Smiths in the environment
We are committed to ensuring that, as far as is reasonably practicable, any detrimental effects of our activities, products and services upon the environment are minimised.
Organisational arrangements
Smiths environment, health and safety (EHS) programmes start with the EHS policy, which was recently revised by Philip Bowman, Chief Executive, and is reproduced at the back of this report. The policy deployment process within the Group is as follows:
- The Executive Committee develops policy and monitors performance.
- The Group EHS Steering Committee, which comprises senior group and divisional representatives, develops strategy and ensures progress.
- The Group EHS Technical Committee develops programmes that implement the strategy. It also facilitates the sharing of best practices and provides training opportunities.
- Regional co-ordinators and local EHS staff provide feedback on performance and issues.
John Crane, Morton Grove USA: Major Lighting Energy Reduction
While energy conservation has been the trend in business circles for some time, John Crane – the leading global supplier of mechanical seals and associated products – wanted to go beyond leaving a lighter footprint to improving the work environment for their employees. With the help of energy solutions firm Lime Energy, their mission was recently accomplished. Lime Energy and John Crane's Maintenance Department worked together to determine light levels and product specifications with the goal of reducing inventory and total system life-cycle costs for the John Crane headquarters in Morton Grove, Illinois, which has 700 employees and manufactures close to 100,000 mechanical seals per year. Lime Energy made changes to all lighting fixtures by adding lamp and ballast systems that consume less energy and are brighter. The project included installation of over 1500 new and retrofitted lighting fixtures. From an environmental standpoint, the retrofits equate to a reduction of 532 tons of CO2 or 250 tons of coal per year.
Smiths Detection,Watford UK: Eco-Design
New products developed at Smiths Detection in Watford are now designed using 'Design for Environment' or 'Eco-Design' techniques. An in-depth study was carried out to find the best tools and methods, and these have since been successfully proved in trials. Eco-Design is now part of the New Product Development Process, which means that all future products will undergo assessment for environmental impact.
Early successes have included the elimination of hazardous materials, such as lead, through the introduction of lead-free solder. Most recently, significant reductions in product power consumption have been achieved, leading to far fewer batteries being used and, as a consequence, far less hazardous waste generated. Our customers also experience lower running costs.
The processes, and the results, have been presented at a number of environmental conferences in the UK. Articles describing the work have been published internationally in, for example, the Journal of Cleaner Production, and the European Commission's 'Science for Environment Policy' news service.
Smiths Heimann, Wiesbaden Germany: Eco-profit Programme
Environmental protection and cost-conscious use of energy and resources are important to Smiths Heimann. Along with other Wiesbaden, Germany companies, Smiths Heimann was recognised in December 2008 for its successful involvement in the fifth Eco-profit Programme (Ecological Project for Integrated Environmental Technology).
The Eco-profit Programme was developed jointly by the City of Wiesbaden and companies in the region and has been running since 2000. The programme aims to set up a local unilateral network for effective implementation of environmentally sustainable business practices. Companies participating in the Eco-profit programme also installed the essential elements of an environmental management system which far exceeds statutory requirements. Representatives of the City of Wiesbaden certified that Smiths Heimann's commitment has made a substantial contribution to helping combat climate change and the depletion of resources.
Examples of Smiths Heimann's environmental practices include supplying technical manuals to customers electronically on compact disks (€3,000 and 600,000 sheets of paper saved per year) and reorganising waste and disposal management systems resulting in cost savings of €16,000 per year. Other activities include building energy improvements which have reduced electricity and heat consumption. Smiths Heimann has also contributed to the first Wiesbaden Eco-profit bus, whose design will promote the programme throughout Wiesbaden.