James
I hope you all had a restful time off before our post-Christmas peak and thank you to all those that worked across this busy time. Without your hard work, we wouldn’t have been able to reach the achievements or make the tough decisions of the last year. We also wouldn’t have been able to make the excellent progress we’ve made so far this financial year, and will continue to make if we stay focused. PUTTING YOU FIRST These achievements are down to you and the kind of teamwork, innovation and collaboration that you have delivered. In 2019 we’ll be working hard to help you, both as team members and as individuals. We’ll continue to focus on safety as our
main priority, with initiatives such as SHEQ Champions (thanks to all who have signed up already) and our new manual handling video. FOCUSING ON CUSTOMERS We’ll also support your learning and training with tools such as our relaunched RenewiYOU online portal and invest in where you work to help you reach your full potential. I’d encourage anyone to take advantage of RenewiYOU. I managed to save money on Christmas presents and I know there are loads of other great discounts on there too! As well as investing in you, we’ll continue to focus on giving the best possible customer service. With your help I’m sure we won’t just meet their expectations but we will surpass them.
WAKEFIELD Sally Hurn, sally.hurn@renewi.com
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Editor: Jim Levack; Reporter: Cath Lyon; Sub Editor: Kate Feasey; Senior Art Editor: Natasha Lipinski Cox; Production Manager: Julia Fulford. MADE BY SONDER LTD, VICTORIA COURT, 8 DORMER PLACE, LEAMINGTON SPA, WARWICKSHIRE CV32 5AE. MADEBYSONDER.COM
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February 2019 ❙ 03
EYE OPENER FOR DRIVERS IN DENIAL
Wake up and copy Kirstie CCTV also showed a Teletruk hitting a baler fence
CAUGHT ON CAMERA
The team watched the CCTV and looked at the incident sites
Candid new video approach sparks safety conversations CCTV clips of drivers working unsafely have inspired colleagues to help stop dangerous behaviour on-site. In a push to find more SHEQ Champions, operatives were shown the You’ve Been Framed-style clips of three separate incidents involving internal and external drivers. Danny Tadd, Senior Operations Manager at Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR), said that the
Champions will help to stop accidents like this happening
videos also showed the importance of sharing safety rules with people entering and working on the site. SPOTTED He said: “I investigated each of the incidents on the videos and thought they were important for people to see because they really show how severe the consequences can be if something unsafe isn’t dealt with. “As soon as the CCTV videos started playing, the team were asking questions like, ‘What happened next?’, ‘How did this happen?’; they just couldn’t believe what they were seeing.” The videos showed one driver getting injured slipping out of his truck, another taking a shortcut opening his container door and being hit by falling parts of his load and a third wiping out a site vehicle door with his lorry.
Danny said: “One of the clips was even shown to the driver who wiped out the vehicle door. He soon stopped denying that he’d done it when he saw the CCTV.”
As soon as the CCTV videos started playing, the team were asking questions
Since the showing of the videos, more colleagues have signed up to become SHEQ Champions. The investigations of the incidents have been completed, with one driver charged for the damage that
was created and another asked to send an explanation for their behaviour to Renewi. As well as having an impact on the drivers and employees that were involved in the incidents, those that were shown the videos also took several lessons from the clips. Danny said: “Showing these videos to the team has really changed the way that they think about health and safety. “Instead of just looking at the procedure and why it’s important, they get to see the real-life consequences of what can happen if something goes wrong.” Fancy being a SHEQ Champion? Ask your SHEQ advisor for more info.
A colleague’s bright idea inspired by their love of coffee and the environment has been launched to raise money for charity. Renewi Reusable Mugs are made from recyclable and environmentally friendly materials and are now available to buy, with all of the proceeds being donated to The Ocean Cleanup, which is developing technologies to remove plastic and other waste from the sea. Kirstie Slade (above), PA to the Directors at Milton Keynes, has always carried a reusable cup with her and thought it would be a great idea for Renewi colleagues to have their own. INVESTING “It’s not just for environmental reasons that I keep a cup with me,” she said. “Most high-street coffee shops give you a 25p or 50p discount if you bring your cup in with you. “With 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups being used in the UK every year, buying a mug you can use every day will really make a difference to the amount of plastic waste you produce.” As well as being the perfect fit for your morning coffee, the £6 you pay for your mug will be donated to The Ocean Cleanup. SUSTAINABILITY Kirstie said: “One of our company values is sustainability, so having these mugs means that we can take this value further than our company. “We won’t just reduce the amount of plastic that we create on-site but we’ll be donating to a sustainable cause that will impact on the wider world too.” James Priestley, Managing Director for Municipal, has supported the project from the beginning and has already purchased a Renewi mug of his own to use every day. He said: “We all work to reduce waste in the world, so buying one of these cups is just another way that you can help to make a difference and reduce your impact on the environment.”
