HSElife World magazine - Maintenance special

THE FUTURE

Hydropower energy

Hydropower energy is derived from water, either by using a difference in height or by using the flow rate of water. It is also referred to as 'white coal'.

Wind energy

Wind energy is energy obtained by converting the kinetic energy of air into a usable form. In the past, wind energy was converted directly into mechanical labour by windmills, for example to grind grain or pump water.

Bioenergy

Bioenergy or energy from biomass is the collective term for energy from energy carriers extracted either directly or via a chemical diversion from organic material.

SIX SOURCES SIX PATHS

for energy

of renewable energy

Solar energy

Solar energy is energy from the sun in the form of heat and light. This energy, together with secondary forms such as wind energy, hydropower and biomass, makes up more than 99.9% of all renewable energy on Earth.

Hydrogen energy

Hydrogen is also the lightest gas we know, but under high pressure it has a high energy density of 120 megajoules (MJ) per kg. That is almost three times as much as natural gas (45 MJ per kg). However, pressurising (compressing) hydrogen gas also requires energy (about 10%).

SOURCES PATHS

transition

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is thermal energy from the Earth: heat. Energy can be extracted using the temperature difference between the Earth's surface and heat reservoirs located deep inside the Earth. Extraction at greater depths or at higher temperatures is more commonly referred to as geothermal energy.

READ ALL SIX EPISODES

EPISODE 1

HYDROGEN ENERGY

Eternal clean energy

Generating and using energy in a way that does not harm the environment. It is something on which work has been going on for years, but this green vision of the future now seems more realistic than ever. Where a number of sustainable forms of energy have proved successful and where capacity is being scaled up, other forms of energy are still in their infancy. This is the time to join forces, to apply and combine knowledge and skills from different sectors. Together we are responsible and together we can make a difference. In terms of sustainability and in terms of HSEQ.

In a series of articles we outline the current and future image of sustainable energy. We do this together with partners. In this first article we focus on Neptune Energy Netherlands and talk about hydrogen energy. This is a much discussed topic within the energy transition and the climate agreement. Global efforts are being made to limit global warming and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. In 2050 this must be reduced by 95%.

Can hydrogen live up to expectations?

Hydrogen is also called the darling of the climate agreement. Expectations are high and several studies and pilots are underway to determine what role hydrogen can play in the energy transition and in achieving climate targets. Can hydrogen live up to expectations? This will be demonstrated by promising pilots.

What exactly is hydrogen?

Unlike many other forms of renewable energy, hydrogen is not an energy source, but an energy carrier. This means that hydrogen must be produced first. This can be done in various ways, producing green, blue or grey hydrogen. Green hydrogen is the most climate-neutral form of hydrogen discussed in this article. There is also grey hydrogen, in which hydrogen is produced by transforming natural gas. However, this also releases CO2, so this form of hydrogen does not contribute to reducing CO2 emissions. Blue hydrogen is generated in the same way as grey hydrogen. The only difference is that the CO2 is stored in empty gas fields.

We only consider green hydrogen as clean energy. In order to obtain green hydrogen, it must be extracted from water via electrolysis. This is how the idea arose to start a pilot project offshore as well, because there is water and there is wind energy. This is an initiative of TNO and Nexstep in cooperation with the industry, including Neptune Energy. Neptune's Q13a platform was chosen as the location, as it is the only green electrified platform in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Neptune Energy Netherlands is working with partners on the pilot, called PosHYdon. This is the first offshore green hydrogen pilot in the world.

Why choose hydrogen energy?

The use of hydrogen energy offers several advantages. First of all, existing infrastructure can be reused, which makes a considerable difference to the costs of using other renewable energy sources.

In addition, it is possible to find a better match between supply and demand, and waste from wind energy can be prevented. Hydrogen can be stored on a larger scale than electricity. That makes it extremely interesting. In Summer, for example, solar panels generate a lot of electricity, which we do not all need at that time, but which can be very useful in the Winter period. It is possible to store solar energy on a small scale, although that requires large, expensive batteries. For this reason, too, the future use of hydrogen is preferable. In addition, it is possible to import and export hydrogen in order to make a major leap forward in the field of renewable energy on a global scale.

"Conducting pilots is not only essential for the further development of renewable energy, it is also necessary to identify safety and health risks," says Pier van Spronsen. Pier is founder of HSElife NL and HSEQ Direct, advanced systems that he and his team use to reduce workplace-related accidents worldwide. "Hazards are always on the horizon in high-risk workplaces. Knowing these risks and knowing exactly what to do in the event of incidents can save lives. What makes pilots so valuable is that knowledge and experiences can be shared and that we learn from them."

What does the Neptune and partners pilot project PosHYdon involve?

The pilot is a first step towards a low-CO2 future and a more integrated energy system in the North Sea. The pilot will take place on Neptune's Q13a platform off the coast of Scheveningen, on which shipping containers will be placed to house the green hydrogen production facilities. The ideal thing about the size of these facilities is that it will also fit on most offshore platforms in the future. A realistic roll-out to other existing platforms is being carefully considered.

Preparations are in full swing, after which the pilot setup is expected to be active in 2022. This starts with pumping seawater upwards to the hydrogen container placed on the offshore platform. The seawater will first be demineralised. The electricity that will be used for electrolysis will be wind energy from Eneco's Luchterduinen, which is still being brought to the platform by land and cable. In the future, platforms may be powered directly by wind turbines. As soon as the water is demineralised, it can be split into hydrogen and oxygen by the electrolyser in the container. The oxygen will be discharged in a safe way. The green hydrogen will be mixed in existing gas export pipelines and exported to the mainland where it can be incorporated into Gasunie's network.

The purpose of the hydrogen pilot

The aim of the PosHYdon pilot is to test and increase knowledge in the field of producing green hydrogen on offshore platforms and then transport it to land. The lessons learned from PosHYdon will be applied in the next steps towards large-scale green hydrogen production at sea.

"We see the opportunities of green hydrogen as part of our future energy supply. That is why we immediately embraced the PosHYdon pilot project. With this innovative pilot, we will be the first energy company in the world to test the offshore production and transport of green hydrogen in the Dutch part of the North Sea," says Lex de Groot, Neptune Energy Netherlands.

Safety culture in the hydrogen sector

Working offshore, explosion hazards, working with hazardous substances, working in confined spaces and applying personal protection equipment. Just a few factors that can influence safe operations in the hydrogen sector. "There have been some great strides, but the application of hydrogen is still in its infancy compared to other forms of sustainable energy. However, many hazards are similar to hazards and risks we see in other energy sectors. That makes collaboration and using the same sources of knowledge together even more important. There is still so much to gain when it comes to working safely and creating safe and healthy working environments. We really need to do this collectively. It is with good reason that we have founded HSElife NL and HSEQ Direct. They are proven systems packed with information, knowledge and practical tools to support companies where professionals work in high-risk environments," says Pier van Spronsen.

Our ambition is to build a sustainable future. I am convinced that our knowledge and experience are in line with the solutions needed to solve the CO2 problem.

Lex de Groot, Managing Director at Neptune Energy Netherlands

Who can use hydrogen?

Hydrogen can be used for heat (households and businesses), for mobility, as a raw material and for high temperatures in the industry. It is likely that green hydrogen will initially be used where the sustainability gains are greatest. That is in the industry. However, this does not mean that other sectors will have to wait until it is their 'turn'. That is where the best possible available (partly) sustainable solutions can be used. Preparations can also be made for when hydrogen becomes available for mobility and the built environment.

Who does what?

