Vinçotte - More than 130 services by Flink

MORE THAN 130 SERVICES

“ Vinçotte is a Belgian company with an international remit. We have the knowledge and the understanding to make this approach work.” Prof. Ir Pierre Klees Chairman

FOREWORD Just about all facets of the daily lives of both individuals and companies have ties with Vinçotte, even if this is not always obvious. Examples include the safety of the environment in which you live or work, the care that contractors, suppliers, supermarkets, retailers, producers, etc. devote to the quality of their products and services, or the efforts they make to comply with environmental standards. These are all matters for which you can rely on Vinçotte each and every day. Worldwide, Vinçotte supplies more than 130 specialised inspection, control and certification services, along with the analysis and testing of the most diverse range of applications in the fields of electricity, lifting equipment, civil engineering, pressure equipment, occupational safety, environmental care and protection against radiation. This is all part of Vinçotte’s business, around the clock: safety and reliability for whatever is important to you. Read more on the following pages. Prof. Ir Pierre Klees Chairman

Vinรงotte inspects, analyses, tests and verifies. You will no doubt be familiar with the blue Vinรงotte sticker in the lift, but the range of services offered by our company is much broader. This goes from inspections at nuclear power plants and the certification of vegetable and fruit packaging for supermarkets to the approval of Japanese cars for the Belgian and European markets. And on top of all this, researchers at Vinรงotte are developing new products such as the OK Compost label or the OK Hygiene label, which were created in the turbid years of questionable food safety as a control and certification framework for the whole food chain, from animal feed to restaurants.

The internationally recognised Vinçotte label guarantees the constant monitoring of safety, quality and environmental care • 135 years of experience Vinçotte was founded in 1872, and since 1989 has existed as a merged entity of AIB and Vinçotte: they joined forces in a 100% Belgian company, based in the centre of Europe, that has continued to grow along with its clients. AIB stood for Association des Industriels de Belgique, and grew out of the mining sector where it tested cables used in coalmines. Vinçotte refers to the engineer Robert Vinçotte, who was already testing steam boilers in 1872. A rich past indeed, that today still forms a part of Vinçotte’s vision for the future.

• 75% market share on the home market With a 75% market share in Belgium, Vinçotte is also one of the major certification bodies in Europe. Our company’s scale, innovation, knowhow and long-term commitments are the keys to the success of Vinçotte.

• EUR 138 million turnover in 2006 In 2006, its clientele accounted for a turnover of over EUR 138 million, with which Vinçotte has noted a 35% increase in turnover over the last five years.

• 1,800 staff Vinçotte is the benchmark company for engineers. Vinçotte has the largest number of highly trained staff in its sector: of the 1,800 people employed more than 800 are engineers and technical specialists.

• 45,000 clients The Vinçotte sites in Europe, the United States, Asia, Africa and the Middle East manage a portfolio of over 45,000 clients, ranging from multinationals and smaller companies to governments and individuals.

• 15 sites worldwide Based on its multicultural and multilingual background, Vinçotte can offer genuine added quality on foreign markets. To guarantee worldwide services as a Global Solution Provider, Vinçotte has its own strategically located foreign offices, on the one hand, and a network of highly qualified local partners, on the other. Besides Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and Romania, the group also has operations in Algeria, Morocco, the Middle East, the United States, China, Japan and India. Vinçotte’s international market share grew from 15% in 2000 to just over 35% in 2006.

• 130 specialised services With its core activities of inspections, certification, control and technical training, Vinçotte provides a significant contribution to the safety of persons and goods, the protection of the environment, the quality of production and construction and the operational reliability of equipment and installations. The quality and reliability of the services are built on the staff’s client-oriented approach , the constant development of new services and markets, as well as continuous investments in knowledge and technology.

• EUR 3 million in investments for training on an annual basis Vinçotte’s strength is its employees, and the quality of the company’ services starts there. In 2007, the ‘QualityJobs@Vinçotte’ programme was introduced to further enhance human capital at each level. In this way, staff are made aware of their individual contribution to common objectives. Because employees are so important to the company, much importance is attached to their professional welfare. This translates into aspects including an annual EUR 3 million investments in training programmes, career guidance, internal promotion opportunities, open communication and promoting excellent relationships with the trade unions. Employee satisfaction and client satisfaction are inextricably linked thanks to this approach.

