Q-EHS
Quality, Environment, Health and Safety for Cleaner, Brighter and Safer World
“We are not just a chemical manufacturer based on forest products; we are uniquely positioned to deliver low-carbon, highly-sustainable solutions to the marketplace. Our business is based on a renewable and elegant idea, but we must continually challenge ourselves to improve our sustainability.”
Kees Verhaar
President and CEO
Safety
Arizona Chemical has developed both corporate and facility safety metrics and programs that are tracked, reviewed and shared on a regular basis. We set and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), use Safety Auditing systems and conduct annual Safety Key Element Surveys (KES).
We track the corrective actions until completion and include regular status reports as facility safety metrics. The best practices captured are shared with key people at each facility.
For capturing and sharing incidents such as near misses, process safety upsets and injury incidents, Arizona Chemical has developed a global database. Each incident is reviewed for quality of investigation and reporting, and corrective actions are tracked to completion. We communicate the lessons learned and develop global initiatives based on gaps revealed during the investigation.
Management Systems
Our facilities in the US have been members of Environmental Protection Agency’s Performance Track Program through 2009, whereas our European facilities are certified to ISO 14001. Most of our plants and offices are ISO 9001 certified.
| Almere, the Netherlands ISO 9001 |
Niort, France ISO 9001 ISO 14001 |
| Chester-Le-Street, United Kingdom ISO 9001 ISO 14001 |
Oulu, Finland ISO 9001 ISO 14001 OHSAS 18001 |
| Dover, USA ISO 9001 |
Sandarne, Sweden ISO 9001 ISO 14001 |
| Gersthofen, Germany ISO 9001 and 14001 |
Savannah, USA ISO 9001 (plant) ISO 9001 (S&T) |
| Jacksonville, USA ISO 9001 |
Valdosta, USA ISO 9001 |
Sustainability in Operations
Since 2003, Arizona Chemical has been able to make significant efforts in making its operations more environmentally sustainable while increasing the production on average with some 10%.
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Since 2003, our total energy use has declined by approximately 12% while production has increased by nearly 20%. We have also been successfully increasing the amount of renewable energy usage in our operations. These improvements are achieved by;
- matching onsite energy production to demand,
- introducing more efficient equipment,
- tightening our management procedures,
- capturing and reusing heat sources. |
Renewable Energy from Crude Tall Oil (CTO) After Refining
Our company’s “renewable roots” provide opportunities to process our basic raw material feedstocks not only for value-added products but also as a renewable energy source for our operations. The amount of energy obtained from renewable resources at our sites is increasing, from approximately 19% in 2003, to just under 30% today. Two of our facilities, Oulu, Finland, and Sandarne, Sweden, have approximately 90% of their energy needs met by the renewable by-products from their operation.
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The reduction of our Green House Gas (GHG) emissions correlates with an increase in use of carbon neutral by-product fuels in our plants and a reduction in overall energy use.
In Sandarne, Sweden, the transportation greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by switching from truck shipments to rail and using a haul back arrangement. Our haulier’s calculations show that this solution, which replaced the use of trucks as the primary method of transportation to and from the site, has reduced the CO2 emissions from 1 700 tons per year to 356 tons per year – a 79 % reduction. |
Since 2003, we have been able to reduce the hazardous waste generation by approximately 14%.
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These results were accomplished through a variety of mechanisms, including identifying commercial markets for materials that were previously disposed of as wastes, and process changes. We continue to look for new opportunities to reduce the volume of hazardous wastes, including ways to reduce the use of hazardous solvents and the generation of off-spec materials and process sampling wastes. |
Through our EHS training programs we ensure that all personnel whose work may create a significant impact on the environment has received appropriate training covering both compliance and awareness topics, and competency requirements.
Healthy and Productive Workforce
We have an established a comprehensive wellness program for our employees. The efforts include employee health risk appraisals, first aid training, YMCA memberships and medical surveillance programs. To encourage employee welfare, for example employees in Sandarne receive a paid "free hour" every week to participate in health/physical activities (walking, cycling, going to gym).
Recognitions
• 2004 Team Finlandia Award for Excellent Work Environment for Oulu plant
• 2005 The Zero Incident Form’s ”In the World’s Forefront of Safety” Award
• 2007 EPA’s Gulf Guardian Award for Panama City, Pensacola and Port St. Joe, Fla., plants for their commitment to environmental excellence.
• 2008 ”Turvarengas,” the local safety competition, with a commendation for their safety record for Oulu plant.
"At Arizona Chemical, we view compliance as the minimum standard, not the goal."
Kees Verhaar
President and CEO