Various parties are involved in the PosHYdon pilot. To start with, the pilot was initiated by TNO, Nexstep and the industry. TAQA and EBN are partners involved in the platform. Gasunie, DEME Offshore, Eneco, NOGAT and Noordgastransport are consortium partners. Thanks to the cooperation between these parties, the right forces have been combined. In terms of knowledge and experience, but also in terms of innovation, facilities and logistics.

The role of hydrogen in the future

It is with good reason that the whole world is following Neptune's pilot project closely. The results of this first offshore hydrogen platform could be a kick-start. Hydrogen is expected to play a major role in the future energy sector. This applies not only to the industry, but also to mobility and the built environment. It is certainly conceivable that heat and appliances in our homes and business premises will be powered by hydrogen in the future. Just like our means of transport. But for now, this is all in the future. As soon as the pilot makes clear what can and can’t be done, we will be able to implement it and then increase capacity worldwide. It is clear that we are working on global cooperation to make full sustainability possible.

Become a partner?

"The Netherlands is in a strong position to lead the transition to a hydrogen economy. We have the North Sea for wind and gas production, the ports as logistics hubs, the industrial clusters that want to switch to green molecules and an excellent infrastructure for transport and storage. Everything comes together nicely in the Netherlands. If we want to achieve our climate targets, we need a large-scale hydrogen infrastructure in good time. This pilot could be an important step in the right direction.”

We will continue to closely monitor the hydrogen developments, as well as all other developments in the field of renewable energy. In the following articles we pay attention to the future of geothermal energy, solar energy, bioenergy, wind energy and hydro energy. Would you, as an organisation, like to contribute to one of these articles? We would like to hear from you via info@thewatgroup.com

Sources:

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/prinsjesdag/belangrijkste-maatregelen-prinsjesdag/klimaat https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/klimaatverandering/klimaatbeleid https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/duurzame-economie/overheid-stimuleert-co2-opslag Webinar ‘De Strijd om Waterstof’ from klimaatakkoord.nl

Han Fennema, CEO Dutch Gasunie

The PosHYdon pilot is an important step in helping to unlock the potential of the North Sea as the source of our future energy.

Lex de Groot, Managing Director at Neptune Energy Netherlands

ENERGY HOLY GRAIL OR... ? (THERMAL) SOLAR ENERGY

Generating and using energy in such a way that it doesn't impact the environment. This has been pursued for many years, but this green future vision now seems more realistic than ever. While a number of sustainable forms of energy have proven successful and are being scaled up in capacity, other forms of energy are still in their infancy. This is the time to join forces, to apply and combine knowledge and expertise from different sectors. Together we are responsible and together we can make a difference. In this edition we talk about (thermal) solar energy.

In 2019, the global solar energy capacity was estimated to increase by 118 GW11. This appears to be the largest increase ever! In ten years, solar energy has grown 26 times. By comparison: wind energy has 'only' quadrupled. The report 'Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2020' (by Frankfurt School - UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance) describes that solar energy has added more new capacity globally than any other energy generation source in the past decade, 625 GW.

Solar energy and solar heat

When we are talking about the sun in relation to renewable energy, it quickly becomes about solar energy, but there is also solar heat (solar thermal energy). At least as valuable! But less known, although that seems to be changing... Arno Tromp will explain more about that. He is importer of Solvis, specialist in terms of solar thermal systems and solar collectors.

What exactly is solar energy?

Solar energy is a way of generating energy directly from the sun's radiation using technology. This can be done in a number of ways. The most common and well-known form of generating solar energy is the use of solar panels with photovoltaic cells (PV cells). This allows sunlight to be converted directly into electricity. Solar heat is created by converting sunlight into heat: thermal solar energy. Solar collectors combined with solar boilers are used for this purpose. There are also solar towers that can be used to produce solar heat on a large scale. Such as 'Gemasolar', a 19.9

MWe thermal solar power plant in Spain, covering 195 hectares.

Solar thermal deserves more attention than it is currently getting! The trend seems to be set, now it has to happen."

Arno Tromp, importer of Solvis (specialist in terms of solar thermal systems and solar collectors)

Why choose (thermal) solar energy?

Generating solar energy offers many advantages. Households, for example, can save considerably on their annual energy costs if they have a number of solar panels on their roof, and that also applies to business users. Of course they also contribute to a greener world and they recoup their investment within a reasonable period. In addition, the sun provides a lot of energy, even on cloudy days you can generate energy with solar panels. This also applies to solar collectors, which generate heat all year round. In fact, solar collectors provide the highest energy yield per m2 surface area. 2

"There is particular discussion of panels, not collectors. In practice, people choose solar panels more easily. They are easier for suppliers to sell and easier to subsidize. But in the Netherlands the need for heat is much greater than the electricity we use. In fact, you need both collectors and panels. There are combination systems, which we are now exploring. It doesn’t work ideally yet. Solvis, for example, has the PVT combination panel. This panel has the disadvantages of collectors and panels, but unfortunately not the advantages of both. It is now in the testing and development phase and is very promising," says Arno Tromp.

The disadvantages and challenges

Solar panels are popular, solar collectors promising. But there are drawbacks, or rather challenges. Panels and collectors generate energy and heat even when you don't necessarily need it. Arno Tromp: "The tricky thing is that you cannot yet store solar energy for the long term. Since everything concerning sustainable energy depends on accommodation, you need something in which you can store it for a longer period of time. There are bunkers, in which solar heat constitutes the source for a water pump in winter. In this way, the remaining solar heat in summer can be used in winter. In Germany, Switzerland and Italy you can find several such bunkers. In the Netherlands there is one. The problem is that it is very expensive, so I don't expect this to be the solution for storage. Besides, this is purely about storing heat, not solar energy."

Combining renewable energy forms

On different fronts, people are working hard to find the best sustainable forms for generating energy. For example, there is a great deal of discussion about the possibilities of hydrogen, and hydropower provides almost all of the sustainable energy in one country, while in another it is barely significant. In other words: there is no one single solution. Arno Tromp agrees: "It is extremely important to really look at the demand. In practice, the approach is often wrong and advice is sought from the wrong organizations so that something is simply chosen from an available catalog. But that is not the way. It is important that you look at what can be improved and then at all possible sustainable solutions and the modular possibilities therein. Solvis is a specialist in solar, but that doesn't mean we only look at that. It is important to make a good connection, to look for the best solution for a specific situation. Sometimes that means a connection with a heat pump, sometimes with a fuel cell that generates electricity from hydrogen. But soil (geothermal) and air systems are also applicable when you're talking about thermal solar energy."

Everything about renewable energy is about accommodation. You need to have something where you can store it for a long time.

Who can use energy from the sun?

Solar panels and solar collectors offer a solution for both private and business customers. But there are still many opportunities - especially for thermal solar energy. Companies that need heat for their processes can benefit from thermal solar energy.2 From process industry to greenhouse horticulture, from livestock farming to the recreational sector, from healthcare institutions to car washes. "Solar thermal is still going to conquer the world," adds Arno Tromp. "There's no way around that! The trend seems to be set, now it has to happen. They are proven technologies, the numbers don't lie. They are great modular systems. At this point it's mainly about generating more awareness for this sustainable form of energy. Solar thermal must step out of the shadow of solar energy."

Many applications

The application of solar energy is diverse. As mentioned, solar provides homes, businesses and industry with power and heat. In addition to buildings, we also see more and more devices that run on solar energy, such as watches and smartphones. Swimming pools are heated thanks to collectors, in private homes in the backyard, but also at the large municipal swimming pools.