ORDER YOUR RENEWI MUG
TODAY
Simply send the number of cups you would like to renewi.mugs@renewi.com
04 ❙ February 2019 The team mapping out processes in Post-it paradise
RIPPING IDEA Piles of paper will be saved after admin system overhaul
A huge 314,000 pieces of paper a year will no longer be wasted after teams ripped up their waste haulage admin system and started again. Operators, management and continuous improvement (CI) teams came together to look at the paperwork process for exporting refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to Europe after finding inefficiencies in the system. INVESTIGATING With the old process, admin colleagues spent four hours of their day pulling together and posting 49
sheets of information for every vehicle load leaving the UK. Once the team had mapped out the
We have the potential to save 1,248 pieces of paper a day by moving to an online portal
whole process, they looked over the paperwork and found that 48 of the 49 pages were generic and could be
placed on an electronic system. Neil O’Connor and Brendan Court, from the CI team, led the project and together with their colleagues found an electronic system to store and share these pages. SAVING Greg Walton, CI Leader, said: “With 20 to 26 fuel loads being dispatched from ELWA every day, we have the potential to save 1,248 pieces of paper a day just by moving online. “This will mean a cost saving of £4-5k a year on postage and printing and will help us to save time and
reduce the amount of wasted paper.” He and the team hope that the new online system, once fully completed, will make a huge impact on colleagues as well as waste levels. He said: “We’ve also started looking at other areas of our operations, such as the logistical side. “It’s still a work in progress, but now we’ve got a better understanding of the whole process, we can start to look at how we add value and reduce inefficiency across the whole system. This will benefit our business, our colleagues and our customers too.”
BOTTLES TO BENCHES Community fund backs playground colour splash One of our community funds has helped to bring a touch of colour to a local park renovation. The park, which is in the village of Tintwistle in Derbyshire, has been undergoing a full makeover, with brandnew swings, slides and play areas also being installed. COLOUR To put the finishing touches to their new community space, the Friends of Conduit Street applied to Renewi’s Derbyshire community fund, which gives £1,000 a year each to projects in Glossop and Clover Nook, towns which have waste transfer stations, where waste is dropped off and reloaded.
Emma Ray, Waste Education and Minimisation Officer, said that she knew the project would be perfect for the fund as soon as she heard about the benches. FUN She said: “The benches are made from recycled plastic bottles, mainly milk bottles, which fits in perfectly with what we want the fund to be used for. “The local community had already raised quite a lot of money for the renovation, so it was great to help them finish off the project.” The fund contributed a total of £875 towards the seats, which will give families the space to rest and enjoy a picnic, and bring a bit more colour and
fun to the park too. Emma hopes that when local groups see how the fund can contribute to sustainable projects they’ll be more likely to apply for it. She said: “In the past we’ve funded a pond dipping platform, beehives and beekeeping equipment, and bird and bat boxes. These have meant that we could support local community projects and help them be more sustainable. “This is a great example of how sustainability can make a real difference to communities. We hope that once people see the benches and think about the milk bottles that they came from, they’ll be encouraged and come forward to apply for the fund in the future.”
February 2019 ❙ 05
NEW-LOOK SITE IS ALL ABOUT YOU Wellbeing advice and help is a focus for the new site
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Better, bigger benefits in store with RenewiYOU relaunch Our team have been working hard to make our colleague portal, RenewiYOU, much more than just a place to get your high-street discounts. Along with the benefits already on RenewiYOU, the newly designed portal will give you information about your pension, offer you wellbeing advice and tips, help you to connect with colleagues and complete learning and development courses. These new features, which include an eLearning area, are part of our investment in rewarding, recognising and revitalising our colleagues, both at work and at home. Vicki Marchant, Learning and Development Manager, said that the
colleagues who have already tested out the site are looking forward to benefiting from all of the new offers and incentives that are available. She said: “We’re all really excited about the relaunch because it will open up many more benefits to all of our colleagues, both at work and when we’re with our families.”
CHECK IT OUT Head to renewiyou.co.uk to try out the new benefits and features on our portal
ELEARNING We want all of our colleagues to develop in their roles, so we’ve developed our eLearning portal. Each colleague will now have a job-specific learning plan to complete and access to new courses and videos. These will include health and safety and personal development and be accessible on any device at any time. We’re also setting up terminals in canteens and site offices so on-site colleagues can access this training and information.
WELLBEING We know that finding time for yourself in your busy schedule can be difficult. To help you with your mental, physical and financial wellbeing, we’ve created lots of new videos, articles and advice on our portal. Whether you want a new fitness routine, a healthy recipe for tea, simple mindfulness exercises or professional advice on managing your money, this new information will be there to help you.
