Elements 12

A unique industry, with unique companies and unique news

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Elements Spring 2015

Chemicals Northwest Awards 2015 Buyers Guide Stephen Rowe of Dekra Insight Process Safety UK interview

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CONTENTS AND MEMBERSHIP

Contents 5 6-9 10-11 13, 18, 19 27 34 39-41 43-45

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CNW News Awards News Big Interview Member News Buyers Guide A Week in the Life of New Member Profiles CNW Events

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Contact details John Roche Operations Manager Email: RocheJ@CIA.org.uk Alex Heys Member Services & Events Manager Tel: 01928 515678 Email: alexandra.heys@ chemicalsnorthwest.org.uk Advertising John Neilson, Distinctive Group Tel: 0845 884 2343 Mobile: 07813 874970 Email: john.neilson@ distinctivegroup.co.uk Disclaimer

Distinctive Publishing or Chemicals Northwest cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Chemicals Northwest.

Sponsor

This edition is sponsored by ITAL Logistics

Front cover image Adrian Waine (Photography for Industry) – www.photographyforindustry.com at Thyson Technology

Chemicals Northwest are part of The Chemical Industries Association

Membership of Chemicals Northwest Would your company benefit from joining an organisation that supports and promotes the chemistry-using sector in the Northwest? Do you want to understand more and get more involved with the industry issues within the region?

If you are a manufacturer, chemical user or offer a service to the sector, why not join us today? contact: Alex Heys – Member Services and Events Manager, alex.heys@chemicalsnorthwest. org.uk, 01928 515678 or join online www.chemicalsnorthwest.org.uk/ membership/join_cnw/

Benefits and Rates...

Member Benefits... n Free/reduced entry to Chemical

Elements and Breakfast Networking events plus the opportunity to present n Discounted entry to co-hosted and other events n Feature opportunities in the quarterly Chemical Northwest magazine n Free access to the Chemicals Northwest REACH and Supply Chain user groups n Free website profile to promote your business n Speaker opportunities at Chemicals Northwest and other industry events. n Free entry into the annual Chemicals Northwest Sector Directory n Discounted advertising rates for Chemicals Northwest Sector Directory and Website n Support and assistance with regulation and other legislative issues n Discounted ticket/s for the Chemicals Northwest Awards Dinner

n Free/reduced rate exhibition

opportunities at Chemical Elements and Breakfast Networking events n PLUS - Access to additional member benefits including: • 25% discount off the REACHReady Gold Subscription • Chemicals Northwest Buyers’ Club on a no savings, no fee basis • Discounted Insurance Rates • Free and Discounted Recruitment Services • Discounted rates to attend the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Essential Skills Management courses.

2014 – 15 Rates...

Micro Corporate Membership (Businesses with 1 -10 employees) £373 + VAT Standard Corporate Membership (Businesses with 11 – 100 employees) £649 + VAT Large Corporate Membership (Businesses with 100+ employees) £825 + VAT Once your application is complete, you can benefit from being part of the community of chemistry-using industries in the North West.

Membership year runs from 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015 and initial ‘part year’ terms apply.

For further details contact Alex Heys – Member Services and Events Manager, alexandra.heys@chemicalsnorthwest.org.uk or phone 01928 515678

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PERRY PROCESS

The value of your surplus process equipment When equipment becomes surplus to requirements selling it to a reliable used process equipment partner will always provide a greater return than simply scrapping the item.

They can also assist with all aspects of disposal, allowing you to concentrate on your core business whilst maximising your asset realisation.

Things to consider when selling your surplus equipment In order to gain the maximum return on your surplus assets, you may wish to consider the following: 1. Documentation. If possible, sell your equipment with its technical documentation, service history, drawings etc. as this is what most buyers will look for.

2. Spares. If you have any spares, include them with the equipment. This will be a big bonus for anyone looking to purchase the unit, knowing they won’t need to buy any at an additional cost.

3. Removal. Make sure that the removal of equipment is done correctly to avoid damage to it.

4. Show it off. Take some good clear photographs to show its current condition.

This will help to get you a realistic offer price. Take internal and external photographs including nameplates, inlet and outlet points etc.

Selling Options with Perry Since 1932 Perry have been buying & selling used process equipment to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

They can offer a number of options when it comes to the disposal of your surplus assets, as follows: Outright Purchase Perry will buy your equipment outright and arrange to have it removed immediately. It will be taken to their site in County Durham, added to their inventory and re-sold.

Trade In To help you reduce the cost of purchasing a piece of used equipment you can trade in your surplus assets with Perry. They can also help with the removal and logistics of your equipment.

Consignment Perry can sell your equipment on your behalf. They will actively market your assets, find a customer and negotiate the

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best sales price for you. The equipment can remain at your site until sold, or can be possibly stored at theirs.

Asset Disposal If you have a number of assets to sell, Perry can offer you a personalised disposal package to suit your timescale and expectations. Activities that can be included are asset valuation, inventory reporting, dismantling, marketing, storage and logistics.

Case Study Perry was recently appointed by DuPont to help clear their Bristol site. They were given a six week window to sell

the equipment and clear the area. Perry successfully sold most of the assets direct from the site to companies in Europe and then purchased the remaining items for stock.