In addition, there are great initiatives that are continually expanding the applications of solar energy. The TU Delft Solar Boat Team, consisting of 21 students from eight different fields of study, design and produce a solar-powered boat in one year that is used for spectacular races.3 TU Delft students have been doing this for about 15 years. There are also more and more solar-powered cars and experiments with solar airplanes.

There are more and more possibilities for the application of (thermal) solar energy and thus this sustainable form of energy continues to develop. Particularly in thermal solar energy, we are going to make great strides worldwide in the coming years.

Sources:

1. Frankfurt School / FS-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance

2. Potentie grootschalige zonthermie sterk onderschat

3. TU Delft Solar Boat Team

There always seems to be a holy grail, but you have to look at a modular system. There is no one solution, there are several.

EPISODE 3

ENERGY FROM DEEP DOWN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Generating and using energy in such a way that it doesn’t impact the environment has been pursued for many years, but this green future vision now seems more realistic than ever. While a number of sustainable forms of energy have proven successful and are being scaled up in capacity, other forms of energy are still in their infancy. This is the time to join forces, to apply and combine knowledge and expertise from different sectors. Together we are responsible and together we can make a difference. In terms of sustainability and in terms of HSEQ.

Geothermal energy is still relatively new compared to other renewable energy sources, but the sector is catching up. The geothermal sector in the Netherlands wants to grow from 24 installations in 2018 to 700 in 2050.1 It is also possible to extract shallow geothermal heat in the rest of Europe. In countries such as Italy, Turkey and Iceland, there is volcanic activity, so geothermal heat is already available in shallower layers of the earth. In the Netherlands, it is expected that enough geothermal heat will be available to meet 20% of the Dutch heat demand.2

What exactly is geothermal heat?

Geothermal heat comes from water from deep earth layers. Drilling is required from about 500 meters to sometimes a few kilometers deep. But even when you don't drill that deep (less than 500 meters deep) you can still benefit from heat from soil water. This is called geothermal heat. The use of geothermal heat means that less natural gas is used.

Ground source heat

The sun heats the ground and soil water to about 30oC, which produces soil heat. To pump up the heat from the soil or ground, a heat pump is needed, which reduces CO2 emissions (compared to a gas-powered high-efficiency boiler) by about 45%.3

Geothermal energy is still relatively new compared to other renewable energy sources, but it’s catching up.

Geothermal heat

Unlike ground source heat, geothermal heat does not come from the sun. This heat in the water is heated by the earth itself. Depending on the depth, the temperature can be as high as about 125oC at 4,000 meters. At 2,000 meters depth the temperature is about 50 oC. Because this heat is not dependent on weather conditions, the temperature of the soil water is very constant.

Advantages and disadvantages

Ground source heat and geothermal heat are both sustainable choices. As mentioned, geothermal heat is deeper in the earth, making it more difficult to access. The extraction process is therefore more expensive than when heat is extracted from shallow soil. Before a geothermal heating system is installed, it is important that there are enough customers to make it profitable.

Sources:

1. Milieu Centraal

2. Alles over Aardwarmte

3. Milieu Centraal

Then there's ultra-deep geothermal heat

The name says it all, in ultra-deep geothermal heat (UDG) the heat comes from deep within the earth. At depths between 4,000 and 6,000 meters, heat of 200oC can be extracted. Interesting! Because these constant high temperatures are suitable for industrial applications and this results in a considerable reduction in CO2 emissions. UDG is not yet applied on a large scale. A lot of research is still needed. In Paris and Munich, however, UDG is already an important heat source for district heating. In fact, Munich aims to supply the entire city with electricity and heat through UDG by 2040.4

"When there are new developments in the energy sector, caution is called for. This applies in any work situation, of course, but especially when research is still being done into possibilities and the associated risks and hazards," says Pier van Spronsen. Pier is founder of HSElife NL and HSEQ Direct, advanced systems that he and his team use to reduce workplace-related accidents worldwide. "Safety first, I can't stress it enough. Extracting heat can pose risks to the environment and to employees. Good preparation and knowledge is then essential."

Ultra-deep geothermal heat provides high temperatures that are suitable for the industry, allowing for substantial CO2 reductions.

Why choose geothermal heat?

Both in the summer and in the winter, ground source heat and geothermal heat offer a solution. In the summer, relatively cool groundwater can be used to cool warm air in offices, for example, and the warmed-up groundwater can be pumped back into the soil. In the winter, the warmed water can be used to provide heating in greenhouses, for example. In addition, geothermal heat is a reliable source that is not dependent on weather conditions, for example. Another advantage is that geothermal installations do not take up much space when compared to other forms of renewable energy such as wind farms and solar parks.

Small risk of earthquakes

Heat wells last about ten years. The heat at the site where drilling was done may decrease over the years, requiring new drilling. This type of drilling carries a small risk of earthquakes.

Safety culture in geothermal energy

Working with hazardous substances such as Methane and heavy metals, risk of blowouts,... factors that create potential hazards for professionals working in geothermal energy. "Risks are on the horizon wherever work is done; you must always be aware of that," Pier van Spronsen believes. "Repetition is the power of the message. That's why I think that merely taking periodic training courses is not enough. Knowledge and skills must be continuously at the highest level. Just like awareness and a sense of responsibility. It's simply not possible to say, 'It’s going to be fine'. You must always be alert and work according to rules and guidelines. There are too many workplace accidents worldwide, we cannot let go of the reins. By creating a good safety culture you ensure that working safely and responsibly is in the DNA of employees. It's good to see that it's being looked at properly within the energy sector."

Who can use geothermal heat?

Geothermal heat is mainly used to heat greenhouses, homes and other building. This makes it a good alternative to natural gas and coal. Ground source heat can be used for the same purposes. There are large-scale heat pump systems as well as heat pumps for homes. In this way, you can heat both a house and large greenhouses completely without natural gas.

Source: 4. Bouwwereld

Geothermal heat is a good alternative for the use of natural gas and coal.

RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY #1 HYDROPOWER ENERGY

Generating and using energy in such a way that it doesn’t impact the environment has been pursued for many years, but this green future vision now seems more realistic than ever. While a number of sustainable forms of energy have proven successful and are being scaled up in capacity, other forms of energy are still in their infancy. This is the time to join forces, to apply and combine knowledge and expertise from different sectors. Together we are responsible and together we can make a difference.

Hydropower seems to be a somewhat less discussed topic when it comes to renewable energy. Wrongly so! It seems possible to supply almost half of the world with electricity thanks to hydropower. If we look at the global renewable electricity, hydropower is responsible for 72% of that. Of all the electricity in the world, hydropower supplies 16% of it.1 So we can say that hydropower is very important worldwide for a sustainable future.

What exactly is hydropower?

Hydropower is a form of energy that is generated using flowing water. This happens mainly in hydroelectric power stations, which we often see in mountainous countries. This is logical, because the greater the difference in height that the water bridges, the more hydropower energy you can generate. A dam is often being built in the course of a river, behind which a reservoir is created. Turbines at the bottom of the dam rotate by the force of the water flowing past it. A generator converts this motion into electricity, basically like the principle of a bicycle dynamo.

Why choose hydropower energy

There are many advantages to using hydropower. It is a very clean source of energy. No raw materials are needed to generate electricity, and no waste products are created either. One of the biggest advantages is that hydropower is not dependent on the weather, which makes it a more reliable source of energy than solar power and wind power, for example. You can also generate hydropower when it is needed, which makes the energy source very flexible.

Hydropower can supply nearly half of the world with electricity.

Even though the construction of hydropower plants requires substantial investments, the subsequent costs of generating hydropower is very low. In addition, the lifespan of a hydropower plant is about 75 years.

But there is also criticism...