ECARDS We want all of our colleagues to be recognised and rewarded for the fantastic work they do. You can now help us do this by sending an eCard to a workmate who has done something to reflect one of our company values. Anyone can send an eCard from our new portal. Just login, enter a colleague’s information and the reason why you’re sending a card and they’ll get it straightaway.
PENSIONS Every colleague is entitled to join our Renewi Pension Scheme, which you’ll now be able to sign up to online. You can also keep track of your pension payments, see your overall pension fund or even change the amount you’re paying. This means you can easily keep an eye on the investments that you’re making for the future.
We’re listening… and acting Our You Said, You Did approach, a result of our Pulse employee survey, has been celebrating the achievements of our colleagues. These include teams coming together to think differently about how they can make sites better and more efficient. Our colleagues have shared some of their most recent improvements.
The Derby team have started regular morning meetings
INFORMED To get a better understanding of where the waste they collect goes after it leaves their site, the teams at Wakefield HWRCs visited the local organisations that process it. As well as spending time with the employees at charity Re-Valued CIC and contractor Bag It Up, Site Supervisor Elaine Gordon also developed a monthly brief for all three sites so they could gain greater understanding in the future.
HEALTHY To improve their fitness and worklife balance, the Engineering and Performance team at Milton Keynes decided to walk to the Surrey biofuel facility – virtually! They set themselves the target of travelling 4,666 miles in 13 weeks by tracking their physical and mental exercises, such as lunchtime walks and sudoku puzzles. This has encouraged them to work together to meet this target, as well as take out a bit of ‘me time’ each day too. TEAMWORK With the commissioning of the Derby & Derbyshire Waste Treatment Centre site full steam ahead, there was a need for more structured communication between the management team and other colleagues on a regular basis.
A daily stand-up meeting is now held in the control room between the site management and a representative from each department, which has gone down really well with all of the teams. UPSKILLING To upskill the team at the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) site, colleagues wanted to recruit a SHEQ Champion and a new engineering apprentice. Roger Grange enrolled as a Champion and Terry Baines started as an apprentice at the end of 2018. The team also requested and put up an information board so they could stay informed about site news and performance. Colleagues find it really useful to stay informed. Contact your Communication Champion (page 2) to tell us about the changes your team are making.
06 ❙ February 2019
FACT FILE Originally known as Phoenix Wharf, the jetty was used to unload timber from Russian ships. The pontoon was permanently moored and crawler cranes were used to take timber off the ships. After the timber factory closed, the jetty was used by the nearby Ford factory, as well as by the sand and gravel industry.
The old jetty pillars (below) were rotting badly; and (above and right) a crane lifts the giant platform clear
Mark Robinson (below) hailed the project a success
… AND THE PHOENIX (JETTY) HAS FLOWN
Historical jetty removed in floating crane and barge operation
No one really knew why the Phoenix Jetty was there, until it had to be taken down. After the Port of London Authority got in touch to say the rotting jetty needed to be removed, the team started researching the history of why it was built in the first place. Mark Robinson, Head of Property and Insurance, said that although it had been part of the skyline from the Frog Island site for years, very little was known about it. He said: “It had been hoped that, as part of the ELWA contract, the jetty could be revitalised to deliver waste
or remove product via the Thames. “The cost of doing this made it unachievable, so it hasn’t been used at all, just remained standing until it was unstable and needed to be removed fairly urgently.” EXTRACTING Dismantling the jetty, including the pillars that were keeping it attached to the riverbed, was a huge task for the team. As well as consulting marine specialists, the team had to use a combination of cranes, barges, a 30-tonne weight and struts to take
the rest of the jetty down. Mark said: “A crane on a floating platform was used to take the 132-tonne concrete platform away for recycling, which had to be chained up and made safe, together with removing other timber structures. “Then, each of the dolphin timbers had to be sawn down to a manageable size, before the weight and the crane were used to lift them out of the riverbed. Some of them came out really easily, which just shows how unstable they were!” After two months of work the jetty was finally removed, completely
changing the view from the Frog Island site. SUCCESSFUL Mark said that although the job was unexpected, its cost had been effectively managed and it didn’t impact on the business operationally. “The contractors we brought in were great, as were the team involved in the consulting and planning stages, which made the project a whole lot easier,” he said. “If we have to remove the remaining structures from the site, we’ll know exactly how to get it done effectively.”
SAVE OUR SEA! When you think of a beach holiday, you might think of pina coladas, parasols and picnics. But do you think of a litter picker? That’s how one colleague spent her holiday after a group of children she worked with became interested in the effect of plastic and other waste on the ocean. Emma Ray (left), Waste Education and Minimisation Officer at Derby, admits that it wasn’t her usual way of spending time on the beach. LITTER PICKING “It’s not your typical holiday activity,” she said. “But before I went away, I’d been running a class with one of my primary school groups about how waste can clutter up the sea and the beaches.” On a mission to bring back a souvenir
or two for her group to see, Emma and her family took to Sheringham beach with their litter pickers. As well as plastic bags, fishing nets and a flag from a buoy, the family picked up cable ties, medical gloves and part of a toilet seat (pictured left).