“Vinçotte has a level of dynamism and flexibility more commonly seen in much smaller companies.”

Mention highly praised construction projects and there is a good chance that you will see the Vinçotte name. • Europe - As one of the subcontractors, Vinçotte was partly responsible for the Atomium renovation project. Besides the traditional testing and inspection tasks, commissioned by Jacques Delens-Besix Vinçotte technical specialists checked the more than 50,000 m2 of steel sections in the construction. - Vinçotte was appointed the Authorized Inspection Organisation for the expansion of the Fluxys LNG terminal capacity in Zeebrugge. This terminal is regarded as the safest LNG terminal in the world. - As a specialist in non-destructive testing, Vinçotte has developed special robots and new control methods based on ultrasonic sound waves for the nuclear sector (in Belgium, France, Sweden and Switzerland). Vinçotte is at the cutting edge with this technology worldwide.

• Africa - With fifteen or so employees and its own sites in Chéraga, the Vinçotte group has been operating in Algeria for 35 years now. After Vinçotte conducted non-destructive tests for the national oil and gas company Sonatrach (one of the key natural gas suppliers to Europe), it is now the only organisation accredited and recognised by the Algerian ‘Département de la Protection du Patrimoine’ for everything involving checks on high-pressure installations.

• Middle East - Vinçotte became a trusted partner in the Gulf States as early as the late seventies owing to its in pipeline construction and verification activities. - And it is not only the petrochemical sector in which the company is operating, since Arab taxis in Abu Dhabi also feature the ‘ISO 9000 certified by Vinçotte’ quality label. - The airport in Abu Dhabi has in the meantime also been certified by Vinçotte according to the ISO 9000 standard. - In 2006, the Coating Technology department took on the task of applying a corrosion protection system to the steel structure supporting the prestigious 310 metre-tall Sport City Tower in Doha (Qatar).

• United States - Vinçotte USA operates in North and South America, Canada and Mexico with inspection, registration and certification services, and the associated highly valued training programmes, such as the five-day IRCA-Lead Auditor courses for the certification of management systems.

- Besides being highly active in the petrochemical and car industry, the Vinçotte site in Houston is also being allocated an increasing number of projects in the aerospace sector. The American Spacehab (Houston, Texas), which is working on the NASA space programme as one of the leading suppliers, was recently certified by Vinçotte according to AS9100.

• Asia - Vinçotte Japan (located in Nagoya) is one of the biggest A ‘ utomotive Certification’ services on the Japanese car market. Lexus, Daihatsu, Toyota, Honda: these are just a small sample of Japanese makes for which Vinçotte approves models for the Belgian and European markets. - After Japan and India, Vinçotte also gained a foothold in the Chinese market in 2006 thanks to a partnership with German Dekra.

ELECTRICITY â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are 16,000 injuries and 540 fatalities every year in Europe as a result of electrocution or fire-related accidents caused by insufficiently protected electrical installations or by their incorrect use.â&#x20AC;?

Electricity is such an obvious energy source that it almost goes unnoticed. Until the light goes out, that is. The same light Thomas Edison switched on in 1879. The use of electrical energy is so recent that it is even predated by Vinçotte. So it will hardly come as a surprise that today we inspect and check anything and everything involving electricity: from electricity production (hydroelectric power stations, nuclear power stations, wind farms, combined heat and power units) to grid and substations, to business machinery and the distribution board in your home. More than two hundred Vinçotte specialists are working each and every day on making an independent and objective assessment of the safety aspects of electrical installations, machines, appliances and wiring. Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • Electrical high and low voltage installations • Electrical measurements and analyses • Electrical equipment in machines • Commissioning or precommissioning controls • Periodic inspections

Electrical installations We all use electricity 24 hours a day. This can be for the lighting and heating of buildings, or for powering machines and household appliances. The associated risks should not be underestimated, but neither should they be exaggerated. Electrical installations in Belgium are after all subject to the legal provisions of the Belgian General Regulations for Electrical Installations (AREI). These provisions include various processes, such as a pre-commissioning conformity control, and post-commissioning inspection visits, such as the 25-yearly periodic control of household installations, and the five-yearly periodic control of industrial electrical installations. As a certified body, Vinçotte has the task of guaranteeing an acceptable level of safety for users.