No one will deny that the construction of dams and reservoirs damages the ecosystem. The habitat of all kinds of plants and animals changes. Nature often has to make way for the construction of large dams, with all the associated consequences. Think of problems concerning fish migration. Fish moving downstream can get lost due to a lack of current above the dam. If they end up in a turbine, it is often fatal. There is a ‘fish ladder’ for fish moving upstream, but not every fish is able to use this ladder. It is therefore not without reason that the International Hydropower Association has drawn up a protocol for the sustainable construction of dams. Although that protocol is rarely used in practice... Fortunately, there are more and more techniques that reduce the disadvantages of hydropower plants and the associated dams and lakes.

Who can use hydropower energy?

As mentioned, most hydroelectric power plants are found in mountainous areas. Among other things, Dutch researchers from TU Delft investigated how much energy can theoretically be extracted from hydropower worldwide. This turns out to be more than fourteen times the amount of energy that was extracted from hydropower in 20173. The researchers also reached the conclusion that there are theoretically as many as 11.8 million suitable locations in the world for hydropower plants. Practice is quite different from theory, which means that by no means all sites can be deployed. Consider technical or economic reasons. The countries that could generate the most hydropower energy per capita are Bhutan, Iceland and Papua New Guinea. It is striking that countries that are now often struggling with energy shortages have great potential for generating hydroelectric power. Think of Bolivia, Zambia, Nepal, Myanmar and Gabon.

There are also countries that are just not suitable for generating hydroelectric power, for example, because they are too flat, too dry or too densely populated. It is possible to export hydropower so that the large amount of energy generated in some countries is not lost. For example, in countries like Norway, more than 90% of the electricity consumed by residents comes from hydroelectric power stations. Part of the energy from hydropower is exported. In comparison, in a flat country like the Netherlands, only a few percent of renewable energy comes from hydroelectric plants. In countries like this, for example, solar, wind and hydrogen energy are much more widely considered.

Sources

1. publicatie van planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL) en de Universiteit Utrecht in Nature Energy

2. Kennisbank essent.nl

3. Artikel ‘Waterkracht in theorie goed voor 1/3 energievraag, De Ingenieur

The benefits: hydroelectric power is clean, reliable, affordable, and hydroelectric plants have a 75-year lifespan.

SUSTAINABLE OR NOT... ? BIOENERGY

Generating and using energy in such a way that it doesn’t impact the environment has been pursued for many years, but the green future vision now seems more realistic than ever. While a number of sustainable forms of energy have proven successful and are being scaled up in capacity, other forms of energy are still in their infancy. This is the time to join forces, to apply and combine knowledge and expertise from different sectors. Together we are responsible and together we can make a difference.

When we are talking about renewable energy, bioenergy is an interesting topic. This is because there is a lot of criticism since bioenergy does not seem as ‘clean’ as other forms of renewable energy. Therefore there are various views when you ask the question: how sustainable is biomass? It’s interesting when you consider that in the Netherlands no less than 60% of the sustainable energy comes from biomass (2019) and that biomass is the most important sustainable energy source worldwide. Esther Stam, Manager Sales at PTH Hout CV, has a clear opinion on this: "Biomass can really be burned very cleanly, as long as you know what you are doing." In this article we will be looking at the various applications of biomass.

Is

There are various views.

What exactly is bioenergy?

Energy from biomass can be obtained in several ways, namely by combustion or by fermentation or gasification. It always involves the processing of biological or organic material. From VGF waste from households to sewage sludge from water treatment plants and from vegetable oil and fat from the food industry to manure from cattle farms. Biomass combustion (especially wood) creates energy that can be used as electricity or heat. Fermentation or gasification produces biogas that (after processing) can be used as green gas or biofuel .

Ester Stam, Manager Sales at PTH Hout CV

energy from biomass really sustainable energy?

There are a lot of cowboys in the world of the 'biomass boiler’ and everyone is experiencing the disadvantages of that.

The social debate about the combustion of wood

Bioenergy falls under the heading of renewable energy because the source is called ‘renewable’. Unlike natural gas, oil and coal, a biomass source (such as trees and plants) can regrow. At least, that is true for some biomass sources. But does this work out in practice? Is bioenergy much greener than energy from fossil fuels? This is the subject of much debate among experts. "There are cowboys in the world of the 'biomass boiler’ and everyone is experiencing the disadvantages of that. Bioenergy gets a bad reputation and for end users it is not self-evident that they buy the right boilers,” says Ester Stam. She thinks the bad reputation is unjustified: "Good boilers have good emission values, which means they can be used in a very clean and responsible way." Ester Stam refers to the annual report of NBKL from 20203, among other things , which states that the emission of particulates from a modern bio-boiler for a residential home per hour is comparable to the emission of particulates from an electric car.

Ensuring the quality of bio-boilers

By clean combustion, Ester Stam means the burning of wood that is properly dry (dried for three years) and that doesn’t contains nails, chemicals, sand, etc. "Only then is it possible to achieve the desired emission value. Although this certainly also involves the quality of the boilers. There are some very good brands, where you can see that they originated in the so-called woodlands. Countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, where they are traditionally used to burn," adds Ester Stam. She herself works from the Netherlands with Fröling products, made in Austria: "By delivering a Tüv report with the boiler, an independent quality label is given. I expect that eventually only those brands that meet the emission values will remain. Boiler inspections are not yet necessary in all cases, at least in the Netherlands. I hope that this will change in the future, so that every boiler that is installed is also inspected.”

Criticism regarding large-scale tree felling

When you run a Google search on biomass, you quickly come across a lot of criticism regarding tree felling and production forests. Even though it is said that the beauty of biomass from plants and trees is that it regrows, unlike fossil fuels. A tree absorbs as much CO2 during its lifetime as is released during combustion. But does this ultimately result in significant CO2 reduction, and can the growth of new trees keep up with tree felling? According to science it is not possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, as agreed in the Paris climate agreement, without the use of biomass4 . Of course, this does not mean that we should not remain critical, on the contrary! We will continue to make strides to make biomass as sustainable as possible.

Ester Stam on the use of wood: "You are dependent on fuel, for every tree that is felled, at least fifteen trees have to be planted. To keep forests manageable, trees are always felled, although there are also large production forests where many trees are structurally felled. There is a lot of concern about this. 75% of our customer base consists of SME companies, especially woodworking companies. Such as gardeners, furniture makers, etc. Companies with a lot of residual wood, which they burn with our bio-boilers. Precisely because we have many specialist end users, there is a lot of clean combustion. Also many wood pellets used for combustion are made from residual wood. In addition, our supplier continues to develop the boilers. For example, electronic filters which reduce the number of particles in the air and a condensation technique which recovers the vapor in the boiler. These are important technical developments.”

I expect that only the brands remain that produce bio-boilers that can meet the emission values.

Ester Stam, Manager Sales at PTH Hout CV

Our campsite is carbon neutral thanks to the combination of solar panels and a pellet boiler.

Case story: heating a swimming pool with a bio-boiler

A campsite is one of the locations that lends itself extremely well to use a bio-boiler. Campsite de Blauwe Haan, for example, opted for a combination of sustainable solutions 5. "There are ninety solar panels on the roof of the central buildings and in combination with a pellet boiler we have become CO2 neutral," says Henk Eissens. "The wood-central heating system takes care of all the heating requirements. Among other things, the public toilet building, the office and the canteen are heated by a Fröling boiler. By using a 2,200-liter buffer tank, there is always enough hot water available. There is even capacity left. Since there is virtually no demand for heat from the sanitary building in winter, we decided to use a heat transport pipeline to heat the homes with the pellet boiler too."