EXCITING “I was amazed to see the weird and wonderful things we found,” Emma said. “If we hadn’t picked this rubbish up, it would’ve just got washed out again. Loads of people came over to us on the beach and asked what we were up to; they all thought it was fantastic.” The children in her group were excited about the different items that Emma brought back with her, so much so that she’s hoping to get other members of her team involved.
“There isn’t much sea near us in Derby,” she said. “Some of the children haven’t even seen the sea before. To show them how littering can affect their lives, I hope to do a local pick with colleagues and bring back the items for the children to see what’s come from their city. “Now we’ve got people to think about the impact of waste, hopefully more will be inspired to go out and do it themselves. I’ll certainly be doing it again!”
Loads of people came over to us on the beach; they all thought it was fantastic
February 2019 ❙ 07
LIFE AS A BRING SITE OPERATIVE
BRING IT ON
3 men, 2 vehicles, 1 mission: to keep their Bring Sites ready for the public Wedding rings, snakes and flytipped waste are all in a day’s work for our Bring Site trio. Pat Carragher, Russ Turner and Lincoln Livsey have been looking after 31 Bring Sites across Wakefield for more than five years. Working in two vehicles, the team go around each site two or three times a week to make sure they’re clean and tidy, to check the banks and cages, and to help any members of the public with their waste. “Russ works on his own to do minor repairs, signage and all that sort of
With my job, I feel like I’m contributing and making things better, even if it’s just in a small way
thing,” said Pat. “Lincoln and I have the bigger truck, so we pick up the fridges and ovens, empty the cages and help with some larger jobs such as moving recycling banks.” AWARE Although he drives his truck alone, Russ works closely with the other two to make sure that the Bring Sites are always ready for the public to use. “Often it can be older people who recycle the most,” Russ said. “But I’ve noticed since I’ve started the job how people, including the younger generation, have become more aware of how important it is. “You see all of these pictures on the TV of whales swallowing plastic and things like that, it’s just horrific. With my job, I feel like I’m contributing and making things better, even if it’s just in a small way.” The sites that the team cover include supermarkets, shops and rural village banks, which means they occasionally have to clear up unusual or dangerous
Pat, Russ, Darren Kearford and Wayne are hard at work on the sites
items that people have left behind. Lincoln said: “I once got a call-out to a site to a woman who was really upset. She’d been putting some paper in the bank and had lost her wedding ring as she’d pulled her hand out. “We had to open the bank and look through all the paper and cardboard to try and find it. Sadly, we never managed to get it back.” DIFFERENT Pat said: “You get fly-tipped waste and needles quite a lot. Once I was sorting out some rubbish and a snake slid
out at me. It was a real python, but luckily it was dead. It gave me a right shock! We had to call the Environment Agency to take it away.” Although every day is different for the trio, it’s giving the public the cleanest, best site possible that always makes their job worthwhile. POSITIVE Russ said: “In the whole time I’ve worked for Renewi, I’ve never had cross words with anyone. People are always positive and appreciate the fact that we keep the sites clean. “Before I started this job I was ignorant about how important recycling is,” he said. “But when
you work in the industry, it really opens your eyes. Bring Sites are an important part of keeping our countryside and oceans clean.” Wayne Wilburn, Operations Supervisor for the team at Wakefield, said that without the guys looking after them, the public would be less likely to use the Bring Sites. He said: “The team really are the eyes and ears of these sites. They don’t just fix things and keep the cages and walkways tidy, they help out the public on a regular basis too. “We do a public survey every year and the feedback from those that use the sites is always positive. I think these types of roles should be available at Bring Sites throughout the UK.”
08 ❙ February 2019
GET ADVICE If you’re struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, we want you to get back to full health as soon as possible. Talk to your manager or your HR advisor and we can give you the help you need to get back on track.
Rachel Lindley, David Skett and Leanne Pullen after the course
Teams stay cool in a crisis Two groups of colleagues have learnt how to work better with the public and each other after graduating from two of our learning and development programmes. The two courses, managed by our Learning and Development team, were designed to help colleagues feel more confident dealing with the challenges they face in their role. A total of 85 East London colleagues completed the Recognise and Resolve Conflicts course, which gave them advice on how to spot the warning signs of a potential argument with a member of the public and how to deal with these situations more effectively. Another 17 managers and supervisors graduated from the Leadership Development course, where they learnt how to work more effectively as a team leader, including dealing with difficult conversations and coaching the best out of colleagues.