• Thermographic inspections of all types of electrical installations • Lightning protection installations • Risk of fire or explosion with electrical installations (ATEX) • Cathodic protection • Electrical installations and

Electrical machinery As well as being active in the field of safety controls Vinçotte is also a body appointed by the European Union in the areas regulated by EC directives (including the Machinery Directive). Consequently, we have to monitor a machine right from the construction phase to ensure due compliance with the safety requirements applicable to the electrical equipment in the machine.

electrical medical appliances at medical sites

Electrical appliances Vinçotte laboratories are used as testing houses for the CE mark for electrical or electronic equipment and systems. We carry out full or partial test processes within the context of the EMC Directive and the Low Voltage Directive. We also supervise the Belgian market to ensure the safety of products, draw up expert’s reports for damage claims, and issue conformity marks.

Electrical cabling Electricity distribution along aboveground high-voltage lines may not entail any risks, neither to the population nor employees of the network manager who have to work on it. Acting on the instructions of Elia, our specialised agents inspected the high-voltage lines according to the conditions of the AREI (Belgian General Regulation on Electrical Installations). The installation conditions for new lines are also verified by Vinçotte. Our know-how and in-house technology enable us to provide the necessary support for detecting defective underground cables. This happens more often than we think, suddenly leaving entire streets or municipalities without power. Such an electrical power failure may be attributable to a defective cable. The expert teams from Vinçotte can pinpoint the exact spot of the defect to within a metre. This is a boon to the distribution network manager who can then carry out repairs much more quickly.

LIFTING EQUIPMENT â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our expertise in the industrial sector considerably enhances the range of services we offer. Our knowledge and skills in lifting are highly valued by our clients.â&#x20AC;?

The ‘lifting’ department comprises some 250 engineers and technicians who ensure regulatory and non-regulatory controls of hoisting and lifting equipment and related appliances. As an External Department for Technical Control in the workplace (EDTC), Vinçotte checks and inspects everything that goes upwards and downwards or is open and shut, so to speak. So this concerns not only lifts, but also cranes and forklift trucks, automatic doors and locks. Apart from our activities in Belgium, we also do this work abroad, where our local experts acting as a ‘Notified Body’ or otherwise support clients with assessments and inspections in conformity with European standards.

According to ARAB Article 281 of the ARAB (Belgian General Regulations for Occupational Health and Safety) provides for the annual and quarterly inspection of lifting equipment, such as travelling cranes, hoists, lifting tools, elevated platforms, etc. Article 280 of the ARAB also requires a pre-commissioning inspection for all lifting equipment and equivalent appliances, as well as after any conversion where characteristics relating to use and safety may have changed.

Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • Car lifts • Automatic doors • Fire service material • Lifts, escalators and moving walkways • Port vehicles

High-quality service In this case, high quality refers not only to the height of cranes or drawbridges, but also to the added value Vinçotte can offer with more than 130 years of practical experience. We can use this baggage to propose a modular approach fully in keeping with the individual requirements of our clients. This approach comprises the risk analysis of lifting equipment and the drawing up of an action plan, up to and including full technical and administrative support. High quality also means that you can expect fast reporting from Vinçotte with a clear summary of all inspection points or a reference to the relevant checklists. And just as important are the flexible planning methods we use where inspection data are agreed upon in consultation with managers and maintenance companies. Imagine everything that a construction inspection for fair attractions involves in practice: this has to be done after reassembly and before the opening of the attraction at a new location. In this case, effective prior arrangements lead to client satisfaction.

• Lifting equipment and accessories • Cableways • Fair attractions and playground equipment • Theme park appliances • Waterslides, ropes courses • Temporary stands, stages, tents, etc. • Lifts and cranes on ships • Drawbridges • Personal protection equipment such as safety harnesses and lifelines • Window cleaning installations • Ship locks • Scaffolding • Sports equipment • Forklift trucks

• etc.

CIVIL ENGINEERING AND METAL STRUCTURES “Thanks to its impressive expertise in various fields and a great sense of responsibility for quality and safety issues, Vinçotte can guarantee an integral approach to each construction project: from design up to and including final acceptance.”