Green Key quality label

By investing in sustainable solutions, the company has been awarded the international Green Key quality label.6 This is the international quality label for sustainable businesses in the recreation and leisure industry and business market. Companies with a Green Key quality label are doing everything they can to save the environment, without their guests compromising on comfort and quality. Green Key companies go one step further than the normal laws and regulations require.

The potential of Biogas

In addition to the combustion of biomass, it can also be converted to biogas through fermentation or gasification. At present, about half of the biogas produced is converted into green electricity and heat 7. But these forms of energy can generally be generated more cheaply, for example by solar and wind power. Biogas therefore has added value mainly when it can be used in processes for which green electricity is not suitable, such as certain industrial processes.

Half of the biogas produced is converted into green electricity and heat.

Henk Eissens, Campsite de Blauwe Haan

Green gas8

Green gas is not the same as biogas. When biogas has been produced from, for example, sewage sludge, biodegradable waste and animal residues, it is purified and dried. It is brought to the same quality as natural gas. Only after all of these processes, green gas produced is, making it a sustainable alternative to fossil natural gas. Green gas can therefore be used in the regular gas grid. The production of green gas only requires a limited amount of energy, so the CO2 reduction is 80 to 90% compared to the use of natural gas. 9

Thanks to its various applications, biomass can play an important role in the transition to more sustainable energy. In agricultural areas, for example, there are agricultural collectives that will collectively produce green gas from their own manure. Fermentation of fresh manure has the added benefit of greatly reducing methane emissions, which is a major environmental benefit.

Safety risks when working with biogas

The need for sufficient knowledge is also very important when we are talking about biogas. If there is a gas leak, a biogas explosion can also occur, in which toxic substances can also be released.10 Of course, there are strict requirements for green gas and there are strict controls to ensure quality and safety.

Why choose bioenergy?

Bioenergy is seen as an essential step towards achieving sustainability goals. Worldwide, biomass is the most important sustainable energy source.11 The application of biomass reshapes waste streams and can significantly reduce CO2 emissions, despite criticism on certain fronts. The fact that biomass can be processed and used in different ways makes it an interesting energy source with many possibilities. For example, green gas can be applied in the regular gas grid. In theory, everyone who has a gas connection can use it without having to modify their equipment.

Who can use bioenergy?

Sustainable construction projects are increasingly looking at the use of bio-boilers, in combination with other sustainable techniques. For wood processing companies it is also worthwhile to use bio-boilers, as for other SME companies. There are several applications for biogas 12. As mentioned, it can be converted into electricity and heat. Biogas can be used to supply heat to swimming pools, hospitals or the industry. Biogas can also be used as 'green gas', the sustainable alternative to natural gas. Natural gas is an important fuel in the industry and agriculture, for example. The production of green gas offers a solution in these sectors, among others. It can also be used in locations where other forms of energy supply are difficult to apply or too expensive.

Sources

1. Milieu Centraal, 2020

2. Energievergelijk, 2019

3. Jaarverslag NBKL, 2020

4. Hier, 2018

5. PTH Hout CV

6. Green Key

7. Rabobank, 2020

8. Groengas Nederland

9. Expertise Centrum Warmte

10. Wikipedia

11. Hier

12. Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO), 2020

The production of green gas involves a CO2 reduction of 80 to 90% compared to natural gas.

CONSTANT MOVEMENT

Generating and using energy in such a way that it doesn’t impact the environment has been pursued for many years, but this green future vision now seems more realistic than ever. While a number of sustainable forms of energy have proven successful and are being scaled up in capacity, other forms of energy are still in their infancy. This is the time to join forces, to apply and combine knowledge and expertise from different sectors. Together we are responsible and together we can make a difference. In terms of sustainability and in terms of HSEQ.

In 2020, wind produced the most renewable energy (733 GW) 1, after hydropower (1,211 GW). This meant a growth of wind energy of 111 GW2 in one year and it doesn't stop there! Especially China and the United States invested heavily and are responsible for almost 60% of the new installations3. But emerging regions such as Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa are also going to play a bigger role. Given the developments we have seen in recent years and the plans in the pipeline, wind is an energy source that will bring us much more than it already does.

What exactly is wind energy?

Wind energy is generated with wind turbines. Wind turns the rotor blades and triggers a generator that converts the rotating motion into electricity. A transformer converts low voltage to medium or high voltage. Wind energy is generated worldwide by wind turbines on land and at sea. And those turbines seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Not surprisingly, because when a rotor diameter is doubled, the power output increases up to four times. And when the wind speed doubles, the power from wind is eight times greater4

Wind supplied the most renewable energy in the world in 2020 after hydropower.

The larger and more complex wind turbines and wind farms become, the more important a good safety culture is. This applies to the production and installation of wind turbines as well as to maintenance. Both onshore and offshore, because even in strong winds, for example, maintenance must be able to take place safely. "You can only achieve this if employees are alert and that requires maintenance of HSEQ knowledge and skills. Continuously keeping skills up-to-date by stimulating employees in an effective way and keeping them informed. This goes beyond just following periodic training courses," says Pier van Spronsen. Pier is founder of HSElife NL and HSEQ Direct, advanced systems that he and his team use to reduce workplace-related accidents worldwide. "It is necessary to create safer and more healthy workplaces. We owe that to ourselves, to the environment and to everyone around us."

Onshore vs offshore wind

Most wind energy is generated on land, but in the meantime great strides are also being made offshore. For example, in 2017 the first floating wind farm became operational off the coast of Scotland. The floating wind turbines are each held in place by three large suction anchors. There are now floating wind turbines in several places around the world. The advantage of placing offshore wind farms is that the wind at sea blows harder and more often than on land, which means that wind turbines at sea can generate more energy. On the other hand, it is currently still a lot cheaper to place wind turbines on land. In 2020, wind at sea provided 'only' 5% of the total wind power capacity, but that is changing rapidly...

Wind energy appears to be evolving

High-profile projects in the field of wind energy follow each other in rapid succession! Especially offshore, there is a lot going on.

For example, on the Dutch Maasvlakte is the Haliade X, the largest wind turbine in the world, with a height of 260 meters. The turbine delivered power for the first time in late 2019 and has a maximum capacity of 12 megawatts, while other turbines along the Dutch coastline have a maximum capacity of 2 megawatts. The Haliade X can generate enough power for approximately 16,000 households5. This flagship turbine, built by GE Renewable Energy, is also the starting point for projects in the United States and for a major project in the North Sea.

We owe it to ourselves, to the environment and to everyone around us to create safer and more healthy workplaces.

Pier van Spronsen, founder HSElife NL and HSEQ Direct

The world's largest wind turbine is generating power for 16,000 households.

In February 2021, South Korea announced its intention to construct the largest offshore wind farm in the world6. The wind farm with 8.2 gigawatts of turbines is to be operational by 2030 and generates energy for 7% of South Korea's annual consumption. Currently, one-third of the electricity still comes from coal-fired power plants. With the arrival of the wind farm, South Korea will counteract the emission of approximately 30 megatonnes of CO2 annually. Hornsea 1 is currently the largest operational wind farm. It is located off the coast of Britain and has a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts. Until South Korea's announcement, IJmuiden Ver was the largest wind farm planned. This wind farm will be realized around 2025 off the coast of the Netherlands and accounts for 4 gigawatts.

Why choose wind energy?

Wind energy is a very clean form of energy that never runs out. In addition, the capacity of wind energy can still grow a lot. When producing, maintaining and dismantling wind turbines, CO2 is released. But after three to six months of operation, a turbine has already compensated for that amount of CO27. Over its lifetime, a wind turbine produces up to 80 times as much energy as it takes to build one.