We’ve already seen some great successes from colleagues putting their learning into practice Vicki Marchant, Learning and Development Manager, said these new courses have been created to help teams work better together, as well as improve certain areas of the business. She said: “So far the conflict avoidance course has been delivered in East London and the Leadership course has been run with two small cohorts of colleagues, and the feedback has been really positive. “We’ve already seen some great successes from colleagues putting their learning into practice. People are feeling much more confident in these situations. We will be rolling them out to everyone so they can all benefit from these skills.” These programmes will continue to be offered to more individuals and teams this year, with the hope that these will give colleagues the skills they need. Vicki said: “Whether you’re a manager or an operative, these courses will help you do your job even better, which is the main aim of all of our learning and development training.”
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
TRAINING
by getting in touch with Vicki by email on victoria.marchant@renewi.com
TESTING FOR SAFETY A drug and alcohol advisor tells us what to expect if we’re picked To make sure that every one of our colleagues is safe, we’ll be running random drug and alcohol testing throughout 2019. So you know what to expect if you’re called for a test, we asked one of our Clinical Advisors, Olivia Bligh from Crystal Health Group, who are carrying out the tests, to explain the process to us. How are the colleagues that are being tested chosen? When we go to a site for testing, we get a full list of employees and randomly select 10 names from the list. Because we don’t work for Renewi, we don’t
no sample is given, we may ask for an alternative sample type or this will be recorded as a non-conformity. How long do I have to wait for my results? The test results will be given straightaway. You’ll receive a copy of your results, which will show a tick by each substance next to either ‘nonnegative’ or ‘negative’. A copy will also be passed on to your manager and the HR department.
have any knowledge of these colleagues before the test and managers aren’t involved in the selection process. What happens during a test? We’ll first ask the colleague being tested to fill in a form with their name, date of birth and get them to sign their consent to be tested. We’ll also ask for proof of ID or ask a manager to confirm their identity. We’ll often do the alcohol breathalyser first, which involves a colleague blowing into a tube. We’ll then do the drug test, which will involve giving us a urine sample. To make people as comfortable as
possible when giving a urine sample, we will put an on-site toilet aside for testing, although there will be antitamper devices installed there. What if I can’t give a urine sample during the test? We’ll offer a glass of water and wait up to 40 minutes. If after this time
HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?
We understand that drug and alcohol testing can be nerveracking, but we are operating random testing to make sure that all of our colleagues are safe. To find out more about our policy or testing, please get in touch with your HR department or ask your manager.
FOUR STEPS TO LIFT LIKE AN OLYMPIAN A new video shows colleagues how to stay safe (and strong) by thinking and working like an Olympian powerlifter. Our Health and Safety team have taken advice from Pristine Condition, a manual handling training specialist, to create a video that shows colleagues how to avoid injuring themselves when lifting heavy items. The video was filmed at our Wakefield site and uses the four principles of Olympic weightlifting to show colleagues how to carry out manual handling safely. LIFTING Adam King, Head of SHEQ, said this video can have a positive impact on colleagues’ day-to-day work. He said: “Manual handling is one of the biggest risks to our operatives,
particularly on our HWRC sites. This video shows how the professionals lift so our colleagues can benefit from these tips. “It also takes a look at slips, trips and falls and has been sent to our 30 trainers, who’ll soon be sharing this advice with all of our site colleagues.”
HANDLING The four principles are picking up inside the base, using the engines of the body, turning not twisting, and dipping and driving when pushing objects, all of which are explained in the video and will help to prevent injury and help colleagues lift better. Adam said: “We’ve already found that the video helps people, so hopefully we will soon see a positive impact on accident rates on-site.” To watch the video head to renewiyou.co.uk
February 2019 ❙ 09
INNOVATION AND TEAMWORK
TOTALLY FLOORED! Team dig up cracking solution to biodrying issue A mystery that baffled colleagues at one of our sites has finally been solved. Colleagues at ELWA couldn’t understand why the drying-out process at Jenkins Lane was taking longer than usual. But after pulling up the site floor, all became clear. Concrete tiles under the MBT processor, which dries shredded black bag waste, were set to be replaced after an inspection revealed that wear was worse than expected. UNCOVERING But the team of 12 at Jenkins Lane were left shocked after they found cracks and holes, as well as some excess waste and moisture, under Line Three. Kevin Bell, ELWA Contract Director, said: “Typically, in this process we’d expect to take out 30% worth of moisture from the waste, with the full drying-out cycle taking 14 days. “At Jenkins Lane, we struggled to take out that much moisture and the cycle took 17 days,” he said. “It wasn’t until we started pulling up the tiles that we found a lot of moisture and waste was going into holes in the floor, making the process inefficient.” This refurb is one of several taking place, with the floor of Line Three in Frog Island the next site due to be inspected and renovated. Tom Shepherd, Process Engineering Project Manager, and Phil Morley, Lifecycle Project Engineer, managed the floor
replacement and investigated the potential problems behind the damage and resulting inefficiencies. Tom said: “To keep the replacement efficient and get the line back up and running by Christmas, we were hoping to save the majority of the tiles. But the damage was so bad that we only managed to save 23 out of 227 tiles.” INVESTIGATING “We’re currently looking into why the damage is so bad. One problem was that the virtual floor height was changed so the grab could pick up more rubbish quickly. This scratched up the tiles underneath.” By analysing the problems from the Jenkins Lane refurb, the team have improved their site process and are hoping to benefit others too. Kevin said: “Improving the efficiency of the drying process means we’ve got more capacity and can look at taking on new projects and contracts this year. “Having done the process once, we’ve got a lot of expertise to help us with the other sites. It’s been really well managed and I’m very pleased with the results.”