As a prominent notified body for the technical verification of constructions, Vinçotte has built up solid experience in civil and industrial engineering and home building. Bridges, car parks, cinemas, port infrastructures, shopping centres, water treatment installations and office buildings are just a few examples of buildings and civil engineering applications for which Vinçotte can supply a comprehensive quality and safety label. Various controls are also carried out on the steel structures of pylons, cranes and so on. More than 70 multidisciplinary specialists support you with the quality management of your (construction) project in line with the universally high Vinçotte standards. Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • Building controls • Calculations, studies, checking of specifications and implementation plans • Fire protection • Expert’s reports • Metal structures • Buildings maintenance inspections • Technical inspections • Ten-year liability • Safety coordination for temporary or mobile worksites

Quality assurance The assessment and follow-up of a construction project by Vinรงotte offers both the client and the builder a better guarantee of a high-quality end product. The technical controls we carry out concern the stability and durability of the construction, the technical installations and finishing, with other services available for items such as environmental care, fire safety, personal safety, acoustic and vibrations and building performance.

10-year liability We also offer comprehensive support for legislative and regulatory matters. An abundance of standards and laws have been implemented in recent years. Even specialists can have problems finding their way through the maze. Besides the quality side of our work, technical controls also offer the opportunity to conclude 10-year liability insurance coverage where the liability of all parties involved is fully covered in one insurance policy.

Technical expertise Any risks associated with the building or operation of a structure must be ruled out at all times. Our risk management expertise is therefore ideal for onsite safety coordination (Royal Decree of 25/01/2001). Then there are our technical expert reports on construction work with structural shortcomings or problems. In this case we not only evaluate the stability and safety of the construction, we also determine the most appropriate method for repairs, renovation or maintenance.

Design Review The same pragmatic and process-oriented way of working characterises our approach to the verification of steel structures. These structures are not only subject to directives and standards, they are also becoming more and more complicated so increasingly demanding the application of highly specific techniques each requiring their own logic. We carry out design review assignments worldwide for machines and moving steel structures, such as walkways and suspended scaffolding. We also conduct EC type-examinations within the context of the CE mark. We assist our clients with the development of calculation papers, the drawing up of diagrams and research concerning technical files, risk analyses and expert reports.

PRESSURE EQUIPMENT “Many years of experience in inspecting pressure equipment ‘classified as nuclear’ and Vinçotte’s successful interdepartmental cooperation are reflected in the value-adding opportunities we as ‘pressure’ specialists can offer our clients.” 20

When we talk about ‘pressure’, we have to talk about Vinçotte. And more specifically Robert Vinçotte, who in 1872 was entrusted by a small group of industrialists with the inspection of steam boilers to increase the safety of employees and improve the operating reliability of the installations. Some years later, he was working on drawing up the first safety regulations in Belgium. The Association des Industriels de Belgique (AIB) was set up in 1890 and also became involved in pressure equipment safety.

Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • finalisation of inspection programmes • checking of manufacturing and control procedures • qualification of welders and welding procedures • design verification • approval of quality assurance programmes • inspection during construction • pre-commissioning

Operating in all sectors for more than 135 years now The “Pressure” department at Vinçotte offers a huge range of services. The engineers and technicians professionally inspect all kinds of pressure equipment and pressure installations from the design phase to the manufacturing and operational phase: steam appliances, process equipment and piping, transport pipelines and transport tanks, aboveground and underground storage tanks, compressed air containers, pumps, compressors, valves, etc. Vinçotte has been operating for more than 135 years in all sectors for private persons, the nuclear industry, (petro)chemicals, the gas sector, etc. Our 150 specialists have a broad technical knowledge base, with many of them having gained particularly advanced expertise over the years in calculation, welding (various IWE/EWE), non-destructive testing (various level III according to EN 473 and ASNT) and other fields. Our specialists also work with numerous international codes and standards such as ASME, API, EN, NBN, ISO, etc.

inspection • inspection during operation • supervision of repairs and replacements • analysis of damage cases

Present at regional, national, European and international level Requirements and conditions for manufacturers and operators of pressure equipment and pressure installations are established at a regional, national, European or international level. Vinçotte is available at each of these levels. At European level, Vinçotte operates as a notified body within the context of directives concerning pressure equipment, transportable pressure equipment and simple pressure vessels. Within the context of these directives, Vinçotte evaluates conformity with the essential requirements based on the different evaluation modules they contain. At national level, Vinçotte makes its contribution to the safety of pressure equipment and installations classified as “nuclear” by means of a wide range of monitoring activities: acceptance of the quality assurance programmes of the manufacturers, verification of the design, monitoring at the factory (worldwide) for the manufacture of the equipment, supervision of assembly activities at nuclear sites, the inspection of equipment during operation, supervision of repair activities, etc. In the gas sector, Vinçotte also supplies inspection services with the construction and the operation of pipelines, pressure reducing or compression stations, aboveground or underground storage structures (gas terminals), etc. In a nutshell, Vinçotte carries out inspections in all sectors where pressure equipment is present, based on legal conditions, the requirements of the operating licence, or a programme established on the basis of a risk analysis or based on the requirements of the client.

CERTIFICATION “Vinçotte auditors are specialised in your field of activity and business processes. As well as offering a guarantee for the quality of the work supplied, this expert knowledge is the only way to offer added value with an audit. This focus on excellence now makes Vinçotte one of the few certification bodies operating worldwide.”

As one of the few certification bodies that applies both European and North American standards for system certification, and as one of the few organisations able to carry out ISO/TS 16949 certification for the automobile industry, Vinçotte is a leading international certification body for system, product and personnel certification. In other words, what is involved is a total service that evolved from Vinçotte’s inspection and testing activities at the end of the 19th century, with this expanding to become the company’s ultimate speciality in the 20th century with the advent of the European directives. Vinçotte stands apart from other certification bodies owing to its huge industrial experience and the quality of the services offered.

Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • Certification of quality, safety and environmental management systems • Product, system and personnel certification according to different standards • Sector certification aimed at

Once tested, inspected and certified, accepted everywhere As an officially accredited and independent body, Vinçotte certifies products, people and management systems according to (inter)national standards and directives. With a worldwide network and local establishments we can be of service to you anywhere: as an IQNet partner, Vinçotte has procedures available for registrations, tenders, protocols and agreements that make its inspection and certification services accepted throughout the world. Wherever you may be, our auditors speak your language and have the knowledge required for your sector. They are trained to understand the challenges facing you as a sounding board and partner in your certification process.

food safety and the automobile, air and aerospace industries • The Vinçotte OK compost, OK compost home and OK biodegradable conformity labels

Combined certification Vinçotte offers a one-stop-shopping concept for your integral management system so that you do not have to choose a different certification body for each department. This combined certification may, for example, concern quality (ISO 9001:2000), the environment (ISO 14001), safety (OHSAS 18001) and food safety (ISO 22000). In practice this means one external audit for all four areas instead of four separate audits. As a result you not only save time and money, you are also assured that all systems seamlessly complement each other.

Certifier on the Japanese market Acting at the behest of the relevant Belgian Ministries, Vinçotte has been present during thousands of tests held in the laboratories of the largest car manufacturers in the world, and has conducted hundreds of tests in its own laboratories. In the nineties, a quality management component was added to these activities to comply with the strict requirements of the framework directives relating to production conformity. ‘Type approval” and “system certification” can be provided together by Vinçotte. This unique combination of ‘product’ and ‘system’ made such an impression on manufacturers that certificates have now been issued in Japan, India, Turkey, Hungary, the Czech Republic, France, Italy and the United States. Today, Vinçotte’s A ‘ utomotive Certification’ is one of the certifying bodies active on the trend-setting Japanese car market.

LABORATORY ACTIVITIES “At Vinçotte, we have a habit of tapping into each other’s strengths to come up with innovative solutions.”

One of the strongest competitive advantages of Vinçotte is the investment in research and innovation aimed at the improvement of quality, safety and the environment. As the hub of a dynamic group – with more than 3,000 m2 of research and testing premises – the Vinçotte laboratories offer a fully integrated technical range of services for products, materials, installations and machines. Very many technological solutions developed at Vinçotte laboratories are so specific that new standards have been drawn up based upon them. This knowledge and ability is translated into a worldwide service that is readily used by the (petro)chemical sector, nuclear power stations and the aerospace industry. Verification and testing of: • Asbestos and ceramic fibres • Coatings and coverings • Turning machines and vibration measurements • Electrical testing • Homologation • Machine and product certification • Material analysis • Non-destructive testing • Strain gauge measurements • Validation of clean rooms and laminar flow cabinets • Mechanical testing of industrial and household products • Conditioning tests • Expert reports • Fire safety

One-stop-shopping test centre As a BELAC-accredited notified body (ISO17025) and a notified body for a wide variety of European directives, Vinçotte has the experience to guide you through the maze of European rules and regulations. On the one hand, our laboratories advise you with the development of new products by answering all your questions regarding the application of conditions, directives and standards. With this proactive approach, you then avoid product recalls, dissatisfied clients and even expensive damage claims. On the other hand, our laboratories guarantee the most flexible one-stopshopping services for the development, organisation and implementation of quality and safety tests and environmental measurements.

Customised products Our testing methodology is best described as ‘testing step-by-step’: troubleshooting enables us to develop a reliable and unique individualised methodology to asses your products, systems and machines as meticulously as possible. Besides our capacities and know-how as regards material analysis and in-situ strain gauge measurements, we can also serve you as a testing house for the CE marking of electrical and electronic equipment and systems (Low voltage directive). The Coating Technology department concentrates on all aspects relating to the protection of objects against atmospheric and chemical corrosion.

Non-destructive testing With our non-destructive testing (NDT) activities, our people consult with you to choose the techniques (thermography, X and Y-rays, ultrasonic examination, fluidised bed techniques, corrosion mapping, TOFD+PulseEcho, etc.) to be used to guarantee safety and compliance with regulations while also keeping down costs. This may involve, for example, the tracing of defects in gas pipeline welds or pressure vessels at power plants. Vinçotte has been the ultimate specialist in thermographic testing in Belgium for some 35 years. Vinçotte boast the largest number of operators and the largest number of infrared cameras. Our laboratories are also accredited by BANT (Belgian Association for Non-Destructive Testing) as training and exam centres.

SAFETY ENGINEERING “As specialists with a thorough command of safety concepts, Vinçotte’s Safety Engineers make sure that the work environment meets the requirements of welfare legislation, and that effective technical solutions are found to perfectly match your company situation.” 32

Occupational safety is one of the most important cornerstones of ‘well-being at work’. As a pioneer in this field, Vinçotte is able to immediately answer all your questions about the applicable European directives, laws and standards. Thanks to a team of 40 safety engineers (level 1 in safety technology), we help you to comply with all the applicable legal provisions. We also propose definite solutions and guarantee a prevention policy that is soundly organised from both a practical and technical point of view. We do this in the fields of machine safety, fire safety engineering, safety coordination services (on construction sites) and safety management projects. Thanks to Vinçotte’s expertise you can take the appropriate measures in good time and thereby eliminate any risks.

Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • Machine safety on a voluntary basis and as a notified body • Project advice for occupational safety • Fire risk analysis and fire safety analysis • Safety coordination on construction sites with design and execution

Machine safety The Machinery Directive and the Work Equipment Directive are European directives that impose a huge number of obligations on manufacturers, designers and importers of machines as well as machine users. The CE mark is also becoming ever-increasingly important. In the context of this CE mark, as a notified body for the European Union, Vinçotte offers all the necessary services in one package for the certification of machinery. In addition we supervise manufacturers - on a voluntary basis - with the drawing up of technical construction files, user manuals and other documents needed for a successful certification procedure. Companies who purchase machines also call upon us for support, including with the purchasing procedure and the drawing up of reports for commissioning, or for assistance with the assembly of different machines.

Fire safety Fire Safety Engineering is based on technical design principles, conditions and an assessment based on the scientific analysis of fire behaviour, the effects of fire and the behaviour of people. Complex regulations require not only great expertise but also constant vigilance to keep pace with the latest changes. We offer this carefully gathered knowledge of fire safety in the form of analyses both for new buildings and existing buildings, risk analyses according to the FRAME method, providing advice on evacuation exercises, and individual assistance in answering specific questions.