Wind turbines produce 80 times as much energy as it takes to build one.

Health Effects

Opponents of wind farms regularly cite it as an argument: low-frequency noise from wind turbines cause health problems. There is still much uncertainty about these humming tones and vibrations. There are situations in which residents of wind farms experience stress and insomnia, for example. But whether this is really due to wind turbines? Scientists are ambivalent in their assessment.

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, commissioned by the Swiss Federal Environment Agency, listed all literature published on the topic between 2017 and mid-20208. This shows that annoyance occurs as a result of noise. The stronger the noise from wind turbines in dB, the greater the annoyance it causes. The literature did not show that low-frequency noise causes additional annoyance compared to ordinary noise. The research results about the health effects of wind turbine noise such as insomnia and cardiovascular disease are not unequivocal. What is striking, however, is that local residents experience less annoyance from wind turbines when they are involved in their placement.

Regulations on wind turbine placement

In countries such as Denmark, regulations are in place that stipulate that the distance from the wind turbine to be installed to the built-up area must be at least ten times the height of the turbine. So for a turbine of 150 meters high, a distance of 1,500 meters from the built-up area applies. This distance standard seems a good starting point, but these regulations are not yet in force everywhere.

In the Netherlands, for example, another five large wind turbines were placed less than 500 meters from twelve homes in 2019. The noise pollution from the turbines was so great that six of the twelve families have now moved. In an article of EenVandaag8 the story of Mr. Aan de Wiel can be read, he also moved because they could not bear the nuisance: "During that period I hardly slept for at least a month. It's like living right under an airport. Only the plane doesn't land or take off, it just keeps going." In the Netherlands, a noise limit that cannot be exceeded is being considered, which is 41 decibels. That seems to work for roads, for example, but not for a turbine that makes much more noise in high winds.

Safety culture in the wind power industry

Working in confined spaces, working at heights, working offshore, applying personal protective equipment, hoisting and lifting, working with electricity. Factors that entail risks and that professionals in the wind energy sector have to deal with. "Risks that need to be looked at seriously," believes Pier van Spronsen. "An accident can happen at any time. A moment's inattention or wanting to work too fast can be catastrophic, for example. It's not just about having the right certificates, training and experience. When you're in the wind energy business, you have to know that the safety and health of employees is the most important thing. You can't and shouldn't think too lightly about that. It has to be continuously top of mind, with everyone. A good safety culture can prevent dangerous situations and accidents. There are simply too many work-related accidents worldwide. I see it as our mission to use our 25 years of experience to reduce work-related accidents and create safer and more healthy workplaces. In all industries where employees work in a work environment where risks are on the horizon.”

Who can use wind energy?

Wind energy is one of the renewable energy forms that we can all benefit from. More and more households are supplied with 'green power' thanks to wind, but large companies can also run 100% on wind energy. It is also possible to install a small wind turbine at your own home, but this is not always interesting. If no subsidy applies for installing a small wind turbine, it is not attractive from a financial point of view. Even in optimal conditions, you will not recoup your money before the life span has expired. Of course, installing a wind turbine can also be a choice to minimize your impact on the environment.

Six of the twelve families moved after wind turbines were placed less than 500 meters from their homes.

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OPSLIFE MESSENGER 2.0 is a TWO WAY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM which enables your company to keep your employees ALERT, MOTIVATE them to participate, ACTIVATE them to think and contribute towards achieving the company’s goals and to IMPROVE their work processes, safety and company culture ... ON-DEMAND!

Besides the OPSlife Messenger communication tool, with the use of all other integral tools and services of HSEQ Direct, such as Full HSEQ library, Virtual training modules, Action Focus campaigns, Maintaining knowledge app and Learning and Registration System, your company can create a safer and healthier workplace.

For more information about HSEQ Direct visit our informational website.

The

Human

HumanFACTOR

Owners take infinitely better care of their property than arbitrary users. So, if you want to avoid incidents, does it follow that you should make everyone owner of the process they belong to?

ownership 100% is a matter of

It is taken for granted that the people who work in any industry are also aware of the risks and know how to handle them. Nonetheless, news and rumours of incidents reach us often, despite all the knowledge and know-how we have accumulated. We once thought we had engineered out all the hazards. It then became apparent that capturing everything in procedures is unattainable, and putting blind faith in our management systems maybe unwise. Ultimately it all comes back to where it all started:

It is accepted as fact that working in any industry involves risks.

THE PEOPLE who made and are still making our industries safe.

Missing link Finished or not?

On the other hand, if you happen to know that something really serious can go wrong, with an enormous impact on everything and everyone, surely that itself will make you – to put it mildly – cautious? The word leaves little to be desired in terms of clarity. But why then is it so often the case that an incident has to happen before people change their attitudes? What is the missing link that can put you one step ahead at that precise time?

‘OWNERSHIP’ is a term that is frequently heard in this context. Ownership, arising from the responsibilities that someone in a given function or capacity is simply deemed to assume. In brief, make a person the owner of a procedure and he will adhere to it. The idea sounds logical, but it immediately raises a question. When should you give someone responsibilities? From one day to the next? This would be good, but preferably when the organisation is ready for the change.

But… when is the right time?

green is bright red

Step by step would appear to be the best way. Indicators can point in the right direction, but they are not foolproof. Owners have been known to neglect their property. Incidents have occurred even though all the KPIs were green. You might then ask yourself whether you were monitoring the right indicators, or whether it might be time to worry about others. An owner can also lose his fresh or objective outlook, or even fall into complacency. How important this can be is reiterated every time we have an audit performed. This is why you should never take a step too quickly where ‘ownership’ is concerned.

The solution

Identifying which indicators are actually relevant must come from constant worry, being constantly alert and regularly evaluating or reviewing the indicators involved. This means having one hundred per cent insight and understanding in the organisation about ‘plant’, ‘process’ and ‘people’.

No more, no less

TO CHANGE

PEOPLE USE ONLY A SMALL PART OF THEIR MENTAL ABILITY FOR CHANGES IN ORGANISATIONS TO SUCCEED. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE COULD INCREASE THAT CAPACITY? IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE ACT. THIS ALLOWS US TO QUICKLY RESPOND TO CHANGE AND HAVE FASTER RESULTS.

Toine Simons Beerschot & Simons

CHANGE IS THE RULE

Our society is changing constantly and rapidly. Because of the knowledge we gain over the Internet, our purchasing behavior and that of businesses change. Or the way we communicate and exchange information. Also old success factors for business don’t have eternal life.

CULTURE CHANGE

Because of changes, businesses and organisations have to constantly adapt the way they work, their services, their innovations and products to these new demands. In other words a lasting change that focuses on an open culture where communication is central. This means that we address each other in honoring agreements, a focused attitude and being customer focused. This way you get an innovative organisation that grows and flourishes. One you want to work at.

PREJUDICES ABOUT CULTURE CHANGE

“Culture change takes years and is not easy.” This is what we hear in most companies we advise on implementation of changes. Then you have actually tackled the biggest problem. After all, you don’t know how much energy and intelligence people have to change at short notice.

Many people initially offer resistance if they have to change. They find it hard and think that the organisation simply can’t change. You often hear “this is who we are” or “these are the facts.” People think you can’t just change and book new and better results. In practice, many companies talk about change and new desired behavior and have meetings about these subjects. They go under their magnifying glass. But ultimately little happens. This strengthens most people in their opinion about change. Therefore there is no room for new thoughts and insights. And that’s just what’s needed.

