WINTER 2013

Halifax SiteCOMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Greetings from Solvay Halifax!Welcome to the latest community newsletter from Solvay Halifax, although you might be more familiar with the Rhodia name and logo. There have been lots of changes since our last newsletter, and the phasing out of the Rhodia name and adoption of the Solvay name and logo is just one.

Solvay Halifax spans around twenty five acres and is run from the Brookwoods industrial estate in Holywell Green. We make surfactants, which are used in shampoos, detergents plus other applications such as oil and gas and agrochemical. We also produce biocides which remove bacteria from water, mainly for use in swimming pools. We are part of the international Solvay Group, which is headquartered in Brussels and employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries.

A busy year – and an exciting future

The last year has been busy, as we continually strive to make improvements to the site so we can serve our customers better, provide a great place to work and be a good neighbour to the local community. We’ve spent €3 million on the site this year, and are anticipating a further €4 million expenditure in 2014 as we develop the infrastructure, make it fit for the future and drive changes to further improve our health, safety and environmental performance.

It’s been good news for employment too – at the start of 2012 we employed 57 people and now have 64 employees today. They are benefiting from the revival of the staff canteen in October, which was the venue for celebrating Solvay’s 150th anniversary this year – see more on that inside.

Although the economic environment remains tough, we’ve managed to make the site more profitable by focusing on costs and ensuring we keep our customers happy. We’re expecting to hit 40,000 tonnes of sales in 2014 compared to 35,000 tonnes this year, and we’ve seen a huge reduction in customer complaints: 50% down in 2013 compared to 2012.

Safety top priority

In terms of safety performance, we have just received a glowing report following an internal site audit, achieving one of the highest scores in a group of over 100 sites. Of course there is no room for complacency, which is why we run regular drills with the emergency services as well as a continuous safety training and observation programme with employees and contractors on-site.

We remain in discussions with the Health and Safety Executive about plans for installing a new alarm system to alert the local community to the unlikely event of a major incident, and will be sure to update you once decisions have been finalised.

In the meantime, we continue to support local groups and charitable causes that benefit the community, and you’ll read more about those inside. I welcome any comments or questions about the work we do here from our neighbours, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

John Hamnett, Site Director Tel: 01422 312223 Email: john.hamnett@solvay.com

Simulations test emergency response skills

Solvay Halifax has a long history, and has seen a variety of owners and operations. The site of a former textile mill, surfactant manufacture began in the 1970s with German company Hoechst. Ownership transferred to Clariant in 1997, and was acquired by McIntyre in 2000.

Following Rhodia’s acquisition of McIntyre in 2009, the site doubled in size when Rhodia transferred its Leeds site to Halifax in 2010 which also moved it into the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) top-tier Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations.

The regulations aim to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences to people and the environment: site emergency plans and regular tests alongside the emergency services are a key part of HSE requirements.

Solvay Halifax has run several major simulations in conjunction with the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, designed to give emergency services the chance to practice in a realistic industrial environment, and Solvay staff the opportunity to test their own crisis-response skills and procedures.

“Exercise Foggy” was held in March 2013, and involved a mocked-up release of chemicals followed by a fire, requiring support from nine fire engines and the command unit. Rescue teams were told that five site personnel were unaccounted for and that the ‘fire’ had released plumes of smoke over the surrounding area. Fifty fire-fighters were able to practice containing the simulated chemical ‘emergency’, searching for and rescuing casualties and protecting the surrounding area.

“…there is no room for complacency…”

Advice to the public What you should do in the event of an emergency:

Go indoors. Passers-by will also be at risk,

consideration should be given to inviting them

indoors.

Close all windows and doors. Switch off ventilation fans

and gas appliances. Block incoming draughts.

Stay calm and rest.

Listen to local radio for further information.

Co-operate fully with instructions given by the

Emergency Services.

Wait indoors until the all clear message

is given.

Do not collect children from school. They will be properly cared for.

Do not light matches or other naked

flames.

Do not use the telephone.

Keep the lines free for emergency use.

An exercise in September 2013 saw fire crews and an on-site emergency response teams dealing with a simulated fire in a warehouse, followed by a search for ‘missing people’ in restricted visibility.

“West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Solvay Halifax train together on a regular basis to test procedures that would be required in the unlikely event of an incident,” says Robin Ward, Assistant District Commander for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. “The fire service views these training opportunities as highly important as they offer realistic venues and scenarios which crews benefit from. “It also improves the inter-agency relations between the organisations which will help any operations in the future.”

Steve Smith, who is responsible for Health, Safety and the Environment at Solvay Halifax adds: “Incidents of this nature are of course incredibly rare, but there is no room for complacency, especially where you are handling and manufacturing chemicals.

“It is vital for the emergency services and our own response teams that they are able to practice such incident-handling skills in a realistic setting, and we are happy to provide our premises for that important community use.”

Exercise Foggy personnel on stand bySolvay Halifax regularly hosts emergency service exercises Fire crews at the ready

Smoke generator creates realistic scenario

The debrief begins

Win a Hamper!

Supporting local youngsters

120 pupils at the Holywell Green Primary School in Stainland Road were provided with fire safety awareness information packs and bookmarks packed with useful tips, following a £1,000 donation to the organisation which provides them.

The packs, which include guidance from a character called Fizz the Firefly and his friends on what to do in the event of a fire, how to make an emergency call, what to do if you see someone starting a fire and why not to make hoax calls were created and supplied by national charity, Firesafe.