Safety coordination on construction sites In conformity with the Royal Decree of 25 January 2001 - on temporary or mobile construction sites - VinĂ§otteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety engineers ensure safety coordination on construction sites from the design phase up to and including the execution phase. Our expertise and experience in this field enable us to succeed in getting all parties cooperate in such a way that safety on the building site and the protection of public health are guaranteed. These services are generally provided on an individualised basis since each site is different and since the activities involved differ from case to case.

Safety management projects Risk management does not mean excluding risks, it means managing risks in a professional way. We apply this know-how every day with advice on investment projects for which we can develop a complete range of services to tackle safety aspects on a global basis.

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT “It is our ambition to ensure that Vinçotte Environment continues to stand out from the others by providing its clients with top-quality advice and innovative studies that are technically underpinned, and with the focus on the real implications for the population and the environment.”

With a complete service for environment, safety, and energy studies, Vinรงotte Environment holds a dominant position in international environment and safety matters. Whether this involves soil investigations, environmental impact assessments, safety assessments or sustainable development, Vinรงotte Environment knows the score. Thanks to the high degree of specialisation and the experience of more than 70 engineers, staff with PhDs, geologists, biologists, safety experts and technicians, we have built up a far-reaching network and have an established reputation. Our environment solutions and advice are characterised as being scientifically based, feasible from a policy perspective, economically sensible, and socially responsible.

International authority Vinçotte Environment helps your company cope with continuously changing legislation, while supporting you when achieving your environmental and safety objectives. Besides boasting the very latest knowledge, we also apply the latest technologies to ensure the success of your environmental projects from start to finish. We do this in capacities such as accredited consultancy and laboratory for environmental measurements and safety. Our services and laboratories are SCC** certified and accredited by BELAC for air (emission), noise, water, asbestos (air & materials) and soil (soil investigations).

Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • Acoustics, noise measurements and assessments • Asbestos survey & risk managements, inventories and project management • Soil assessments and studies

Anchored in the three regions In addition to the aforementioned activities, Vinçotte Environment employs people who are accredited experts in external risks (Seveso legislation), environmental impact studies, environmental coordination and land remediation for the Flemish, Brussels and Walloon Region. Towards this end, we are able to use an integral approach to tackle the different constituent aspects of a problem. To keep ahead of fast-changing laws, all our projects comply with the strictest of requirements, not only in the field of the environment, but also in the field of quality and safety.

• Energy studies and plans • Air emission measurements • Environmental assessments and auditing • ADR, eco-efficiency, REACH, RoHS, WEEE • Safety assessments and management (ATEX, HAZOP, LOPA, PLANOP, process safety) • Water analyses

Preventive and proactive The interests of the client are always the number one priority. Our structural approach to environmental issues is also tailored to the client: preventive and proactive. For safety management, we then guarantee the meticulous execution of risk identification methods such as HAZOPs and PLANOPs, complemented by studies on explosion safety, process safety and LOPA. Besides this more traditional range of services, our specialists also work at product level. With their thorough knowledge and expertise, they can answer all your questions relating to REACH, WEEE, RoHS, eco-efficiency and ADR. 39

RADIATION PROTECTION “As a market leader with more than 40 years’ experience, Controlatom offers solutions which enable organisations in the medical and industrial sector to develop more effectively.”

Controlatom was jointly founded by AIB and VinĂ§otte in 1965 and has since been a Class I notified control body for protection against radiation. Controlatom has the mission of ensuring maximum protection for employees, patients, the population and the environment with respect to radioactive sources and X-rays in the industrial and medical sectors. Our nuclear specialists guarantee this protection with a complete range of services spanning from preliminary studies, inspections and controls, to training and quality assurance.

Health physics for industry, the transport sector and the medical profession Our health physics service takes care of licence applications, carries out inspection of existing radiation sources and evaluates radiation protection systems . We inspect level, density and thickness measuring appliances, large research institutions, in the transport sector we control the transport process for radioactive substances and radioactive waste, and in the medical profession we focus on radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and laboratories.

Largest dosimetry service Anybody in Belgium who is professionally exposed to ionising radiation must wear a dosemeter. This includes Controlatom staff , people working in nuclear power stations, radiologists and dentists, and VinĂ§otteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NDO staff . As the largest dosimetry service in Belgium, Controlatom reads more than 20,000 dosemeters every month. Our service consists of the supply, calibration and reading of film or TLD dosemeters plus the management of the doses (including the drawing up of individual exposure and decontamination tables).

Experts accredited in medical radiation physics In accordance with the Royal Decree of July 2001, operators using installations for X-ray diagnosis, radiotherapy or in vivo nuclear medicine must ensure themselves of the support of experts accredited in medical radiation physics. Our work in radiation physics comprises not only the technical approval of the installations, but also scientific support to minimise the patient dose received while keeping a high-as-possible image quality.

Verifications, expert reports and risk analyses for: • Shielding studies for the installation of new appliances or sources of ionising radiation • Inspection of appliances or sources

Practice-based training Controlatom can also offer you a wide range of high quality training. Based on the latest learning processes and our own well-founded publications, we offer you professional insight and methods in line with your actual practical requirements. Besides annual information seminars for personnel - with modules for nuclear medicine, radiological, laboratory and industrial measuring appliances - we also offer ADR courses for the transport of radioactive substances, basic training in protection against radiation and various specific one-day seminars.

• Dosimetry • Evacuation of radioactive waste • Calibration of measuring appliances for protection against radiation • Medical radiation physics • Nuclear emergency procedures and safety studies • Training on ionising radiation • Drawing up of licence applications • Safety studies and control of radioactive transport • Screening mammography

TRAINING “As well as enhancing safety, the Vinçotte Academy approach is also cost-effective. Instead of being an extra cost, training is a means of making savings, both by teaching the correct skills and by reducing the risk of accidents.”

Founded in 1998, Vinçotte Academy has grown in recent years to become a training centre offering instruction to more than 9,600 staff every year. Vinçotte Academy allows you to make the best possible use of our know-how and experience in the field of quality, safety and the environment. As an integral part of the process of continuous improvement, our courses are designed in line with the knowledge, experience and training requirements of students. With more than 1,200 training activities a year, we are able to cater for all client-specific requirements and aspirations.

Expertise in the field of: • Instruction material • Training focused on company policy • Training concerning regulations and legislation • Courses for safety positions • Courses and training for specialists • Scientific and specialist publications

‘It’s about you, and your career.’ As a part of Vinçotte, besides counting on Vinçotte’s expertise we can also rely on the practical experience of inspiring lecturers. Hence, with a risk analysis we always base ourselves on the risks in your company. This means your employees are already working at a practical level during the training, so performance afterwards is guaranteed to be at the required level. The majority of the training is organised in-company so the learning situation perfectly matches the work situation. The open training courses take place at various locations in Belgium.

Alliance with Kluwer This cooperation means the training and information offered to installers and professionals is further expanded and matches requirements even more effectively. With a combined experience of over 250 years we as a pair - each a market leader in our own specialised field - have extensive knowledge in the field of the environment and safety. Vinçotte has the expertise and experience on the ground, while Kluwer has the technological platforms to introduce new information products and new learning methods.

Up-to-date and compact A two or three-day seminar to brush up on some skills? A workshop to develop the expertise of your employees? Or a study afternoon to freshen up functional knowledge? Your employees can choose a highly efficient formula for any requirement. If a new law or regulation is introduced, we make sure we are quickly up-to-date. If your machinery installations expand and the safety requirements become more stringent, we offer training according to individual needs to eliminate time loss and risks. In keeping with tradition, Vinçotte Academy also applies the rule that training should ideally fit into the working hours of the client.

Officially recognized by the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels governments Vinçotte Academy received Q*For accreditation after the successful screening of the internal organisation. With this quality label, Vinçotte Academy is accredited by the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels governments, so wherever you are in the various regions of Belgium you can avail yourself of the training grant schemes on offer.

Chief editor : Michel Vandegard, Jan Olieslagerslaan 35, 1800 Vilvoorde, Belgium

Jan Olieslagerslaan 35, B - 1800 Vilvoorde, Belgium Tel + 32 (0)2 674 57 11 • Fax + 32 (0)2 674 59 59 info@vincotte.be • www.vincotte.com

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