THE OLD IS GOOD BUT NEW IS BETTER

We see the absence of change if people are not thinking in new ways. Organisations attempt to implement change from the old ways of thinking and behavior. This is an obstacle when a new way of thinking is necessary if you want to quickly respond to environmental change.

If changes are absence, organisations start sending behavior more, whilst other behavior is desired. But nothing is as ineffective as sending to behavior if you don’t know what thinking underlies the behavior. If you want to change quickly, you need to facilitate new ways of thinking. The key is to use old thoughts and barriers as the driving force for new ways of thinking and acting.

SHIT AND SHINE?

People move by two things: shit or shine. In other words, either there is great danger to people or they have great desires. In both cases, it’s important that people are aware of the need for change. A lot goes wrong here. For example, managers who send the wrong signal to their staff. Managers preach messages about loss, significant cuts or dismissal while simultaneously drive in a new lease car.

But often the exemplary behavior of management is contrary to the desired change. Yet it’s important that there’s a sense of urgency and that management propagates this clean and clear. Regarding the principle of Shine, it’s much more complicated to change people from their desire. The desire for an optimal work experience, customer service and meaningful work is present, but not manifestly. So you can’t appeal to that. Yet there’s not much left if people don’t feel the urgency to change (Shit) is high.

Both platforms, HSEQ Direct & HSElife NL, promote cooperation between the workplace, management and

But often the exemplary behavior of management is contrary to the desired change.

HOW CAN YOU QUICKLY IMPLEMENT CULTURE CHANGE?

The main starting point is to see things in a different way, but also to think and act in a different way. In other words, if you want to achieve new and better results, the staff has to show new behavior.

The new behavior is due to thinking differently and this is due to seeing things differently. To be able to see things in a different way means that people should first look at their own beliefs. Are these beliefs effective or ineffective for change? For example, someone believes that implementing culture change will take a long time. The point here is not whether this is true or not true, but if it stops him or truly sets him in motion.

When talking about culture change, we should use the barriers that people have as a driving force. From there you should facilitate a new way of looking at things. You have to make people aware of the contribution they can make for change to take effect. Not “I have seen many changes, this one will also pass.” But “What can I contribute, although I know it’s the same all over again.” Nor “Communication is a two way process, and if the facts are different, I let it be.” But “I am responsible for the quality of my communication, I want to be responsible and who wants to follow my lead?” This seems naive, but it will eventually give results. And people will experience the meaning of their commitment more.

and the company, with the aim of speaking the same clear language and prevent incidents and/or accidents.

To be able to see things in a different way means that people should first look at their own beliefs

THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT STEPS TO TAKE IN CULTURE CHANGE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Make sure that the sense of urgency is clear and communicate it well.

Make agreements with management about exemplary behavior.

Don’t do long researches into the reasons why implementing previous changes failed. People often have a good idea of what’s wrong. This you’ll find out during an interactive session. So you don’t have to do research.

We keep a lot under the table because we fear that we will get into trouble if we are not honest. That’s why we often conceal things that really should be uncovered. So if you want to take change to the next level, you should be honest in order to solve problems.

People do want change but they have many obstacles. In other words, make sure you bring out the barriers that prevent change from happening. These barriers are often stronger than the desire to change.

Find out what you can change beforehand and quickly deal with it.

Determine which barriers live in people’s conviction. Use these barriers as a driving force and show that they can prevent change from happening.

Visualise people’s desire to collaborate, communicate and implement. Make them aware that by obstructing, their desire can not be fulfilled.

Check together which new ways of looking at things and which new beliefs you can achieve over old barriers.

Make agreements about it and make people accountable for bringing solutions. Make them accountable for communicating also.

training Does of your first-

line workforce play an important role?

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VIRTUAL TRAINING MODULES

HSEQ Direct provides 30+ VIRTUAL TRAINING MODULES, which include Permit to Work, Task Risk Analysis, Last Minute Risk Analysis, Electrical hazards, Chromium-VI, Confined spaces, Hoisting & lifting, specialized training inductions for the Energy industry in transition.

Besides the Virtual training modules, with the use of all other integral tools and services of HSEQ Direct, such as Full HSEQ library, Action Focus campaigns, OPSlife Messenger, Maintaining knowledge app and Learning and Registration System, your company can create a safer and healthier workplace.

For more information about HSEQ Direct visit our informational website.

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THE POWER OF REFRESHING

At primary school, you’ve had to learn the tables by heart and you had to be able to recite them so many times that you didn’t need to think about it anymore. 1 x 8 = 8, 2 x 8 = 16, 3 x 8 = 24, and so on.

Or how about the German cases, articles and prepositions you had to learn at secondary school – Der, die, das. An, auf, hinter, neben, in, über, unter, vor and zwischen. Ich bin, du bist, wir sind – and so on and so forth. Remember the Dutch and English alphabet you had to learn by heart. All this knowledge has been ingrained in your brain and pops up automatically when needed. You don’t even think about it.

In advertising, a well known phrase is: “Repetition empowers the message”. If you repeat the message often enough, you will remember it. However, when we take a new training, a lot of the information will stay in our short term memory and we actually remember only a small part of it. It is for a reason that ERO’s for instance, are required to take a refresher or a rehearsal course every year in order to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date.

How can we ensure that people working in riskful industries keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date? How can we make sure that the knowledge they have gathered during training will have a lasting impact on their brain? Luckily, our refresher training programs will safeguard this. Such as the Permit to Work, the Task Risk Analysis and the Last Minute Risk Analysis. Use them to your advantage!

On behalf of HSElife World Pier van Spronsen

If you repeat the message often enough, you will remember it. " "

This should never have happened!

When do

you

hear that said?

Correct, when you work reactively.

The majority of people: reactive thinkers

Reactive: A reaction to something. A reaction to something that you see, something that you hear, something that happens to you. In some cases, ‘something that should never have happened’! In other words, you react when the damage has already been done. When you see someone fall you rush over to help them, you finally clear things away after a tool left lying around falls on someone’s head, you look for a solution when it turns out that a process is costing far too much money, and so on. Whatever the situation, it almost always leads to the realisation that ‘I should have taken steps before it happened’. If you ask us, these are just hollow words! After all, the wisdom of hindsight can neither rectify the situation nor reverse the incident.

Food for thought: reactive thinkers are burying their heads in the sand

In chemistry, ‘reactive’ is actually used to express antagonism (in addition to other chemical meanings of the word). And that’s exactly what it is, and not just in chemistry! If you live reactively, work reactively and take decisions reactively, what you are actually doing is burying your head in the sand. You consider the matter, and then produce a solution that is appropriate at that point in time. But what if a serious incident occurs, one in which a fellow worker is injured or even killed ... how can you defend a reactive approach to work under those circumstances? Surely that would make you think again?

Food for thought: proactive thinkers prevent incidents

The minority of people: proactive thinkers

Proactive: The dictionary definition hits the nail on the head. Proactive means taking action before something happens, preventing something, taking action that serves a future purpose. Wonderful! Actually, that says it all. Working proactively means looking ahead and drawing attention to potential hazards in the workplace. In fact, a proactive attitude has no down side at all. There is suddenly much less of ‘If only I had ...’ and ‘This should never have happened’. And the same goes for incidents in the workplace.

If working proactively has so many benefits, why do so many people still have a reactive attitude to work? In practice, you often see that – at first – people are rather dismissive of proactive solutions and proposals. That’s a real shame, because the prevention that results from a proactive mindset is very important indeed. The reason so many people are dismissive of this approach is that prevention does not tend to get noticed, which makes it seem less important.