(inset, top left) Floorplan of the 227 tiles; (top right) getting rid of all the waste took a serious team effort; (main) Line Three with tiles removed
SUCCESSES COME IN THREES All three Canadian sites have been enjoying a winning streak after landing several new contracts for this year. This success comes after recent processing problems at the London site, which meant that the other two plants had to pull together to help out.
The Canada team are looking forward to the year ahead
CONFIDENCE Kim Gocher, Business Development Manager for the Canada sites, said: “We were really proud of how the teams pulled together through this tricky time and now, with these new contracts, all of
our colleagues can feel confident about the business in 2019.” With three new municipal contracts secured until 2021, the Surrey biofuel plant is now within reach of full capacity. “The team at Surrey are really excited that we’re reaching this milestone,” Kim said. “The fact that we have settled these contracts for three years has filled the team with confidence ready to face this latest challenge.” GRABS London has been busy building relationships, landing an extension to
its contract with the City of Toronto and assisting a processor for the City of Hamilton, which will put the site in good standing for when the next contract comes up for grabs. PRODUCTIVE The Ottawa plant is also hard at work with its maintenance and plant upgrades, meeting higher than projected volumes from the City of Ottawa at the end of last year. Kim said: “It’s been a very productive time for Renewi Canada. We can’t wait for what this year will bring.”
10 ❙ February 2019
BUILDING A FUTURE Our engineering apprentices are breathing new life into team Two new apprentices have become firm members of their teams after bringing bags of energy and keen attitudes to their sites. Ewan Frith and Jack Griffiths started working part-time on their sites as part of their college engineering apprenticeships. Since then, they’ve seriously impressed their managers and colleagues with their enthusiasm and
I’ve always been interested in working on engines and enjoyed tinkering with cars and bikes
‘ready to learn’ attitude. Ewan, who is studying mechanical engineering at Carlisle college, is now looking to move on to study electrical engineering after being inspired by the teams at Northern Resource Park. He said: “I’ve always been interested in working on engines and enjoyed tinkering with cars and bikes. “I joined the team in November and have been really surprised by how much hands-on work there is. It’s great and has really inspired me to make the move to working on the electrical side.” INTERESTING Recruited from Furness college, Jack is in his second year of his electrical engineering apprenticeship and started working on the Southern Resource Park in October.
(l-r above) Mike, Ewan, Jack and Robert enjoy being part of the team He said: “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the team. They’ve already taught me a lot and it’s so much more interesting to learn things on the job than in a classroom.” Maintenance Supervisors Mike Lock and Greg Bell have been looking after Ewan and Jack on-site and are impressed by how the lads have been getting on. Mike said: “Ewan has fitted in really well with the rest of the team and although he was late starting his college course, he’s really keen to catch up and make up that ground. “All I care about when I take someone on is that they are keen enough and Ewan has a natural interest in both mechanical and electrical engineering. “It’s great to have someone who’s completely new and hasn’t picked up
any old habits from their previous work. It’s like having a fresh start!” INSPIRING Robert Barr, Regional Maintenance Manager, said that bringing the two lads onboard has not only benefited them but the rest of the team too. He said: “We’ve always struggled to recruit the right type of engineers for our plants, so getting apprentices onboard is the perfect opportunity to train them in the areas that are key to the way we work. “As well as tailoring their training to what we want, we’re working to match their jobs on-site with the work
that they’re doing at college, giving them the best training possible.” Although it’s still early days for the two, Robert also hopes they will continue to work with Renewi after their apprenticeship. He said: “They’ve really got an excellent attitude and have been a breath of fresh air for everyone in their teams. We’re really pleased to have them and look forward to working alongside them into the future.”
Feeding the community Hundreds of families can now grow and eat the nutritious and healthy food that they need thanks to help from the Renewi team. Charities in the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) areas have received hundreds of pounds from the Manvers facility’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund this year. Up to £3,000 has been donated to an allotment for children and adults with special needs, a group for adults with autism and learning difficulties and a crisis group for families. CHANGING Abi Cox, Community Education Liaison Officer, said: “Our aim is to be a good neighbour and make a positive contribution to the local community. “We want to help improve the communities we serve more broadly by supporting initiatives such as these around Manvers.” CSR funding is now available to support local charities. Take a look at RenewiYOU to find out more about how to get involved.