More support was on offer to Holywell Green pupils in the form of packs featuring Barney and Echo, designed to help young children address problems associated with bullying, vandalism and other forms of anti-social behaviour as they progress through school, and then into the workplace.

The self-help guide, called “Barney and Echo, a friendship made”, was written and designed solely for primary and junior school children. It forms part of a national initiative

devised by the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain (PCCGB), a voluntary arm of the Police made up of retired and serving police officers. A £1,000 donation from Solvay enabled delivery of 90 packs to Holywell Green school.

“Educational packs such as this support what we already do and help us to get such messages across in a memorable way tailored to youngsters, meaning the lessons learned will hopefully last as our children become teenagers and then adults,” said Paul McVeigh, headteacher at Holywell Green. “I’d like to thank the PCCGB and Solvay for supporting this worthwhile cause.”

It’s not all about education, though – encouraging youngsters to step away from the computer and enjoy the benefits of exercise has been a feature this year, with the Solvay logo now appearing on the strips of the Under 12s Greetland Goldstars this season, thanks to another £1,000 donation.

The club is heavily reliant on sponsorship in order to pay for pitch hire, training equipment and strips, according to team manager Steve Coukham, which meant the donation was a significant boost.

“We need to make sure that subscription fees remain as low as possible, particularly in these tough times, as it’s really important that children who want to play for us can afford to do so,” said Steve. “We’re really grateful to Solvay and other local companies who continue to support us and help to make Greetland Goldstars a successful, inclusive and fun club to be a part of.”

As it’s the festive season we have three hampers to give away to our neighbours. Simply complete the form opposite with

your name and contact details, and return it in the freepost envelope provided by Friday 13 December 2013. Lucky winners will be drawn at random and invited to come on to the site, meet Site Director John Hamnett, and receive their hampers!*

*entrants must agree to having their photographs taken and featured in publicity.

NAME:

ADDRESS:

TEL:

EMAIL:

Being a good neighbour is an important role for any manufacturing site, and Solvay Halifax takes its responsibilities seriously. A key goal this year has been offering support to young people, both in the form of donations to local groups, and aiding education, with fire safety a particularly important area given the site’s own focus on safety.

Pupils of Holywell Green school with their Barney and Echo packs

L- R Joe Coukham, Fabrizio DeVito and William Calligan Greetland AllStars

Shaw Park benefits from restoration donation

Write to us at Solvay Halifax, Burrwood Way, Holywell Green, Halifax HX4 9BH.

If you would like to contact Solvay regarding anything in this newsletter you can call us on 01422 312223

Or email john.hamnett@solvay.com

The Shaw Park Restoration Group is not only £1,000 better off but a great deal closer to restoring the historic St Helen’s Well, thanks to a donation from Solvay Halifax earlier this year.

The Solvay site’s history is intertwined with Shaw Park, as it now occupies land and buildings formerly used as a mill by the Shaw family, and shares much of its boundary with the park today.

Shaw Park was given to the community in 1955 by mill owners’ descendent Raymond Shaw, and it has

been in public ownership ever since. The Shaw Park Restoration Group was set up in 2010 to try and restore it to its former glory, and fund raising continues in earnest today.

Solvay Halifax donated several pallets of stone toppings to aid restoration of the well, along with £1,000 towards the works which will include a new wrought iron gate for the tunnel entrance.

Thousands raised in memory of colleague Every year has its highs and lows, and Solvay Halifax was hit with some devastating news in early 2013 when a colleague John Norris lost his life to cancer.

Just 45 years old, John had worked for the company for 20 years and helped to manage the transfer of Rhodia’s operations from Leeds to Halifax in 2010.

An eight-strong team climbed to the summit of Snowdon in his memory in the Autumn, and raised over £4,000 for cancer research following donations from John’s former colleagues, friends and family. He is fondly remembered by everyone who knew him.

Halifax celebrates Solvay’s 150th anniversary

The Solvay Group celebrated its 150th anniversary this year – a great excuse for a party at the Halifax site! For Halifax it was the chance to talk about the importance of safety as employees celebrated what has been achieved so far, and turned their sights to future decades.

A specially-designed exhibition shared the story of Solvay from 1863 to 2013, highlighting the role that Halifax now plays. With safety of staff the number one priority for every Solvay site, the 150th anniversary celebration provided an excellent opportunity to remind everyone of how the manufacturing industry has evolved.

The site took the opportunity to run a competition to find a new safety slogan. Proud winner Emma Oates from the administrative team came up with the fabulous “Safety starts with an S but begins with you”, which was printed on T-shirts for everyone.

It was then time to celebrate Solvay’s 150th birthday in style, with a Hog Roast, Solvay-branded birthday cake and cupcakes and – because no one should leave a birthday party empty handed – goody bags for every employee. “A company in history: Solvay” books were also given to everyone to remind them of their own place in that very special history.

Halifax Site Director John Hamnett talks through Solvay’s 150 year history

Halifax 150th goody bag

Halifax 150th birthday cake and cupckaesEmma Oates won an iPad for her winning safety slogan

John Hamnett of Solvay hands over the £1,000 cheque to Clare Normanton of the Shaw Park Restoration Group

John Norris Solvay Halifax – fondly remembered

Solvay team summits Snowdon in memory of colleague