Food for thought: prevention seems to be obscured by a cloak of invisibility

Conclusion!

Flip your thinking: Think in terms of possibilities instead of problems. That’s not as easy as it sounds, we know that. But when you proactively learn to think in terms of possibilities, you put prevention back in the spotlight and timely action can be taken. Long before an incident occurs and not afterwards.

Be receptive to proactive thinkers and be inspired by them!

Food for thought:

Just being aware that you could do things better is a step in the right direction*

*Source: Flip your thinking

Did you know... that Managers can start creating a better Safety Culture at the workplace within 5 minutes. Don't believe us - see it for yourself!

DON'T ALLOW TRAINING KNOWLEDGE TO FADE AWAY!

STAY ON TOP OF YOUR GAME!

How can you make sure that the knowledge remains at a sustainable level after a training? (see Ebbinghaus forgetting curve)

Is there a solution for that?

Yes, there is! XLR Academy provides exactly that!

What is the XLR Academy?

The XLR ACADEMY is a scientifically proven* training support tool that maintains training knowledge where it should be - at the highest possible level.

GOAL USAGE RESULT

To decrease loss of training knowledge.

Five self made or ready to use questions and solutions about HSEQ issues to incite ongoing engagement.

Training knowledge is maintained at the highest level, raising HSEQ awareness at the workplace.

How does the XLR Academy work?

Triggering interaction and involvement of employees by distributing questions on various subjects and situations related to their everyday’s work. You, as a Manager or a Team Leader, are in total control of the questions, be it work process or product related. Want to gain more insight in your team expertise?

You can use the XLR Academy to discover those painfull spots in their knowledge or behaviour.

*Source: Ebbinghaus forgetting curve.

informing Does on HSEQ issues

play an important role in your company?

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FULL HSEQ LIBRARY

Short and concise 30+ HSEQ information topics for daily use in a digital format (or self-printable). Onscreen presentations, suitable for Toolbox meetings, with 5 questions and answers per topic. Interactive quizzes consisting of multiple choice questions, with results automatically recorded in our Learning And Registration System (HSElife LARS).

Besides the Full HSEQ library, with the use of all other integral tools and services of HSEQ Direct, such as Action Focus campaigns, Virtual training modules, OPSlife Messenger, Maintaining knowledge app and Learning and Registration System, your company can create a safer and healthier workplace.

For more information about HSEQ Direct visit our informational website.

> click here

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registering Does of your employee’s certifications

play an important role in your company?

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LEARNING AND REGISTRATION SYSTEM

The HSElife Learning And Registration System (LARS) is our online training and certification registration system. It can be used on any device (desktop, tablet and mobile) to automatically register the employee training certificates and enable company wide supervision and control.

Besides the Learning and Registration system, with the use of all other integral tools and services of HSEQ Direct, such as Full HSEQ library, Action Focus campaigns, OPSlife Messenger, Virtual training modules and Maintaining knowledge app, your company can create a safer and healthier workplace.

For more information about HSEQ Direct visit our informational website.

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OPSlife

2.0 is an interactive app ...

... that enables organisations to reach their employees easily. To inform them about important developments, for example. But it is also a way to motivate and activate staff to help achieve organisational goals and improve work processes, promote safety in the workplace and build a positive company culture.

Interaction

The great thing about this app is that the admin can publish on-demand announcements, which are sent straight to employees via a push notification. But it is not just about sending messages: this is an interactive app, also including such options as open questions and surveys.

Does the HSEQ training knowledge

of your workforce present an issue? maintaining

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MAINTAINING HSEQ KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge acquired during training is often quickly forgotten, if not maintained. XLR ACADEMY is a scientifically proven* training support tool that maintains training knowledge where it should be - at the highest possible level.

Besides the XLR Academy, with the use of all other integral tools and services of HSEQ Direct, such as Full HSEQ library, Action Focus campaigns, OPSlife Messenger, Virtual training modules and Learning and Registration System, your company can create a safer and healthier workplace.

For more information about HSEQ Direct visit our informational website.

> click here

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Management System

*Source: Ebbinghaus forgetting curve.

informing Does on HSEQ issues

play an important role in your company?

We assist you with these tools & services for a safer and healthier workplace!

FULL HSEQ LIBRARY

Short and concise 30+ HSEQ information topics for daily use in a digital format (or self-printable). Onscreen presentations, suitable for Toolbox meetings, with 5 questions and answers per topic. Interactive quizzes consisting of multiple choice questions, with results automatically recorded in our Learning And Registration System (HSElife LARS).

Besides the Full HSEQ library, with the use of all other integral tools and services of HSEQ Direct, such as Action Focus campaigns, Virtual training modules, OPSlife Messenger, Maintaining knowledge app and Learning and Registration System, your company can create a safer and healthier workplace.

For more information about HSEQ Direct visit our informational website.

> click here

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Management System

gets an unexpected boost Sustainability

We all agree that sustainability is a key to preserve the Earth.

Reducing the impact of so called ‘polluting industries’, switching to CO2 neutral energy sources and eliminating pollutants are the way to go in achieving sustainable economy in the long run.

Sustainability

Governments, companies and public alike have joined hands in making the energy transition possible. Great goals, big projects, huge investments and even bigger promises have set the world in motion.

What about, sometimes unseen, human factors and the practical execution – especially in industrial surroundings? How easily can all the above mentioned efforts be thrown aside when an incident occurs? Pollution, infrastructural damage and above all: risk of injury and even fatality can be a result of human error or simply a lack of risk awareness.

An effective sustainable economy can be jeopardized with an easily avoidable human behavior issue. Many regions / countries / companies still struggle to keep risk awareness on the workplace at a high level, underlined by disastrous statistics published by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2019.

HSEQ Direct is a global online all-in-one Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Management System which tackles this problem in an effective and direct manner. By providing essential risk awareness information and tools for any industry, it doesn’t allow all positive sustainability efforts and initiatives to be nullified by the weakest link – the unaware and untrained personnel. Keeping employees properly informed and trained makes it a perfect sustainability partner for any branch organization, governmental entity or commercial company.

A secondary sustainability boost that HSEQ Direct gives is making travelling for training and certification obsolete. Being a fully digital platform, it allows remote access to all training modules and health, safety and environment information, from any location and on any device. No more unnecessary CO2 emissions by letting your workforce fly over to be trained and to receive the required certificate(s).

Finally, HSEQ Direct fully eliminates the use of paper. Everything that your organization communicates and distributes to the workforce is done digitally, using existing devices and infrastructure, reducing the CO2 footprint significantly.

HSEQ Direct, a true sustainability partner – providing boost to all renewable industrial initiatives!

On behalf of HSElife World Veselin Raznatovic

Do you want to find more about all the benefits of HSEQ Direct? Check out the website and sign-up: boost your sustainability efforts even further!

is the mother of all knowledge is better than the cure

Repetition Prevention Together Less Pro-active

HSElife World magazine is the official communication platform for HSElife NL (National) and HSEQ Direct (International)

HSElife World is on a mission to deliver a set of essential risk awareness information and training modules to the workforce around the world, and to maintain the acquired knowledge with a sole purpose of reducing workplace related accidents.

HSElife World magazine is published by: The WAT Group B.V. The Netherlands www.thewatgroup.com

On this issue worked Marjou Janse, Bob Janssen, Veselin Raznatovic, Mariëlle Schiphorst-Dolman, Pier van Spronsen, Stéphanie van Stockum, Leonard van Stockum en Janine IJssel de Schepper.

Please e-mail any comments about subjects discussed in this magazine to support@thewatgroup.com attn. Janine Ijssel de Schepper.

HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE