InColors
ISSUE 011 December 2016
Quarterly newspaper of the Colors business
Together we can move mountains
WHAT’s INSIDE
Next steps towards a sustainable UK business
Tata Steel Walsall launches new product
The CC60 audience had an update on Shotton’s recent investment project; developing the next generation of branded building envelope products. The installation of new coater heads on Shotton’s Colorcooat No1 line will begin in January
The importance of working together as one business was a key theme when colleagues from across the Colors business recently got their heads together in ‘putting the world to rights’. The annual conferences; CC60 (leaders from across the four sites) and Sales and Marketing Conference (Building Envelope commercial colleagues from all across Europe) both took place in October, providing a review of the year so far, but with a main focus on key current and future activities for the coming months. Thomas Wright, Commercial
Graduate at Shotton attended the Sales and Marketing Conference, held in IJmuiden: “Meeting so many different people from different regions and in varied roles was immensely useful to get my head around the scope of the organisation and the variety of work that goes on, not just at the Shotton site where I am based but across Europe.
The positivity that came from people catching up face-to-face was clear to see, providing a valuable opportunity for colleagues to encourage closer working relationships, knowledge sharing and working collaborations.” David Hanson, Director Colors Coil Sales led the event and was tremendously impressed by the
enthusiasm and commitment of the team. He said, “of course the team are happy with the current results but the thirst and hunger to do even better was amazing. Each of the sites have key commercial priorities and actions to improve the overall results and these were discussed in detail. Following the conference, I am more than confident that the team understand what needs to be done and through the ongoing collaboration and a keen focus on the customer we will together shape our
TURN TO PAGE 3 >
2
4
Taking Time out for Safety
5
Maintenance team wins award
6 1
InColors
ISSUE 011 | December 2016
HENRIK’S COLUMN
Next steps towards a sustainable UK business
Being an owner Have you ever tried to tie your shoelaces with one hand? I know from personal experience that it is pretty difficult. Similarly, the left hand not knowing what the right hand does, causes all sorts of issues too. Our company has traditionally often run operational and commercial matters as separate parts. When these parts did operate together, they were often centred around a business or a specific hub. That worked fine for small or local customers. But in a world in which our many important customers run global supply chains, that causes an issue. I can give you multiple examples of how a single customer was serviced by different account teams. We need to show one face to the customer and speak in one voice. To achieve that, we are building and strengthening a single European commercial function that drives excellence. As our supply chains remain regionally structured around the UK and Mainland Europe hubs, so do operational reporting lines. The step we now need to take is to break through the barriers of our operational or commercial silos and work together to achieve the best value for the company and the customer. I’ll give you an example: after a meeting with executives from Renault at their Technocentre - a huge operational headquarters near Paris - recently, I bumped into a number of our people. Colleagues from Customer Technical Services and Sales were working together with the customer. Here, on a small scale, operational and commercial colleagues were performing as a single team. It is such a natural thing to do. It may feel ambiguous to own the responsibility for a function, business or site and to be asked to also share responsibility for what feels like someone else’s job. Yet, success starts and ends with self-confident people willing and able to take on common ownership of customer satisfaction. Let me spell this out: it is a team effort and it has to become common practice across all levels of the organisation. We need both hands to tie our shoelaces, only then can we start running. Henrik Adam, Chief Commercial Officer
The agreement includes conditional assurances on operating the existing blast furnace configuration in Port Talbot until 2021
Tata Steel and the trade unions in the UK have reached an agreement in principle on proposals designed to help secure a more sustainable future for the UK business. Central to the agreement in principle are proposed changes to the UK pension provision and a number of conditional assurances on investments and employment. “Following constructive meetings over a number of months, this proposed agreement marks a step in the right direction and clear support for a continued future for the UK business as part of our European operations,” said Hans Fischer, CEO and CTO, Europe. The proposal includes closing the British Steel Pension Scheme to future accrual. Employees would be offered a competitive defined contribution
to support further plant upgrades, automation and other digital initiatives. “The proposed agreement is a strong sign of faith in the UK business, which is thanks in no small part to our colleagues in the UK themselves,” Hans said. “They have mustered huge effort to deliver results which not only meet, but actually beat Annual Plan this year. Their impressive and hard work in achieving their targets this year and turning the business around has been recognised by the company.” Bimlendra Jha, CEO, Tata Steel UK, added: “We must all remain realistic and recognise that we still have a long way to go before we reach a level of sustainable profits in the UK. By that, I mean a level which allows the business to fulfil its financial obligations and to make the investments that are
“The agreement is a strong sign of faith in the UK business, which is thanks in no small part to our colleagues in the UK themselves.” Hans Fischer, CEO and CTO, Europe
essential to continue to be able to meet customer demands.” Hans concluded: “I believe these proposals are a necessary and positive further step towards a viable future for our business, not only for the UK, but for Europe as a whole. I firmly believe that our combined and growing strength is a huge benefit in itself and that it will help support our position in any future scenario.”
Quality opens up Nordic market
Building on a strengthening relationship a delegation from Norsk Stål recently visited Tata Steel. The Scandinavian customer which covers about a third of the Norwegian stockholder market plans to double its offering of strip products in the coming years. Here,Tor Kittelsen, Key Account Manager at Norsk Stål provides some background on his company’s ambitions.
Could you briefly introduce your company? “Norsk Stål was founded in 1823, so we’ve been around for a while. We process and distribute steel products to a number of sectors, such as the offshore industry, construction and infrastructure. The total market for such products in Norway is about 600,000 tons per year and we supply about 200,000 tons of that. At the moment only about 10,000 tons of our share is strip based, including tubes, but we want to at least double that
2
scheme. Consultation is planned to start by the middle of December. The company and trade unions have also agreed on the principle that subject to the structural de-risking and de-linking of the British Steel Pension Scheme fund from the business, Tata Steel UK will continue the existing blast furnace configuration in Port Talbot until 2021. , based on achieving the necessary financial performance and cash flows as per the transformation plan of the UK business, the company will continue to invest across the UK sites to enhance the competitive position of Tata Steel UK in the European steel industry. The company has also offered an employment pact until 2021 which supports employees through future changes by investing in their skills
volume.” What are your challenges in achieving this? “One of our major markets, the offshore industry, is not as strong as it used to be. They are often very demanding when it comes to quality, but they don’t want to pay for it. Another thing we face in Scandinavia is that there is a perception that your competitor SSAB offers the best quality money can buy. Our customers are very hesitant when it comes to switching to new products.” How can Tata Steel help you? “We started by ordering about 2,000 tons of your products, specifically for laser-cutting. When we had convinced some of our customers to work with these, they told us the quality was much better than what they were used to. They were also very interested in the bigger product portfolio that Tata Steel can offer. I am very confident that together we can increase our share
Tor Kittelsen, Key Account Manager at Norsk Stål visiting the site in IJmuiden
of the market for strip products in Norway.” Is there anything we can do better? “The biggest challenge to growing together in this market is deliveries. Norway is a big country and we have locations from the north to the south, which is logistically demanding. If the delivery performance can be stabilised we will both be better for it.”
“Tata Steel doesn’t have sales offices in Norway, so we consider Norsk Stål a strategic partner in this market,” says Stefan Landesz, Managing Director Nordics. “Until last year we owned a 50% share in this company. Currently Leif Hübert is 100% owner and their ambition is to strengthen their position in the Norwegian market. We supply to Norsk Stål material from all over Europe, including Corby, Shotton and Maastricht, covering a broad range of our products. Our mutual goal is to serve the market with quality products and services. With the Norsk Stål’s footprint of and Tata Steel’s capabilities we can make the difference together.”
InColors > FROM PAGE 1 future success.” Tom was impressed with the amount of successful projects using Colorcoat® products: “The sharing of the Pride Projects from the regional Business Development Managers, showcased the wide variety of the applications of Colorcoat® products and was amazing to see - as well as the passion and enthusiasm for their work, which was clear to see in what
and how they presented.” At the CC60 conference, Hanife Banabak, Manager Process Technology, and Theo van Beek, Product Manager presented an update on technical, operational and procurement cost reduction projects for the Colors sites. The projects include Yield improvements, Magizinc® developments, paint cost savings and steel grade rationalisation. There has
Tom Eussen, Operations Director led the CC60 conference
Message from Karl Haider, Director Downstream Operations Downstream Operations (DSO) have had a good result for the first half of our financial year. We have reported £20m over our annual plan, which is a great achievement. Performance has been mixed across the businesses, with Colors and Packaging leading the success at this time. Within these successes, we have enjoyed the benefits of a fortuitous exchange rate and market. However, there have also been many operational improvements which are making great contributions to our results. These operational improvements are also in place at the businesses who have not had such positive financial results. For example the SAW Mills in Hartlepool are experiencing some of the worst market conditions, which have a massive blow to the results, but at the same time are working wisely and making great improvements through CI projects. It is vital that we maintain our focus on this approach. While we can enjoy any benefits that the market and exchange rates bring, we need to make sure our sites are performing well independently of this. At the moment, Tata Steel Europe as a whole is managing to show this performance, and we need to continue to do all we can as downstream businesses to support this. While we are focussed on this, we should also ensure that all we do is done in a safe way. By now, many of you will have experienced a Time Out For Safety session, and will know how committed we are as a Management team to doing as much as we can to facilitate improving safety performance. We are still having too many accidents, many of which can be avoided through changes in culture and behaviour. I am optimistic that these sessions will prompt a confidence in you all to challenge each other in unsafe situations. Health and safety has played a
role in the recent evaluation of CapEx submissions. These are all currently in review and there is an impressive amount of projects being considered from DSO. In a wider context, the sale of Speciality Steels is now moving ahead, and we wish our colleagues there a successful outcome. Tata Steel continues to appear in the media amongst speculation and rumour, and we all know this is not helpful, as we endeavour to stay focussed on delivering the best for our customers. You will be informed of any developments as they happen from the company, and as difficult as it is, please try not to be too distracted by hearsay. The town hall meetings have taken place across most of the DSO sites these past few weeks, where colleagues have had an opportunity to hear of the Tata Steel, business and site performance. There have been some good discussions at the various sites, and I encourage this communication to continue with your line managers as we move into the new year. Finally may I wish you all a good Christmas - enjoy the break, and please come back refreshed and ready for a successful and safe 2017.
been an immense amount of work done over recent years, with close cooperation from all the sites, and the overview was well-received by the audience. Hanife commented: ““Three of these projects have already delivered considerable benefits and have improved Colors business. By talking about these at the CC60, we were able to share how this was done, so that managers can have a broad understanding of the projects.”
ISSUE 011 | December 2016
Tom Eussen, Operations Director for Colors led the event: “The CC60 is a great opportunity for colleagues from all sites and functions to come together and share ideas, and increase their understanding of other areas of our business. We have shown in the last years we can make a difference when working together, shown in our excellent financial result this year. But we keep on working in uncertain times, and by working together we will be in the strongest position.”
Hanife Banabak, Manager Process Technology, and Theo van Beek, Product Manager presented an update on technical, operational and procurement cost reduction projects for the Colors sites
Powering buildings Products made at Shotton have played a key part in the innovative active classroom designed by SPECIFIC in Swansea University. The solar powered SPECIFIC active classroom is its The classroom that can own power station and is able to charge electric cars, a generate its own electricity great show case for sustainable steel and heat uses both a “The website encourages promising new modular organisations familiar with our construction technique as well as industry, and also those that have sixteen Tata Steel products, many of developed technologies for other which are new to market. sectors, to share existing techniques “This ‘Active Classroom’, which is a for mutual benefit,” explains Pete. detached building, is its own power “In this case, the panel technique is station,” says Pete Longdon, Manager an opportunity for us to potentially New Technology and Innovation with Tata Steel. “We have developed a frame greatly increase the use of steel in residential construction. Acermetric that draws solar-heated air through gets a better product at lower cost.” tiny perforations for heating and warm The project was also the star of water. the “Low carbon energy revolution: “Computers regulate the output how to turn buildings into power according to weather forecasts stations” conference in October. “It’s and the number of people in the very exciting to showcase yet another classroom. Saltwater batteries and way of how sustainable steel is as a solar panels laminated directly on to material,” says Pete. Shotton’s Colorcoat Urban Roof with “The panel frames themselves are BIPV provide energy for lighting and a good example, but especially the also power an electrically heated solar-heated air solution and the floor coating on a steel substrate for solar panels integrated into the steel additional heating.” roof demonstrate that steel products The main frame of the classroom continue to evolve. They are part of the was built using a modular building solution when it comes to sustainable technique based on prefab panels, construction.” invented by a small company Acermetric. “Their system is based on a simple ‘3-D’ locking panel that can be made in a variety of sizes,” says Pete. “What you get is basically an Ikealike flat pack that allows very rapid SPECIFIC is an academic and construction of low rise structures such industrial consortium led by as housing and schools, and potentially Swansea University with BASF, multi-storey buildings as well.” NSG Pilkington, Tata Steel and Acermetric initially used wooden Cardiff University as strategic frames for their panels but recognised partners. They transform buildings that steel was a more effective solution into power stations by enabling for large volume applications and them to generate, store and approached Tata Steel through the release their own energy. Open Innovation website.
Did you know?
Message from Tom Eussen, Director Operations Colors As we near the end of 2016, it is an ideal time to reflect on the year that has passed. And what a year it has been for our company, and indeed, closer to home, the Colors business. We have, I have to say, had a disappointing health and safety performance. The hand injury in Shotton is a real wake up call for us all. We need to make sure that we are doing our best to avoid such incidents in the future, as it has shown that this can happen anywhere. By now, you should have all attended a Time Out for Safety session. These are a great way of sharing ideas, and also coming to an understanding with your colleagues that it is necessary to challenge unsafe behaviours. Attending a few sessions myself, I was impressed with the openness and commitments being suggested in the groups. I am looking forward to seeing an improvement in our safety performance as we start the New Year with our commitments in place. Very positive was our financial performance, which as Colors has been remarkable. We have had a helping hand from the market in terms of price increase, albeit stemming from raw material costs. Demand has also been high, and we have been able to work this to our advantage. Operationally, we have had a mixed performance. Maubeuge has turned a real corner; following a difficult start to the year, they are doing extremely well, especially in areas such as zinc consumption. IJmuiden were also recognised for their efforts with a Bronze Award (see page 6). However, all sites need to continue to focus on this, as we cannot rely on the market and exchange rates for our fortune. It is painful to see that our customer satisfaction scores are poor. Our customers are key to our future, and we cannot let them down! Yes, our inbound OTIF explains a lot of the dissatisfaction, and we must continue to work with our upstream colleagues to minimise the impact on our customer. In Turkey we are looking into differentiated products offering and new markets such as Poland and Russia. This is a necessary move, as the homeland turmoil continues and exchange rates unfavourable. New product development continues to be the heartbeat of Colors, with some really exciting products coming to market. For example, the woodgrain offering from Walsall (see page 4) and the next generation of branded products being launched from Shotton next year. We are already starting to look at Annual Plan preparations for the coming year. 2017 has an encouraging outlook for us, and again, it will be a busy one. Yes, there will be distractions surrounding the wider issues of the Steel Industry and Tata Steel, but we must remain focussed on what we can control. We have had a great performance this year, and we must keep this as our goal going forward. And importantly, we need to do it safely. So, as we finish 2016, I would like to thank you for all your hard work in making Colors the success it is. I appreciate times have been testing, which makes the results even more admirable. I wish you all the best for a safe, happy and healthy Christmas break.
3
InColors
ISSUE 011 | December 2016
Tata Steel Walsall launches new product Tata Steel Walsall has launched a new woodgrain printed steel product which is being sold into a British furniture supplier. Designed to give a real wood effect, the new product is currently being used in commercial and residential markets for the manufacture of gliding door systems used widely in the bedroom furniture industry. The furniture supplier, Home Decor, is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of contemporary bedroom furniture and high quality kitchens and is a Tata Steel Colorsteels client. A team from Technical, Manufacturing and Commercial at Tata Steel Walsall (formerly known as Firsteel) worked closely with the client’s marketing department to create a stunning range of specialist precoated textured finishes. Product Development Manager at Colors, Peter Barker, oversaw the development project which took more than two years. He said: “Getting a coating to look like a natural wood product is very difficult. The team at Tata Steel Walsall have done a great job in combining the base colour with a woodgrain effect and developing the product for manufacture. “The new product replicates both the
look and feel of real wood - two things that are very important to the client - whilst providing traditional benefits from the strength and rigidity of steel. It has the added benefit of being tougher and more scratch-resistant than traditional laminates that are used widely in wardrobe interiors and trims.” Peter said the development process had included a full programme of trials to ensure the product had all the necessary physical properties. In developing the new product range which was launched in August 2016, the Walsall team worked closely with Colorsteels, a service centre dedicated to providing a ‘just-in-time’ service to clients. Colorsteels was instrumental in introducing the development project at Walsall. Client Account Manager at Colorsteels, Stephen Bowd, said “There is real benefit throughout the supply chain for Tata Steel UK. This project development has brought together four businesses within the Group to keep continuity of sourcing, volume, margin and gross profit retained within Tata Steel UK. “Working together, we can achieve so much more for our clients - as this project has proven. Home Decor recognises Tata Steel UK as a key
City of dreams Galvanised steel from Shotton will be a major part of the new ‘City of Dreams’ complex in Macau. Home to several international Casinohotels, the development is an breathtaking landmark in the area. Engineering consultants Buro Happold specified Comflor®, a composite flooring profile made by Tata Steel Building Systems UK using Shotton’s galvanised steel. A massive 100,000 square metres of the product will be used in a luxurious residential element of the complex, which is due to be completed in 2018. Ritsu Nakamuru, Regional Market Development Manager for Tata Steel in Asia, was lucky enough to visit the construction site. “We went all the way to 41st floor where the customer is installing the last piece of steel deck through to the 43rd floor. It was great to see the product in place, this
The City of Dreams in Macau uses Galvanised steel from Shotton
is going to be a real pride project for Comflor once the hotel opens for business.
Pictured during a recent customer visit at Colors Shotton are (L-R) Stephen Bowd (Colorsteels Client Account Manager), Jarrod Dooley (Home Decor Operations Director) and Damien Backhouse (Home Decor Procurement Manager)
supplier and partner in its growth potential. Its business relies heavily on a just-in-time system to support its fluctuating needs.” Stephen added: “This close co-operation between Tata Steel businesses had led to the introduction of a new, innovative range of products with multiple applications. Home Decor is very pleased with the product aesthetics and is due to officially launch its new product range throughout its
distribution supply chain in the new year.” Tata Steel Walsall, which focuses on niche coatings for markets including bakeware and automotive, has developed woodgrain printed steel in several colours to match various woods. Walsall’s production line is the only Colors line manufacturing woodgrain. Nick Williams, Tata Steel Walsall General Manager, said: “The development of this new product is an
Discovering nature at Shotton Pupils from local Golftyn Primary School saw how a large industry can coexist with, and encourage nature to thrive right on its doorstep, when they recently visited the Nature Reserve at Shotton. Over 60 children and teachers joined the Shotton’s Environmental Officers who demonstrated how The Nature Reserve, known as the Tern Lagoons, are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. The lagoons are large breeding site for the Common Tern, which migrates to the area from as far away as Morocco. These lagoons only exist at Shotton because of the water used in the processes to cool steel strip after it comes out of the ovens. The pupils from the two classes were given a guided tour around the lagoons, and had two presentations from local groups (the Merseyside Ringing Group, and Dee Wildfowlers and Wetlands Management Club) explaining how they interact with the Reserve. Peter Coffey, from the Merseyside Ringing Group, explained how they use lightweight nets to gently catch birds
and put special rings on their legs so they can be monitored over their lives, all over the world. Hwfa Jones, from the Dee Wildfowlers, took the children through some of the history of local hunting, and with Ham the dog, safely demonstrated what they aim to do on the marsh. Both groups are involved with maintaining and improving the Nature Reserve, along with Tata Steel employees. Back in the class room based
4
important plus. “Our standard products need to be competitive to maintain our market position. MagiZinc helps us in continuing to supply a good product in a highly competitive market while adding sufficient value for Tata Steel.” Colors in IJmuiden has been using MagiZinc since 2009. “At the time our ambition was to switch over to MagiZinc for all coloured products,” says Ron van den Eshof, Commercial Manager, Colors. “We’re currently at 80% and I believe it won’t take long now before we reach 100%.” A lot of hard work by R&D, Technical, Sales & Marketing and others went into making the transition work on a technical level and to make it as smooth as possible for customers. “New products could potentially affect a customer’s production process,” Ron explains. “Thanks to this fantastic team
important and exciting step for Walsall. We already have one end customer who is pleased with the product and there is general market interest from other potential customers. “I congratulate everyone on the team who has played a role in the development of woodgrain. Everyone has done an excellent job in ensuring that we have a high quality product that meets customer demand.”
on site, the pupils were given packs including information on food webs, the history of Shotton Site, and migration, and were shown videos of some of the other natural visitors to the area over the year. Senior Environment Officer Peter Shephard said: “At Shotton, we take our responsibility to maintain the lagoons very seriously. It’s always a great pleasure to show groups of enthusiastic children this special aspect of the site, and the feedback we get from them is great - although Ham the dog is always a very popular star of the show!”
Pupils from Golftyn Primary were fascinated to learn about the nature at Tata Steel’s nature reserve at Shotton
Major milestone for MagiZinc® Colors in IJmuiden have reached a new milestone. September saw the 1 millionth ton of MagiZinc® rolling off the manufacturing line. The MagiZinc® product offers customers an important environmental benefit by reducing around half of the zinc used without compromising quality. “The steel industry uses about half of the global annual zinc production,” says Nico Noort, Senior Coil Coating & Galvanising Expert. “That requires us to be more efficient in our use of the material. Customers who value the sustainability of their products will benefit from a strong yet thin layer of zinc. MagiZinc, already used extensively for our automotive customers, now also offers our Building Envelope customers a real advantage.” Peter Vreede, Marketing Manager Building Envelope Coil, adds another
Woodgrain printed steel from Tata Steel Walsall is being used for the manufacture of gliding door systems. Picture published by courtesy of Home Decor
Did you know? MagiZinc is formed by adding a pinch of magnesium and aluminium to zinc. The reactive alloy thus formed protects very effectively exposed cut edges and scratches in organic coatings.
The ‘De Rosmolen’ complex in Beneden-Leeuwen, includes a library and a sports hall, and uses material with an undercoat of MagiZinc®
and their close cooperation with other parts of the business we were able to respond quickly and adequately when necessary.” Up until now around 175Kt of MagiZinc coated products are sold throughout Europe by Colors. “We’re
seeing increasing opportunities for our product,” says Peter. “We’re discussing with individual customers whether a transition to MagiZinc is possible for them. Recently we’ve been given the go-ahead for garage doors.” Following IJmuiden’s success, Colors
has been looking to extend the use of MagiZinc to other production facilities. “In September last year we changed Line 2 in Maubeuge to produce MagiZinc,” says Nico. “That proved very successful. Up until now we’ve already supplied our customers 150Kt through Maubeuge.” The Colors team in IJmuiden celebrated the milestone. “Everyone involved was presented a special memento to thank them for their fantastic work. Let’s go for the 2 million ton milestone!”
InColors
ISSUE 011 | December 2016
Taking time out for safety As part of ongoing efforts to make the workplace safer for everyone, colleagues across all of Tata Steel’s Downstream Operations are taking time out for safety. Downstream Operations at Tata Steel in Europe has launched a major safety initiative across all sites - at Tubes, Colors, Packaging and Cogent electrical steels. Between 24 October and 24 December this year, all employees and contractorsare taking part in a ‘Time out for Safety’ workshop at their own sites. Using personal stories, role play and group discussion, the two-hour workshop has been designed to bring home how an injury can impact your life. Colleagues are also being asked to recognise that each and every person working in Downstream Operations has a role to play in reducing risk and preventing accidents. The Time out for Safety workshop has been put together by Ian Russon, Health and Safety Manager for Downstream Operations. Ian said: “We have organised this workshop because people are getting hurt at our sites. We want people to come to work, stay safe and then go home - not go to hospital. “Through Time out for Safety, we’re asking people to think about what really happens when you are injured - about the impact it has on your life and your loved ones. “And we’re asking everyone to think about how they can influence events as individuals. We all need to ask ourselves ‘what can I do to keep myself and my colleagues safe?’” The workshop provides a stark reminder that people at Downstream Operations work in a hazardous environment - where incidents can lead to high potential events, serious injury or even death. Workshop presenters also explain how recordable and lost time injuries for employees and
contractors at Tubes, Colors, Packaging and Cogent have gradually been getting worse over recent years. But the bulk of the workshop looks well beyond safety statistics - to the human stories behind real accidents that have happened to people working in Downstream Operations. Through video interviews, colleagues from several sites share their stories of how they were injured and explain the impact it has had on them and their families. Ian said: “It can’t have been easy for these colleagues to re-live their experiences. We are very grateful to them for sharing their stories in the interests of allowing us to learn and to stay safe at work.” Exercises, role play and discussion are used in the workshop to help colleagues think about the behaviour that can lead to accidents and about the consequences of being injured. Ian Russon said: “Time out for Safety is part of our ongoing efforts to improve safety
Making a commitment
performance. Through the workshop, we want to engage with everybody and show that we are serious about health and safety. “We are getting some good feedback so far and I’m hopeful that the workshop will leave a lasting message that we all need to change our behaviour when it comes to safety - and that each of us has a role to play in making our workplaces safer for ourselves and our team mates.”
The Time Out For Safety sessions were piloted at Corby
Tom Eussen facilitated the Time out For Safety Session for Colors in IJmuiden
The workshop reminds participants that, in most cases, it’s not just the injured person who plays a role in an accident. Often, other people play a role too - in what they say, what they do or what they don’t do. At the end of every workshop, each participant
How can you make a difference? Time out for Safety encourages everyone to think about the individual role they have to play in preventing incidents. Examples of positive behaviour include: • not walking past things • intervening • maintaining workplace standards
Colleagues in Shotton discussing their ideas in Time out For Safety session
The word on the street is… Colleagues from across Downstream Operations have been sharing their thoughts about the Time out for Safety workshop and how it has influenced them for the future. Here’s what some of them had to say. At Walsall - Colors: “The workshop brought to life how quickly something could go wrong and how easy it is to become complacent … You should not be afraid to challenge someone doing something that looks unsafe, as it may save an accident from happening.” Elaine Bluck, Office Sales Manager. • “I have always tried to check for safety but sometimes have come across negative feedback which has made me back off. But now I believe that safety has no bounds and we need to keep on to ensure the safety of all.” Ena Hodgetts, Stock Controller and Assistant Accountant.
•
At Hartlepool - Tubes: “Every member of the audience had to make a commitment to safety, this was a very good way to get everyone to commit to safety. By attending the course everyone in the mill is now talking about the importance of safety, it seems to have raised the profile.” John Hart, Mill Operative, Weld Mill 20”.
•
is being asked to make a personal commitment - to doing something extra, differently or better to help prevent accidents and make the workplace safer. Managers and supervisors are following up on these commitments - speaking with each person to find out how they are getting on.
• • • •
leading by example closing out actions from investigations positive safety conversations briefings and toolbox talks developing or deploying the Health & Safety Plan following basic rules and safe working procedures
into our approach in the future to improve our safety performance and culture at Shotton.” Damon Winterbottom, Health and Safety Manager.
• “…I’ll be more proactive and
have safety at the forefront of any conversations with mill operatives. Andrew is the new Mill Manufacturing Manager and it was a really positive message to see him up there delivering the sessions, it showed everyone his desire to get safety right.” Dave Kinnersley, Section Manager, Casing Mill 20”.
At Turkey - Colors: Workshop attendees in Turkey were particularly affected by the videos featuring colleagues who had been injured - and by a role play exercise designed to show how difficult life is if you have a severe injury. • “The videos and putting tape over my hand to restrict the use of my fingers and thumb meant I felt the difficulties [of having a severe hand injury]. I was emotionally affected by the workshop and I understand that I must follow the rules carefully so as not to face the same results.” Yunus Önder, Exit Operator, OCS Line. • “The most powerful thing about the workshop was when people taped their hands in an exercise. We asked for their comments and what they would do if they were the manager. Trying to teach about safety in an ordinary way cannot always convey the right
• •
At Maastricht - Tubes: “We had a major incident here in April this year, when an employee sustained severe injuries to his foot and leg. There have been other incidents in Downstream Operations and the workshop demonstrated very powerfully the impact that these have on people’s lives. Time out for Safety is very important in our drive to ensure that everyone who comes to work at Maastricht then goes home safely without incidents or injuries.” Jos Bongaerts, Plant Manager. • “One of the key messages in the workshop is that everyone should take the time they need to do the job safely. Also, work instructions need to be accepted and followed by everyone. We agreed that we need to review and evaluate the effectiveness of last-minute risk assessments - especially for abnormal situations such as breakdowns and repairs. At the end of the workshop, everyone made a commitment to safe working - and these promises will be followed up in more discussions.” Willie van Loo, Safety Manager.
•
Colleagues at Maastricht took part in the Time Out For Safety sessions
message. We saw that, by urging people to comment and find solutions, mostly all of the groups came up with the same solutions and actions. I will try to prepare future safety presentations with a similar method instead of giving a lot of information.” Taylan Kaya, QHSE Manager. At Trostre - Packaging: “These sessions remind you of how accidents can happen so easily.” • “Good safety information - these type of sessions should be done once a year.”
•
•
“Good information given in a logical manner.” • “Videos were real to the Trostre site.” At Shotton - Colors: “Having attended the pilot workshop at Shotton and delivering some of the sessions, the overall feedback so far is very positive. There have been some open and frank discussions about the challenges on site as to how we can improve safety and look after one another. Having recently taken up the Safety Manager’s role at Shotton, these comments are vital for feedback
•
5
InColors
ISSUE 011 | December 2016
Teamwork and good service boost Pleiad sales at Maubeuge Excellent teamwork at Tata Steel Maubeuge is playing a big role in improving sales volume in the Manufactured Goods sector. Over the past three years, sales to the Manufactured Goods sector going through the Pleiad Service Centre at Maubeuge have increased by 50%. The significant rise in sales supports Tata Steel’s aim to grow its market share in Manufactured Goods in Europe - a profitable market sector which it has been supplying for 30 years. It is also helping Maubeuge to fulfil its own ambitions for volume growth. Thierry Van houte, Commercial Manager for Manufactured Goods, said the Pleiad Service Centre was one important ‘route to the market’ for Maubeuge in the Manufactured Goods sector. Thierry explained: “The customers are mainly smaller customers that have small stocking areas. Therefore they appreciate the short lead times and the small quantities which Pleiad supplies. “Our customers appreciate the fact that we make life easier for them - with a Tata Steel account manager providing a single point of contact. This contact deals with customers both on the processing at Pleiad and on the coil product in terms of the paint system, colour and the steel quality they require.” Maubeuge’s Manufactured Goods customers produce goods for a variety of applications including garage doors, furniture, cold stores, trailers and suspended ceilings. They expect high quality products - particularly when it comes to surface quality. “Our ability to deliver the right quality is one of several factors that have helped us to grow sales in this
Colleagues who are working together at Maubeuge to drive Pleiad volume growth include (from the back, left to right) Farid Khimeche, Frédéric van Kesteren, Erik Wip, Angélique Dochy, Virginie Streel, Grégory Menut, Leslie Woytasik, Marcel Dordain, Aurore Lautrey, Arnaud Ollagnier, Philippe Garcia, Carole Haussy, Laëtitia Dumon, David Lamourette, Dieter Walesh, Daniel Beth, Mathilde Bosselin and Thierry Van houte
sector,” said Thierry. “The work done at Pleiad to enable short and reliable lead times is also very important. “Another success factor is how we have improved our relationship with customers. We have worked hard to get closer to them and to understand their markets and their own production needs and challenges. We also make sure that we react fast to resolve any issues that might arise in supplying our products.” The 50% sales growth at Pleiad has largely come through supplying increased volume to existing customers in mainland Europe, mainly in Germany. Thierry has teams in France, Germany and Benelux who liaise closely with customers in these regions. “Good teamwork is definitely playing a big role in our ongoing success to grow sales,” said Thierry. “The account managers, together with our colleagues in Customer Services
and Customer Technical Services work together as a trio to deliver our growth strategy. “We have market development meetings every six weeks, focused on specific customers and sub-sectors, and we work as a team on an action plan to deliver results. We also have regular meetings with our colleagues in Quality, Technology, Supply Chain and Pleiad so that we can continue to improve service and quality and find solutions to any issues. “I am very proud of the whole team for what has been achieved so far. I’m confident that, by working together, we can continue to grow our Pleiad sales.” Hervé Duval, Colors Business Excellence Manager, is supporting the drive to increase sales volume. Hervé said: “Further reduction of Pleiad lead times and ensuring that we have the right stock mix are the next two key actions to support our growth.”
MagiZinc® phase 2 improvements deliver big savings New developments at the MagiZinc line at Maubeuge look set to further reduce the site’s annual production costs by around €300,000 in the first year. There is also potential for more savings in the near future.
The new work, which started earlier this year, follows the successful introduction of MagiZinc production at Line 2 at the end of 2015. Nicolas Noel, Technical Manager, explained: “When we converted the
Some of the team involved in the MagiZinc® project: from left to right: Joffrey Alizard, Sébastien Belleval, Ludovic Baivier and Laurence Viellard
6
line to MagiZinc, we identified scope for some phase 2 improvements which would help to reduce the costs of MagiZinc production. “A multi-functional team has been introducing some of these improvements in recent months and we are already achieving savings.” The improvements include a change in the way the MagiZinc coating thickness is controlled on 20% of orders. The introduction of precise process parameters means that air, rather than costly nitrogen, can now be blown over the liquid coating to control coating levels. Following a series of experiments, Maubeuge has also changed the way it uses the ingots containing various mixes of aluminium, magnesium and zinc used to create MagiZinc. Nicolas said: “Whilst still working within the specification levels laid down in Tata Steel’s MagiZinc patent, we have been able to change the sequence for using three different ingots. It means we are using less of the most expensive ingots - saving around €10,000 per month through this change alone.” In a bid to secure more cost savings, Maubeuge is also working with its ingot supplier to change the composition of one of the raw material ingots. The change, which
Maintenance team wins award
Yusuf Kinik receives the Journey to Reliability Bronze award from Hans Fischer
A concerted effort to improve equipment reliability has paid off for the Maintenance team at OCL1 in IJmuiden. The team has been rewarded with a Bronze award in Tata Steel’s ‘Journey to Reliability’ scheme. What’s more, the team’s work has significantly reduced the number of line stops at OCL1 - halving downtime and boosting production capacity. During a visit to IJmuiden on 19 September, Hans Fischer, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technical Officer of Tata Steel in Europe, congratulated the team and handed over the Bronze award to Yusuf Kinik, Maintenance Manager. Yusuf said: “I am extremely proud that we have managed to control maintenance processes and pleased to see that our work is already showing positive results.” Journey to Reliability is a stepped approach to improving the reliability and availability of Tata Steel’s assets. Yusuf said work towards the Bronze assessment began in earnest in the summer of 2015. Yusuf said: “Our aim was to introduce a more transparent maintenance process with clear rules that would help to reduce line stops at OCL1 and deliver a more stable production process. “We worked with colleagues in Operations to define a maintenance process which included better planning of routine maintenance and improved communication about equipment problems.” The Maintenance team is using IJmuiden’s SAP system so that planning, progress and outcomes of maintenance activity are fully
transparent. To improve communication, a technical ‘start-up’ meeting is held every morning at OCL1 involving representatives from Maintenance and Operations. Any new equipment problems are discussed and actions to resolve them are agreed. Yusuf said: “Working more closely and productively with Operations is a very important aspect of the improvements that have been made. They input their ideas for maintenance improvements and we are all sharply focused on equipment availability so that the production process is stable. “Our disciplined and transparent approach to planning and undertaking maintenance means we have more hands-on-tool time and more time to focus on failure reduction by investigating root causes.” Assessment for the Bronze award took place at the end of March, with the Maintenance team then completing some minor actions recommended in the assessment report. The assessment cited the team’s system for maintenance cost control at OCL1 as a standard that should be introduced across IJmuiden. As a result, Tata Steel’s Chief Engineer, Bart van der Meulen, has asked Yusuf to help with the introduction of a new Silver-level certificate scheme for best practice cost control. Yusuf said: “The team has worked very hard and put in a lot of time and effort for this successful Bronze assessment. Everyone on the team now thinks we have an improved way of working and I am very proud of their efforts.”
will not affect the quality of MagiZinc products, will be subject to tests and trials and is expected to be in place early next year. The Maubeuge team has also developed a new product, MagiZinc 70, for use in the manufactured goods industry. The product, currently awaiting approval from Tata Steel’s new product development committee, offers a thinner coating of MagiZinc at 70 grams per square metre. It is ideal for end-products which are less susceptible to corrosion. Nicolas said: “Some of our customers have trialled this product and have given us good feedback. Because MagiZinc 70 uses a smaller quantity of metallic coating, it offers customers the benefit of a more environmentally-friendly product with a reduced carbon footprint.”
Nicolas said all of the developments so far were proving successful. He said: “That success is the result of excellent teamwork involving colleagues from Technical, Process and Operations on Line 2. Everyone has been very committed and created the right conditions to carry out trials and support this work. “We are trying to finalise the exact cost benefits but the impact for the site is significant, with likely savings of around €300,000 in the first year and potentially more in the years after due to the phased implementation of the developments. “We are sharing our work with colleagues at IJmuiden so they can benefit too. We are also having discussions with IJmuiden to explore potential opportunities for further cost-saving improvements.”
InColors
Ray of Sunshine Grey for Jaguar Land Rover
The new showroom at Stafford
Tata Steel’s Colorcoat® and Building Systems products are shining brightly on new Jaguar Land Rover showrooms popping up all over the UK. London, Stafford, Stockport and Erdington all boast showrooms built using a range of cladding products from Tata Steel, thanks to the sister companies working together on the buildings’ design. While individual dealerships are responsible for tailoring their premises to suit the size and location of the site, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) provides the overall design advice for each showroom. Jo Evans, Commercial Director, Building Systems UK says that the projects sparked a natural partnership. “The project team at JLR responsible for the new dealerships’ design demanded a façade solution with exceptionally clean lines, weather resistance, colour stability and durability. This was an instant fit for the benefits that our cladding systems using Colorcoat® products offer.” Consequently, as part of its response to the design brief, the Colors team at Shotton produced a new custom colour: Colorcoat Prisma® in Sunshine Grey which was specified along with Colorcoat Prisma® Silver
Metallic for the walls and Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® Goosewing Grey for the roofing requirements. The Colorcoat® products were used as part of Stratascreen Façade systems, and Trimapanel® and Trisomet® roof and wall systems. This cooperation resulted in a specification for the building envelope which could be applied to all future new showrooms. Graham Bennet, Buyer and Design Coordinator for Roofwise. (Contractor) said: “As roofing and cladding specialists we work on commercial, education, hotel and other types of projects from the M62 down to London and the South-east. The construction
Did you know? •
Jaguar Land Rover have been a part of the Tata Group since 2008. Colorcoat® and Building Systems products have also been used on a number of manufacturing facilities across the UK, including the massive i54 Engine Manufacturing Centre which used approx. 340 tonnes of branded products.
•
As part of its response to the design brief, the Colors team at Shotton produced a new custom colour: Colorcoat Prisma® in Sunshine Grey which was specified along with Colorcoat Prisma® Silver Metallic for the walls and Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® Goosewing Grey for the roofing requirements. of the Jaguar Land Rover dealership at Acton (London) was challenging in many ways, but the Stratascreen system achieved a very high standard of finish which everyone is pleased with.”
•
Tata Steel is also the principle supplier of steel into JLR, supplying over 160kt of steel (and 30kt of aluminium) from UK (port Talbot/Zodiac), MLE and Wednesfield operations. Our steel is used in the production of internal and external body in white parts for various models including Range Rover Evoque, Discovery Sport, Jaguar F-Pace, XF and XE vehicles.
Perfect solution for pipeline project Over 180 tonnes of Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® is being used as part of a major pipeline project for BP in Georgia. Thanks to its super durable benefits, Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® is the ideal product for what is demanding and aggressive environment. Burak Topcu, at the Tata Steel sales office in Sakarya was involved in the project: “The Contractor for the station, Enka Construction and Industry, were
convinced that Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® was the right product for them on this job, and have confidence in the product to use on future projects.” Designed to withstand even the most demanding and aggressive environments, Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra provides super durability and corrosion resistance. This is the perfect match for the roof and walls of the pipeline project, which were manufactured by Aluform.
Did you know?
ISSUE 011 | December 2016
‘Near miss’ challenge issued at Shotton In a bid to improve site safety, colleagues at Shotton have each been asked to raise at least one ‘near miss’ report by March 2017. The challenge was issued in a briefing at the end of October following concern about a decline in near miss reporting. Close-out rates for near miss reporting have also worsened. Damon Winterbottom, Health and Safety Manager, issued the near miss reporting brief. He said the move followed a decline in near miss reporting over the past few years - from an average of more than 70 per month to just over 40 per month. In the same period, close-out rates for taking action and reporting back on near misses have also risen to well above the target period of 30 days. Damon said: “On average, a colleague gets injured every four to six weeks. We’ve got to ask ourselves could this accident record be affected by our drop in near miss reporting. “Near misses are our ‘free lessons’ and help us to improve safety performance and culture. Today’s near misses could be tomorrow’s injury.” Damon said Shotton’s near miss system was excellent. But it could only
deliver good results if people put in the effort to supply data and to follow up each near miss with suitable and timely counter-measures. He said it was very important that everyone who reported a near miss received feedback on what had been done to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. This helped to ensure that the core issue had been dealt with. A near miss working group at Shotton has been established to raise the profile of near miss reporting. The group monitors the near miss database where an ‘owner’ is assigned to each near miss reported. Owners are encouraged to take action and report back to the originator of the near miss within a target time of 30 days. Appealing directly to everyone at Shotton, Damon said: “You may consider an incident too minor for raising a near miss, but stop and think. Could the consequences have been slightly different and could it happen again, resulting in injury?” See our ‘Time out for Safety’ feature article on page 5 which highlights how everyone has a role to play in improving safety.
Paul Elliott, Health and Safety Officer and a member of the near miss working group, monitors the near miss database at Shotton
PUZZLES SUDOKU
PIT YOUR WITS
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
The South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) was built to export Shah Deniz gas from Azerbaijan to Georgia and Turkey. The expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline is part of the Shah Deniz Full Field Development project. This expansion involves the laying of new pipeline across Azerbaijan and the construction of two new compressor stations in Georgia. This will triple the gas volumes exported through the pipeline to over 20 billion cubic metres per year.
Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® in Mushroom was used in the BP South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion Project
Turn to page 8 for the solution
7
InColors
ISSUE 011 | December 2016
60 second interview Name and job title? - Pien ter Kuile, business Trainee, Colors IJmuiden How long have you worked in the company? I started last September together with a group of 12 other business trainees. All trainees are placed at different departments: Procurement, Sales & Marketing, GIS or Supply Chain Management. What area do you work in? Currently I’m working in Supply Chain Management, this is also my study background as I have studied Transport & Supply Chain Management. What is your job, and what does it entail? - Within the business traineeship I’m going to do 4 different projects of 6 months. My first assignment is together with Kees v.d. Flier (Value Chain Manager Colors) and is about mapping the processes regarding the subcontractor flows, incoming flows and transit flows in IJmuiden. The goal is to standardize the way of working and make our organisation more flexible in case such new flows arise. Next to that I’m working on the flexibility between Strip and Packaging in the Full Hard material that goes to Maubeuge. The idea is to create a business model in which there’s a fixed volume for both Strip and TSP and on top of that a more flexible layer with substrate that could come from both lines. What are the biggest challenges you face? - One of the biggest challenge for me is first of all is getting more familiar with all the processes, terminology and abbreviations. Next to that it’s difficult to find the right people with the right knowledge. Tata Steel is such a big company and the information I need is very scattered, lots of people know just a small part of it. Another issue is the availability of data. Lots of systems record data, making an overall analysis is however difficult as these systems often use all different kinds of codes, names, etc.. What is the best thing about working in your area? - The best thing about working in this area is the broad knowledge I instantly gain. It’s the perfect first assignment to get to know the company and meet a lot of people. I’m involved in all different areas, from strategy and contract management until complaint handling and the financial settlement of these flows. Also the people at Tata Steel are very kind and everyone is so helpful. What will be your focus for the future? - In the short term, I would like to focus on finishing these assignments as best as possible. This way creating more flexible business processes to coop with all the dynamic changes we are facing now. In the longer term, I would like to learn as much as possible in the widest possible area, such that when this traineeship is finished I am well prepped for the job that awaits me. What type of music do you like best? - I really like acoustic piano music. My favourite piece is Canto Ostinato and one of my favourite pianists is Ludovico Einaudi.
8
Do you play sport, or belong to a club? - I am a really big fan of scuba diving. What country would you most like to visit, and why? - This Christmas I’m going to the Philippines with my boyfriend. This country has been on our wish list for quite a while. Especially because of the great marine life and the beautiful nature. We’re also going wreck diving there.
Fighting fit in Maubeuge
On a recent visit to Maubeuge, Karl Haider, Director Downstream Operations joined a team of colleagues in a burst of lunchtime fitness. The group ran 7.5 km along the rivers
of the Sambre, with its rich industrial heritage, and back through the towns of Hautmont and Louvroil to the plant. Tom Eussen, Operatiosn Director commented: “The exercise showed
how we can continue to keep health on the agenda through our GCC efforts, starting with last month’s challenge; ‘GCC Summit’.”
What city would you most like to visit, and why? - Rome, I have never been there and I’ve heard that it’s one of the most romantic cities. I would love to stroll down the streets and be amazed at all architectural wonders. Famous / Inspiring people. Who would you most like to meet (or have met), and why? - The photographer Frans Lanting. I love nature and animals. He’s really good at capturing these beautiful creatures and colours and his timing is absolutely perfect. If you could be in another time period, what would it be, and why? The 20s, the Great Gatsby spheres. It wasn’t the best economic period back then, but I really like the fashion and the music.
Karl Kaider and Tom Eussen pictured (4th and 5th from the right) with colleagues in Maubeuge
PremiershiP
Performance A further 8,500 football supporters can admire the footwork of Jurgen Klopp’s team this season as a result of Liverpool Football Club’s stadium expansion. The new development at the iconic Anfield ground has been designed to give fans the best possible view of the action as well as better facilities. Construction work spanned two football seasons and was managed without any interruptions to match fixtures. At times the work became a spectator experience in itself. In August 2015, the lifting of the giant 650-tonne 140m-long steel stadium roof truss into position was televised and watched by thousands of
people in the surrounding streets. Meeting the delivery goals was crucial for Tata Steel, who supplied building envelope products to the revamped stadium including: 10,000m2 of Trisobuild® R60 in Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® Goosewing Grey; 28,000m2 ComFlor® 60; and Colorcoat Aquatite® gutters. Tata Steel also contributed 450 tonnes of Celsius® 355 hollow section tubes for the roof and terraces. Having in the past supplied London 2012 Olympic venues and Wimbledon’s Centre Court roof, it was all in a season’s work.
InColors We want your news and views InColors is designed to keep you informed of what’s been going on across the Colors sites, as well as the broader Tata Steel Europe group. Have you got a piece of information or view that’s worth the wider world of Colors knowing about? If you have any suggestions, comments, news or feedback please contact: colorscommunications@tatasteel.com
Together we make the difference
SUDOKU SOLUTION From page 7