David Bennett (main) and (inset) Kevin Bell talk to their colleagues
STAND DOWN TO STAY SAFE When you’re doing your day job, it can be hard to take the time to remind yourself about staying safe on-site. To help colleagues keep the key messages in mind, the SHEQ team will be running regular Safety Stand Down days throughout this year. These Stand Down days will be held every two months, with each one taking colleagues through one of our seven HomeSafe pillars. Adam King, Head of SHEQ, said
that the Stand Downs are really important to keep people refreshed on the key messages of health and safety.
REMINDER He said: “The HomeSafe pillars have been created to make sure we’re working together to get everyone home safe at the end of the day. “By taking time out of our schedules to properly look at each pillar, we can start to make real changes in our team and encourage people to start thinking
about health and safety more often.” The first Stand Down day was held in September last year, with the second in November introducing SHEQ Champions. As a result of this Stand Down, 70 colleagues signed up to become on-site Champions, which will give a great support to Adam’s eight-strong team. INFLUENCE Adam said: “The SHEQ Champions will now be our eyes and ears and can
make real changes to the safety of their colleagues and the site. “These Champions are one of the most important pillars of our HomeSafe scheme because they’re the ones that can be proactive on their site and be a great influence on how things are done there. “On top of our tours, awards and academy, and our communications and policies, I believe that the Champions can bring about a real difference to our health and safety.”
February 2019 ❙ 11
INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE
THANKS A MILLION
The team worked hard to get the site back in working order
Big money makeover for plants Three sites have teamed up as part of a £1 million clean-up and maintenance mission. The refurbs will help to make the plants safer, more efficient and a whole lot tidier. Taking on this mammoth task are colleagues at Oban, Lochgilphead and Dunoon, who are supporting each other through the renovations, due to be finished in March. Eddie Ingram, Interim Contract Manager for Argyll & Bute, said that this project would not be possible without the teamwork of the plants. CLEANING He said: “Each site will have to shut down during the refurbishments. For this time, the other two plants will take any waste and process it.
This means more pressure on the teams...but I think every colleague will see how it’s all worth it
“This means more pressure on the teams who have to move the waste between the three plants and process it, but I think every colleague will see how it’s all worth it.” During the refurb at Oban, the team worked 12-hour shifts to get the job done, including stripping down and replacing the conveyor belts, gears, rollers and fittings. A crane was also brought in to the Oban site to straighten up a trommel that had fallen out of place. Michael Harvey, Technical Assistant, and Stewart Love, Project Manager, are managing the refurbs and have learnt a lot from Oban about how to make the maintenance process more efficient. RETHINKING Michael said: “On the second site, we will be getting things ready for the repairs to take place, so once all of the parts are on-site, everyone can crack on and get the job done. “It’s great to see this investment being made. When the plants are clean, they’ll be much easier to maintain and they will be safer and better places to work.” Oban plant operatives also made the most of the time by finishing
BEFORE
repair jobs on-site, such as tidying up the HWRCs, reorganising the road map and cleaning up signage. Eddie said: “The plants were starting to turn into places where you didn’t want to be and downtime was starting to be a problem.
“Now all of this work is being done, we are putting in processes for cleaning and maintenance so we can keep the plants clean, tidy and operating efficiently. It really is a great way for our teams to start the new year!”
SHIPSHAPE ‘SHOP
Before, the team had nowhere to put their tools
AFTER
Now, it’s all nice and tidy in their container workshop
Our Education team are always looking for different ways to engage the public in recycling their waste. This is a particular challenge over Christmas, when the amount of waste that households throw away rises by around 30%. To try and encourage people to recycle more over the festive season, the team at South Kirkby donned their crimbo jumpers and woolly hats for a special version of a classic carol. Mince pie foils, cans and a Christmas tree took the place of gold rings, milking maids and partridges for their song. The Education team rewrote the 12 Days of Christmas carol and the South Kirkby team starred alongside colleagues from Wakefield council in the video, which was posted across social media. Jade Wilkes, Education Officer at South Kirkby, said: “We wanted a fun way to get the public to recycle and it was great that so many of the team got involved in singing our carol.”
Martin Waterhouse, HWRC Manager, led parts of the project
An engineering team have been working hard to renovate a shipping container into their new home. The container, which will now be a workshop for the team of four, has been placed on the Hespin Wood site to replace their previous work areas on-site. Robert Barr, Regional Maintenance Manager, said that the team, which include one supervisor, three engineers and an apprentice, are already settling into their new home. RELOCATING He said: “They’re over the moon with the space because they now have a base for all of their work and a place to keep their tools. “Although they often worked in other parts of the building, they weren’t always the best places for certain jobs to be done, such as hot work, which meant that the team
Sing a song of recycling
often had to work outside. This is a much better solution for them.” A hot workshop and general store have also been installed at Sowerby Woods, Barrow, as part of an investment into site facilities. UNUSUAL Robert said that although they may seem like an unusual solution, all of the on-site teams are really pleased with their new workshops. He said: “We’ve found that shipping containers are the best option for us on these sites. “Not only does it mean that we don’t need to build a whole new permanent workshop on-site but that our teams have enough space to work and a secure place to keep all of their equipment too. “Everyone I’ve spoken to across the three sites is so far pleased with them, so it seems like they really are the best solution for the business and our teams.”
We all sang the song and then dressed up in our Christmas jumpers, brought mince pies in and mimed for the video Although it didn’t quite reach Christmas number one, the video of the carol, launched on Facebook and YouTube in December, had been seen by 13,944 people by the new year. “We had so much fun making it,” said Jade. “It’s great that so many people have enjoyed watching it.” Becky Dykes, HWRC and Transfer Station Manager, starred in the video along with her team and said that it really helped them to get into the Christmas spirit before the holidays. “I thought it was a fantastic idea,” she said. “We all sang the song together and then dressed up in our Christmas jumpers, brought mince pies in and mimed bits for the video. I was on six papers scrunching! “Having a video really helps to get the importance of recycling across to people, without being too serious. It was really good fun to film too.”
WATCH
THE TEAM’S MUSIC VIDEO See the Renewi carollers in action at facebook.com/ RecycleforWakefield/
WIN!
12 ❙ February 2019
Y FANTAS LL FOOTBA Just 10 points separate the top two in a battle royal for the Real Renewi title, with the season just past its halfway stage. Jake Hammond’s Hardly Athletic top the table with 1333 points, but Jumpers4Goalposts, managed by Craig Owen, are breathing down his neck. Further down the table there are only 52 points between third place and the shared ninth place, but as every football fan knows it’s a marathon not a sprint! Four sides in the top 10 are on shared points, which shows just how tight it is at the top – Andy Hart’s COYR and Mark Standish-Leigh’s ItisWhatItIs2 are locked in fifth on 1275 points, while Paul Fleming’s Cantthinkofaname and Ross O’Leary’s Super Leeds share ninth spot on 1255. Will Salah keep on scoring and will Kane return to a fanfare? Who knows, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on the title chase.
FITBIT CHARGE 3
Keep track of your new year regime with a Fitbit Charge 3 Whether you’re looking to take your training to the next level or just want to keep an eye on your sleep, the Fitbit Charge 3 can help. The latest model has a tracker with the most up-to-date technology to help you keep tabs on your health and fitness. The waterproof watch tracks your calorie burn and heart rate levels
MANAGER’S NAME
PTS
1 Jake Hammond
1333
2 Craig Owen
1323
3 Mikey Gray
1307
4 Ross Williamson
1302
5 Mark Standish-Leigh
1275
5 Andy Hart
1275
during exercise, and it monitors your activity when you’re asleep so you can watch your sleep patterns. For a chance to win, simply answer the question below.
7 Darryl Hopkinson
1273
8 Peter Clarke
1265
9 Paul Fleming
1255
Q
9 Ross O’Leary
1255
How many Bring Sites do the Wakefield operative team look after in their local area?
EMAIL YOUR ANSWER TO renewi@madebysonder.com TERMS AND CONDITIONS The winning entry will be chosen at random. Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Renewi Reporter reserves the right to change the prize without notice. It cannot be exchanged for cash. We collect your name, contact number and address solely for processing and selecting a winner. Your data is not shared with any third party and is deleted after the competition has finished and the winner confirmed. The competition winner’s name will be published. The closing date is 20 March 2019.
SEND US YOUR STORIES…
Do you have a colleague with a hidden talent? Is there a superstar in your midst? Let us know at renewi@madebysonder.com
ECHO SPOT WINNER
Congratulations to Andrew Clare, HWRC Officer from Hespin Wood, who correctly answered our questions about learning and development.
JUST FOR FUN SPOT THE DIFFERENCE The view from Frog Island has changed forever after a two-month operation to remove a 132-tonne jetty and its rotting supporting struts. No one was too sure why it was there until we started doing a little research into its past and what the company that was here before us used it for. Because change is always a good thing we’ve made five more to the view of the Thames from our ELWA site, so take a look at the two pictures to see what’s different, just for a bit of fun. The answers are below.
PICTURE 1
PICTURE 2
Answers: 1 No white boat in distance 2 Diagonal strut on second post missing 3 Top right cross strut missing 4 Thin pillar missing 5 Chimney and smoke missing
HAVE YOUR SAY
SEE P2 FOR YOUR
Communications Champion
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