The contact at Dupont commented: “We had a very good experience working with Paul Cook and Perry as a company. The project was completed on time and within budget.”

Further details on Perry and the services they can offer can be found on their website www.perryprocess.co.uk

CNW NEWS

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A warm welcome to Spring 2015 The team at Chemicals Northwest have been busy over the last quarter. As you all probably know, we held our Awards dinner on the 19th March. Please read through the following sections to see the winners and photos from the evening.

So far this year we have held two of our popular breakfast networking gatherings with Aquilant Scientific sponsoring in January and the Royal Society of Chemistry in March. In February the first Elements seminar of the year entitled: ‘Focus on Water in the Chemical Industry’ saw a first collaboration with our colleagues at YCF and Veolia Water Technologies kindly sponsored. Further details of topics covered can be found throughout this edition.

If you would like to have a feature in the Chemicals Northwest magazine “Elements” magazine please get in touch.

Do you have an interesting case study,

expansion plans, or have a person of interest in your organisation who would like to be interviewed. If so please contact alexandra.heys@chemicalsnorthwest. org.uk Our LinkedIn group now has nearly 1000 members and is active on an almost daily basis, so for those who are on LinkedIn please feel free to become a member of our group and keep up to date with the latest news and events from the industry.

We have new events programme in the pipeline and for those who wish to be involved please contact us. Either for speaking opportunities at the events or to sponsor. Please keep an eye on

our events page to see what events are coming up for the rest of 2015–16 www.chemicalsnorthwest.org.uk/ events/.

At the time of going to print we have just finished finalising the membership renewals. Your help and support over the last few years has been much appreciated.

Without your contributions we would not be able to offer the events and services we provide for the chemical industry of the North West. If you are not members of Chemicals Northwest but would like to be please contact alexandra.heys@ chemicalsnorthwest.org.uk

Science, Engineering & Technology Recruitment www.cypartners.co.uk

0191 477 4733

info@cypartners.co.uk

CY Partners Recruits for home of CNW CY Partners Scientific Recruitment recently assisted SOG, owners of ‘The Heath Business and Technical Park’ – and home to Chemicals NorthWest.

Anth explains the full process, showing how quick and easy it could be for CY Partners to help your business:

CY Partners’ Anth McKeown, who previously worked at Distinctive Publishing as ‘CNW Elements’ advertising executive, is now driving CY Partners growth into North West & Yorks.

Together with Andy Martin, experienced scientific recruiter, they combined to successfully source and recruit SOG’s H&S Manager within very tight deadlines.

9th Feb – 3 candidates shortlisted

SOG ‘The Heath’ Case Study 5th Feb – Spoke with HR Manager about recruiting for H&S Manager role they had struggled to find the right candidate for.

6th Feb – SOG agreed TOB. Worked on a contingency basis, so if we didn’t get someone in place for SOG – They paid no fee.

16th Feb – First round of interviews.

20th Feb – Second round of interviews.

21st Feb – Offer of employment accepted.

24th Feb – CY Partners completed references process in full.

Testimonial from SOG “CY Partners were professional throughout the recruitment process and took the time to build a relationship with SOG’s HR Manager, despite the very short timescale for recruitment deadline. Anth & Andy were very personable and SOG would be delighted to work with CY Partners again in the future should there be a requirement”.

For companies looking for serviced office/ lab space in the North West please contact Lesley Lunt. The Heath offers a range of accommodation options suitable for all business sizes and sectors.

T: 01928-51-5988, E: Lesley.lunt@sog.ltd.uk www.theheath.com

9th March – Successful candidate first day of employment with SOG

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CNW AWARDS

Chemicals Northwest Awards 2015

All winners

The fifth Chemicals Northwest Award dinner took place on 19th March 2015 at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate. This also coincides with 2015 being the 15th year that the Chemicals Northwest network has been in operation.

Due to the past 2 awards dinners being a “sold out” success we decided to expand our horizons for the 2015 dinner and move to a larger venue…and we weren’t disappointed!

The Awards were open to all Chemicals Northwest Member companies and all other North West companies, organisations and institutions or sites operating independently within the North West region. All sizes of organisation were considered for each of the

awards. We had record numbers of entries in this year which were all of an extremely high standard according to the judges.

The evening began with a VIP drinks reception sponsored by ITAL Logistics which took place in the iconic Cloud 23 bar. The company welcomed all the sponsors of the awards plus some specially invited guests. This was then followed by a drinks reception for all guests which produced some excellent networking opportunities.

The Awards The evening’s award trophies were once again the result of collaboration between CNW and one of our academic members, Wirral Metropolitan College. For the past three years BA Fine Art students from Wirral Metropolitan College have been invited to design trophies for the Chemicals Northwest Annual Awards.

“Working on ‘live’ projects and alongside colleagues from the world of work is a key aim of the course. This type of project provides the opportunity for our students to focus their creative abilities and develop the collaborative and time management skills essential to their professional development.

“Previous trophies have been very sculptural so this year’s designs have focussed on setting a vibrant, energetic and dynamic context for the awards and the award winners. Each of the plaques feature hexagonal designs, the colours of which are derived from the artwork in the background. There are eleven categories this year, so following discussions with the design group it was decided to keep the designs very individual, yet establish an overall look.”

Vincent Lavell, Course Leader. BA(Hons) Fine Art

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Our thanks for producing a diverse set of awards go to the students at Wirral Met, seen above, showcasing their work.

We wish them every success with their studies.

We would also like to give special thanks to Solvay Interox Ltd who sponsored the award trophies and Mann-Tek for sponsoring the Awards dinner brochures.

CNW AWARDS

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And the award goes to…

The event was hosted by ITV broadcaster, Lucy Meacock

The awards featured eleven categories with the introduction of two new categories since the 2013 awards dinner. Our aim was to showcase the world-class chemical and service companies in the region and fly the flag for the industry and our local talent.

The theme for the evening seemed to promote team working as can be seen from the winners and their quotes…

The winner of the Operational Excellence Award which was sponsored by Siemens was Perstorp, Warrington. The judges recognised the extent to which Perstorp had gone in involving employees in many ‘LEAN’ initiatives designed to improve the operational excellence of the Caprolactone process. In particular, the closeness that teams got to understanding business costs, breaking down the overall process into smaller units and carrying out quite different analyses aimed at performance improvement. Without the need for additional expenditure, the Warrington Daily Management System now maintains the approach through cross-functional reviews, the monitoring of efficiency and safety Key Performance Indicators and the on-going generation of ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Elin Sohlberg from Pertorp said: “All the cross-functional teams contributed to this award and I am very proud to receive it on their behalf.”

The Business Improvement Partner Award sponsored by the Chemical Industries Association was won by Warrant Group, Liverpool. Warrant Group were able to demonstrate a range of tangible improvements to its customer’s business as a result of innovative ways of thinking about their supply chains.

As part of a structured analysis of their international operations, efficiencies were delivered in vehicle loading, package handling, staff training and supply chain planning.

The winner of the Innovation Award sponsored by ABB was Trelleborg AEM. Faced with the problem of protecting components within remotely operated vehicles, deep under the world’s oceans, engineers at Trelleborg set about developing a novel coating system.

The result was a ‘state of the art’, high performance-low density bouyancy foam.

John Roche, Lucy Meacock and Alex Heys

Anthony Collins from Warrant Group quoted: “I feel extremely proud to win this award and will be celebrating tonight for the whole team. I have worked for Warrant Group for over 15 years and this award makes me feel very proud of what we are doing.”

The winner of the International Trade Award sponsored by UKTI was Quat-Chem Ltd, Rochdale. The judges agreed that the Quat-Chem’s overseas trading strategies, building of strong relationships and re-investing in the business stood-out as good practice. Their forecasts for ongoing growth prove that a small company can be very successful on international markets.

“We are delighted to be recognised with this award as there are lots of innovative products rather than the me too types.

It shows innovation pays.” - Dr Rubinah Chowdhary from Quat-Chem Ltd.

The company has expanded its knowledge of high pressure composites, securing funding for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Manchester and further research though an Innovation Voucher at Huddersfield University. The business has grown dramatically and investment at the Rochdale site continues.

Zaki Akhtar from Trelleborg praised the team: “I am delighted that we have won this after a lot of hard work and dedication from the team.”

One of our most popular categories this year we are pleased to announce was the Young Achiever/Apprentice of the Year Award. It is fantastic to see so many successful young people entering into the chemical industry and doing so well.

The Young Achiever/Apprentice of the Year Award which was sponsored by Kelly Services went to John Barratt from Incorez Limited, Preston. During two spells at the Preston laboratories, John Barratt has undertaken several technical projects centred on product development and involving customer interaction though to commercialisation. He has contributed

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CNW AWARDS

Young Achiever Highly Commended Declan Carberry, Hertel (UK). Winner John Barratt, Incorez Limited. Highly Commended, Lori Bartley, Essar Oil (UK) Ltd

RS Clare Ltd - Winners of the Sustainability Award sponsored by Bond Dickinson LLP

Trelleborg AEM, winners of the Innovation Award collect their plaque from Mark Austin of sponsor company ABB

Stewardship Solutions Ltd - Winner of the Service Provider of the Year Award sponsored by Chemicals Northwest, with John Roche from Chemicals Northwest

David Dalton from Banner Chemicals collects his Health and Safety award plaque from Stephen James, MD of sponsor company Witt O’Brien’s

PROjEN Ltd - Winner of the Engineering Business of the Year Award sponsored by Warrant Group

to the enhancing of Incorez’s student placement process, incorporating his own experiences and liaising directly with the universities themselves. The judges were impressed with John’s positive contribution in promoting the chemical industry to younger students.

In recognition of this award, John stated “This is great recognition for students.

Winning this award is certainly something that will inspire me to keep doing what I’m doing.”

“I feel incredibly proud to receive this award. My thanks go to everybody that works with SS. It encourages me to do even more for small businesses in the North West.” – Chris Eacott from Stewardship Solutions Ltd.

In-house IT managers developed the system using the project management and delivery principles generated by the European Construction Institute.

The key areas of process hazard studies, plant feasibility reviews and maintenance programmes are all catered for.

The winner of the Health and Safety Award sponsored by Witt O’Briens was Banner Chemicals, Runcorn. Recognition was given to Banner Chemicals’ excellent technical management and contribution to its industry association. The filling or overfilling of drums and one-tonne Intermediate Bulk Containers can be hazardous. The award is for implementing system improvements to reflect evolving supplier specifications, thus eliminating the risks of incorrect filling and greatly improving safety. The judges acknowledge the raised awareness both for the operators and more widely in the industry.

Shane Pugh from Winning company PROjEN Ltd said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won against such strong competition. We employ lots of North West engineers so it’s great to win this award for us and for them.”

The entries in this category were of such a high standard that the judges also decided to award 2 highly commended certificated to runners up in this category. These went to Lori Bartley from Essar Oil (UK) Ltd and Declan Carberry from Hertel (UK) Ltd.

The Chemicals Northwest Chemical Service Provider category was also a massively popular category for the 2015 awards and again all entries were of an exceptionally high standard. The winner of the award was Stewardship Solutions Ltd. In a very competitive market Stewardship Solutions Ltd has demonstrated success in helping many small companies save significant amounts of money in REACH compliance.

With a special focus on challenging unfair ‘Letters of Access’ costs, performing ‘optout registrations’ and avoiding unnecessary costs during registration, the company is building a reputation for tailored support services.

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David Dalton from Banner Chemicals stated: “I’m very happy to receive this award on behalf of the compliance and technical department at Banner Chemicals who work hard to improve the safety standards throughout the supply chain.”

The winner of the Engineering Business of the Year Award sponsored by Warrant Group was PROjEN Ltd, Warrington.

PROjEN’s integrated management system has been designed to ensure projects perform to the best quality, run on schedule and are completed safely.

The winner of the Manufacturing Business of the Year Award sponsored

by Wickland Westcott was Quat-Chem Ltd. For use in the rapidly growing dairy industries around the world, Quat-Chem developed an innovative approach to teat dip formulations based on its skills in the production of biocides. The products deliver more efficient milking and greatly improve animal healthcare. The judges believed the company had successfully evaluated supply routes into very complex markets by developing ground-breaking local manufacturing models, across Asia and recently the two major dairy consuming countries; Brazil and China.

Arthur Todd from Quat-Chem Ltd once again praised the team work: “It’s amazing what an outstanding, talented, dedicated team can do for the business.”

CNW AWARDS

Quat-Chem Ltd receiving their Manufacturing Business of the Year Award from Bernard Perry of sponsor company Wickland Westcott

Michael Houghton, Managing Director – Process Industries and Drives from Siemens, presenting Elin Sohlberg from Perstorp, winner of the Operational Excellence Award, with their award

Clive Drinkwater, Director - Northwest, from UKTI with the winners of the International Trade awards – Quat-Chem Ltd

The White Horse project receiving their plaque for winning the Charity of the Year Award sponsored by FMC Chemicals

Simon Marsh from the Chemical Industries Association presenting the Business Improvement Partner Award to Warrant Group

Joseph Mulligan from Kelly Services presenting John Barratt from Incorez with his Young Achiever/Apprentice of the Year Award

The first of our two new awards was the Charity of the Year Award, this was sponsored by FMC Chemicals and the winner was The White Horse Project.

Development of young people is at the heart of The White Horse project that facilitates educational, social and healthylifestyle programmes. Over recent years the management committee has seen remarkable and positive changes in the attitudes and behaviours of many young people who have took part in activities such as: a Mentoring & counselling scheme, a Young volunteer development programme and a Romance academy relationshipbuilding course. The White Horse project will also receive £1000 of the sponsorship money towards their project.

charity: “Thrilled to receive this award which recognises the efforts of so many volunteers in the White Horse Project and all the hard work they do for young people in East Lancashire.”

site, including solar panels, high efficiency insulation and rain water harvesting.

For the second time that evening, Chris Eacott came onto the stage to receive the award on behalf of the winning

Our final award and also a new award for the 2015 dinner was the Sustainability Award sponsored by Bond Dickinson LLP. The winner of this award was RS Clare & Co Ltd. RS Clare’s leading edge lubricating and sealing products are now established in the huge global markets of oil & gas, marine and rail. Incorporating oils from renewable sources means the company is a leader in supplying low carbon footprint materials. In addition the judges were impressed with the sustainability features included in the design of a new manufacturing installation at the Liverpool

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Ian Meadows at RS Clare Ltd said: “Winning this award is a combination of supplying green products to our customer base whilst at the same time using the latest technology to ensure that our employees’ welfare is enhanced. To be more specificthrough using ground source heat pumps to reduce energy costs we in turn warm the factory and offices thereby improving our employees’ working environment and thus their welfare.”

We wish to thank all of our entrants for the award, our sponsors and guests who attended the event for helping to make the 2015 awards dinner another outstanding success and we look forward to welcoming you to the 2016 event!

We would also like to take this opportunity to once again thank our sponsors of the event

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BIG INTERVIEW

Drive for improvement that motivates the ‘accidental Managing Director’ Stephen Rowe describes himself as an ‘accidental Managing Director’, someone who never thought that he would end up in the post.

However, during a career which has seen him spend 24 years with the same company, Stephen now finds himself as Managing Director of Southampton-based Dekra Insight Process Safety UK. The business, formerly Chilworth Technology, has pioneered Process Safety in the UK and abroad, helping many companies avoid fires, explosions and containment breaches, with its team sharing their testing, consulting and training expertise worldwide.

Stephen, who trained as a chemist, joined Chilworth straight from university, initially working in the lab at the company’s South Coast operation.

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Since starting in a single room in Chilworth Manor in 1986, whilst the Science Park was under construction, the company has seen remarkable growth to become a globally recognised premium brand.

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He said: “I am an accidental Managing Director really. When I started out I had no interest in management at all, I was technical, someone who enjoyed doing hands-on science and had not thought about, or aspired to, being a manager.”

and procedures cannot be improved, a philosophy that is tailor-made for the process industry safety sector.

That started to change when he was appointed to manage the laboratory in which he worked then moved on to run four of them.

He said: “I have always given one hundred per cent to my work, I immensely enjoy it and have a genuine passion and motivation to succeed and improve”.

Stephen attributes his rise to the key personal attribute of always wanting to improve things and never being satisfied with an inefficient or ineffective status quo. In addition, he places a very high value on team work and having everyone in the organisation aligned culturally to have an obsessive focus on serving the customer excellently. This has proven a potent combination.

“My philosophy is striving for improvement every day. Large companies in particular understand the need to improve Process Safety. They can see that there can be terrible implications if they do not. You only have to think of what happened at Union Carbide, in terms of the horrendous loss of life but also in the implication for the organisation and its stakeholders.”

His rise up the ladder eventually took him into the managing director’s post in 2009, managing a 60-strong team that divides its workload 50-50 between the UK and abroad.

Not that every company appreciates that, according to Stephen. He said: “One of the challenges for us is ensuring that the Process Safety message gets over.

In the five years since his appointment, UK revenues have nearly doubled and the business has ambitious plans for continued growth.

“Occupational safety has some ready and easy to understand indicators, lost time incidents, reportable injury rates etc, whilst Process Safety indicators can be more obscure in the view of a CEO.

Through it all has been an attention to detail and a refusal to believe that systems

“In some areas of the developing world, some of the local companies have a long

ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

journey to make, especially if there is no significant legislative driver for them.

“What is increasingly driving up standards, globally, is the impact that multi-national organisations have in upholding high standards of Process Safety performance”.

These organisations “get” the implications of poor performance but also the potential business value in good management of Process Safety.

“The challenge for us is to find ways to communicate the intrinsic link between good process safety performance and good business performance in such a way that everyone understands it.”

The approach has certainly worked for the company, which has been a Southampton Science Park tenant for more than 25 years and recently signed a multi-million pound tenancy agreement to move to a new site on the complex.

From June, the company will take up residence in Phi House and the property is currently undergoing a multi-million pound fit out to provide a state-of-the-art facility that will approximately double the capacity of the business to serve its global customer base.

Stephen said: “Since starting in a single room in Chilworth Manor in 1986, whilst the Science Park was under construction, the company has seen remarkable growth to become a globally recognised premium brand.

“This move will enable us to increase our testing and consulting capacity to support our continued growth in a modern, purpose built, state-of-the-art facility.

“Our parent company, DEKRA, is fully behind us and we are delighted to have their backing for the next phase of our evolution.

“Our choice to remain on the Science Park endorses the fact that the environment fits our brand exceptionally well. The new facilities that are being created at Phi House tick all the boxes.”

BIG INTERVIEW

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Stephen Rowe Managing Director of Dekra Insight Process Safety UK

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HOSOKAWA MICRON

Remote Monitoring Solutions from Hosokawa Micron Get More out of Your Plant Hosokawa Micron Ltd’s latest, Machine to Machine (M2M) Remote Monitoring initiative can help manufacturers monitor industrial plant and equipment to deliver production cost savings, improve product quality and equipment performance and predict potential equipment failure enabling timely and efficient preventative maintenance.

‘This technology and the skills we can offer customers for improving production are relevant to both Hosokawa equipment and that of other OEMs. The expected customer benefits from improved remote condition monitoring and support are faster resolution of problems, decreased equipment downtime and more efficient operation of the plant and equipment,’ explains Iain Crosley, Managing Director, Hosokawa Micron Ltd.

key sensors on processing equipment, combined with specialist analytical software to manage the data from site based measurements, we can establish a series of automatic alerts to site personnel or remote technical support teams in the event of data presenting outside preset, optimal equipment running parameters.

Mobile app technology (Android/iOS) provides real time displays, alarms and guided workflows for diagnosing and Utilising a unique condition monitoring troubleshooting the cause of out of solution that monitors data 24/7 from limits data enabling prompt remedial Remote Equip Monitoring Sols NEW Ad (180x128)_Layout 1 24/03/2015 10:07 Page 1

action which is key to getting the best performance possible from existing plant and equipment and importantly generating a rapid return on investment.

A ‘proof of concept’ system is in operation at Hosokawa Micron’s Runcorn, Toll Processing plant, for manufacturers keen to see for themselves the benefits that Remote Monitoring can offer.

REMOTE EQUIPMENT MONITORING SOLUTIONS Customised Remote Monitoring Solutions designed to keep a 24/7 watch on remotely located equipment and systems, capturing and analysing real time data that can be used in improving operations and troubleshooting potential equipment failure.

Available in various modules and levels, each configured to your individual needs, Hosokawa Micron’s Remote Monitoring Solutions include: l l l l

Condition monitoring - to identify equipment running changes indicative of a fault Analytics – designed to focus on improving product quality and energy efficiency On-line diagnostics – for predictive maintenance and improved plant availability Remedial workflow instructions – for performance optimisation and minimisation of equipment downtime

Make sure you are getting the most out of existing plant and meeting quality parameters with Hosokawa Micron’s Remote Monitoring Solutions.

Rivington Road, Whitehouse, Runcorn, Cheshire. WA7 3DS. Tel: +44 (0) 1928 755100 Fax: +44 (0) 1928 714325 E.mail: Intellimill@hmluk.hosokawa.com

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Reference site at Hosokawa Micron Ltd, Runcorn allows you to see live displays, alerts system, open and closed loop plant control opportunities.

PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES FOR TOMORROW SM

MEMBER NEWS

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Winner of Global Director of the Year Institute of Directors, North West UK - London, 2nd March 2015

Mottie Kessler - Chairman and CEO of 2M Holdings & Dr Maggie Kessler - Global / export director for Triklone / Perklone products , with Paul Stowers - Deputy Regional Director at UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) North West

We are proud that Mottie Kessler, the Chairman and CEO of 2M Holdings, has been named the Global Director of the Year by the Institute of Directors (IoD) NW UK. Mottie was also a Finalist for Science & Innovation Director of the Year.

The IoD Director of the Year Awards celebrates the best of the best across British businesses and directors at the forefront of leadership excellence.

2M Holdings has over 3500 customers worldwide and is headquartered in the UK and with subsidiaries in: China, Benelux, Ireland, Poland, Scandinavia and Brazil.

The group exports to customers in over 75 countries.

The Global Director Award was supported

by UK Trade & Investment. www.2m-holdings.com/announcements/ winner-global-director-of-the-year

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UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER

A unique blend of industry, innovation and academia The High Growth Centre at the University of Chester Thornton Science Park has been set up to support economic growth and develop innovative products for North West businesses. Located at the former Shell Technology Centre at Ince, near Chester, Thornton Science Park is co-funded by the University of Chester and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the High Growth Centre offers SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) and new start-up businesses valuable advice and support. Designed specifically for companies operating in the Advanced Manufacturing, Automotive, Engineering and Environmental sectors the unique blend of industry, innovation and academia and delivers a much needed boost to the region.

Companies are able to access a wide range of specialist equipment, advice and support available in the following areas: business development; export; sales and marketing tactics and strategic planning; supply chain options; personalised intellectual property and commercialisation. This impressive list of services is available to companies based throughout the North West. Up to 41 flexible workspaces are available for enterprises to locate at Thornton.

Competitively priced office, laboratory and industrial workshops are in the process of refurbishment and businesses are encouraged to contact the High Growth team to discuss bespoke requirements.

The scale, skills and facilities available to

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businesses to tap into across the region has to be seen to be believed. Regardless of whether you are a new start, spin-out or SME seeking business or technical support it is well worth an informal discussion with the High Growth team to explore the possibilities. Two businesses who have benefitted from the support and facilities available at the High Growth Centre are MDecon and Newton Biochemicals.

Newton Biochemicals is a UK based company working to develop a sustainable bio-fuel based on algal biomass production. Their aim is to produce a sustainable fuel source that can be used to replace petroleum based raw materials.

Being based at Thornton Science Park has provided them the space and facilities

required to set up a bio refinery as a pilot demonstration to cultivate, produce and research products before taking them to market.

Newton Biochemicals has found that the setup of Thornton Science Park has been game changing for them. The unique link between industry and academia at the site where collaboration between the university and business is encouraged has allowed them to develop and progress the research side of the business and move them closer to producing a product to take to market. Andrew Queenan, Chief Executive Officer at Newton Biochemicals said; “Being based at Thornton Science Park means that there is always someone to bounce ideas off. The Faculty of Science

UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER

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intends to continue to be part of this in the future’.

and Engineering and the team at the High Growth Centre are extremely supportive and encouraging which provides a positive environment in which to operate and helps us to move forward towards our goal. The support of the High Growth Centre and University of Chester teams has been invaluable to us and the events run by the High Growth Centre have given me access to high level management training that I would not have been able to access alone. The focus of the High Growth Centre and Thornton Science Park is to encourage innovation which makes a refreshing change from a purely financial motive creating an energised environment in which to work.”

Matt Tuck, Managing Director of MDecon, stated ‘We are extremely pleased to locate at the High Growth Centre and believe that it will develop as a centre of excellence as other likeminded businesses recognise the value of quality facilities and enthusiastic collaborative working with academia. Thornton Science Park can gain national recognition as this positive start consolidates into reputation, and MDecon

It’s not just SME’s and new start-up businesses that can benefit from the skills, knowledge and facilities available at Thornton Science Park. Recent visits from Chancellor George Osborne who officially opened the park in January and The Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith confirmed the government’s investment in science and technology with a plan to create a northern powerhouse. During the visit by the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP additional funding for an exciting energy focused project was also confirmed.

The Thornton Energy Demonstrator will enable energy companies to test at scale new power saving and distribution technologies, enabling the development of low cost, environmentally responsible sources of energy. It will also explore behavioural aspects of energy consumption over the next 30 years and there are plenty more opportunities available.

To find out how your business can benefit visit www.thorntonsciencepark.co.uk/hgc or contact the High Growth Centre Team by emailing highgrowth@chester.ac.uk

MDecon specialise in decontamination and waste management solutions. Their team of specialists have been involved in nuclear operations, decontaminating and decommissioning since the 1980’s.

They work closely and collaboratively with their clients through a variety of approaches and are able to apply task focussed innovation around decontamination and waste processing to add value to products.

Having a laboratory sited within the High Growth Centre at the Thornton Science Park gives MDecon access to quality, local, academia that has a genuine enthusiasm for collaborating and shared learning with industry specialists. The facilities within the user laboratories offer an extensive capability that will aid the development of new MDecon technologies and serve the international decontamination field, and provide the basis for analytical services to national sectors (e.g. nuclear and oil and gas) and local industry (chemicals).

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IChemE Forms of Contract We publish contracts for both UK and international use across the process industries.

The Red Book – Lump Sum Contracts The Green Book – Reimbursable Contracts The Burgundy Book – Target Cost Contracts The Yellow Book – Subcontracts The Brown Book – Subcontracts for Civil Engineering Works The Orange Book – Minor Works We also provide formal dispute resolution procedures. www.icheme.org/resources/forms_of_contract To order contact sales@icheme.org or call +44 (0)1788 534470

Coming Soon: Professional Services Contract Short Form Consultancy Agreement Register your interest for a 10% early bird discount by emailing hrourke@icheme.org

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MEMBERS NEWS

Victrex welcomes grant funding for proposed Polymer Innovation Centre British based global world leader set for continued investment in the Fylde

High performance polymer solutions company Victrex has received a boost by securing £1.3 million in grant funding, subject to satisfactory due diligence, towards a multi-million pound Polymer Innovation Centre in the heart of the Fylde, which could help create over 80 direct and indirect jobs over the next 10 years.

Today’s announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister, for UK Regional Growth Funding, recognises that Victrex’s Hillhouse headquarters in Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire, resides within the Fylde Coast Assisted Area. The funding, together with Victrex’s own investment, will enable the company to make a viable

case for investing in a new world class and cutting edge research and development (R&D) centre within the local area, rather than it being carried out elsewhere.

The Polymer Innovation Centre will enable Victrex to extend its existing R&D capability and to support future growth. The facility will enable the scaling up of new lab concept products and applications to full commercialisation for customers around the world.

David Hummel, Chief Executive of Victrex, said: “This is great news for Victrex, our employees and for the region, as well as the UK, in enabling our company to continue pioneering the market for high

performance polymers well into the future.

“As a global world leader and major UK exporter, our past success and our future prosperity is founded on technical excellence and manufacturing capability.

Whilst we are already a global champion, having the right technical skills is key to continued innovation for our customers across the globe. This will help support our growth and the creation of high quality jobs over the years ahead.”

Enquiries: Andrew Hanson, Head of Investor Relations & Communications +44 (0) 1253 898121

When quality matters.

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ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

ELAFLEX LTD. · Riverside House, Plumpton Road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0PA1 Phone +44(0)1992/45 29 50 · sales@elaflex.co.uk · www.elaflex.co.uk

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MEMBERS NEWS

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Chemical Company supports Catalyst!

Catalyst Science Discovery Centre is thrilled to announce a new partnership with FMC Chemicals Ltd from Bromborough. The Wirral based company has joined the Corporate Partnership Scheme and have donated £6393.75 ($10,000) to Catalyst which will be used to fund sponsored visits to Catalyst for schools from the Bromborough area.

Phil Hardwick, FMC Plant Manager said “FMC is proud and excited to be able to support the valuable work being undertaken at the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre. Engaging our children and inspiring the next generation of scientists is key to the future of the chemical industry in the UK.” Catalyst Marketing Manager, Meryl Jameson said “We are delighted to be working with FMC to help engage and enthuse school pupils about science. It’s a great way for them to support schools in their local community and support Catalyst, a local charitable trust at the same time. We look forward to working with them on this project.”

You can find out more about Catalyst by visiting the website at www.catalyst.org.uk

“

We are delighted to be working with FMC to help engage and enthuse school pupils about science. It’s a great way for them to support schools in their local community and support Catalyst

”

Banner Chemicals UK acquires Stowlin Ltd Solutions for metals surface treatment, cleaning and phosphating We are delighted to advise you that the shareholders of Stowlin Ltd and of Banner Chemicals Ltd UK have agreed to join forces.

Unit and Stowlin will provide customers with an enhanced and complete range of solutions for metal surface treatment, cleaning and phosphating.

Banner Chemicals Ltd UK will acquire the entire share capital of Stowlin Ltd from Mr Nigel Sullivan. We are pleased that Nigel will continue to lend his support and expertise as consultant to the business.

“I am delighted that Stowlin will be joining Banner. Banner’s long history and product expertise will provide a sustainable base and increased offering to our current customers, who will reap the benefits” said Mr Nigel Sullivan MD of Stowlin.

Stowlin’s customers will enjoy a seamless service as operations, sales and marketing activities will continue as usual from the Leicester based site.

The joint portfolio of Banner’s PCS (Precision Cleaning Solutions) Business

“By joining forces, we are providing our existing and future customers with access to a wider and richer product portfolio” said Mr Mottie Kessler, Chairman & CEO of 2M Holdings Ltd, the owners of the Banner Chemicals

Group of companies. “We are also adding Leicester to the existing Banner distribution map, meaning we can reach our customers more quickly and easily, wherever they are.”

Customers for Stowlin products should continue to place orders with Stowlin and Banner’s PCS customers with Banner Chemicals. Over time, a combined offer will be developed for the benefit of both customers and suppliers.

For further information please contact: Mr Mottie Kessler – Chairman & CEO – 2M Holdings +44 (0) 1928 597 000 mkessler@bannerchemicals.com

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New! Expanded Capabilities for Life Sciences New! Expanded Capabilities for Life Sciences Acquisitions bring a world of new offerings to customers New! Expanded Capabilities for Life Sciences Looking for new and better options in your supply chain? Vertellus adds Pentagon Chemical (Holdings) UK Ltd., New! Expanded Capabilities for Life Sciences Acquisitions bring a world of new offerings to customers and Dow’s Sodium Borohydride to its business portfolio. Customers anywhere in the world can now look to Acquisitions bring a world of new offerings to customers Acquisitions bring a world of new offerings to customers

Vertellusfor fornew a wider range options of expertise and offerings.

These include: ingredients, contract manufacturing Looking and better in your supply chain?

Vertellus addsactive Pentagon Chemical (Holdings) UK Ltd., and Dow’s a broad array of criticaloptions intermediates and synthesis/process aids.

The newincapabilities addnow to Vertellus’ and Borohydride to its business portfolio.

Customers anywhere the world (Holdings) can look Looking forSodium new and better in your supply chain? Vertellus adds Pentagon Chemical UK to Ltd., diversified portfolio of fine and specialty chemical offerings to customers around the world.

Now…what can Vertellus forSodium a widerBorohydride range of expertise and offerings.

These include: anywhere active ingredients, contract manufacturing and Dow’s to its business portfolio.

Customers in the world can now look to Looking for new and your supply chain? Vertellus adds Pentagon Chemical (Holdings) UK Ltd., Vertellus’ “smart chemistry” and itsinexpanded capabilities do include: for you? and a broad array of better criticaloptions synthesis/process aids.active The new capabilities add to Vertellus’ Vertellus for a wider range ofintermediates expertise andand offerings.

These ingredients, contract manufacturing and Dow’s portfolio Sodium of Borohydride to its business portfolio.

Customers anywhere inthe theworld. world Now…what can now look to diversified fine and specialty chemical offerings to customers around can and a broadServices array of critical intermediates and synthesis/process aids. The new capabilities add to Vertellus’ Expanded Vertellus for a wider range of expertise and offerings.

These include: active ingredients, contract manufacturing Vertellus’ chemistry” andspecialty its expanded capabilities you?Vertellus diversified“smart portfolio of fine and chemical offeringsdotofor customers around the world.

Now…what can welcomes Pentagon Chemical and a broad array of critical intermediates and synthesis/process aids.and TheDow’s new capabilities add to Vertellus’ •Vertellus’ Active ingredients—agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals Sodium Borohydride to our “smart chemistry” and its expanded capabilities do for you?

Expanded Servicesof fine and specialty chemical offerings to customers around diversified portfolio the world.

Now…what can growing global network • Contract manufacturing—quality‑driven, cost‑efficient, Vertellus welcomes Pentagon Chemical Services Vertellus’ “smart chemistry” and its expanded capabilities do for you?and Dow’s Sodium Borohydride to our •Expanded Active ingredients—agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals dependable supply Vertellus welcomes Pentagon Chemical ••Expanded Active ingredients—agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals growing global network to our and Dow’s Sodium Borohydride Contract manufacturing—quality‑driven, Services Expanded Reaction Process Capabilitiescost‑efficient, Vertellus welcomes Pentagon Chemical growing global network supply •• dependable Contract manufacturing—quality‑driven, cost‑efficient, ingredients—agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals and Dow’s Sodium Borohydride to our • Active Phosgenation dependable supplyProcess Capabilities Expanded Reaction growing global network •• Contract manufacturing—quality‑driven, cost‑efficient, Chlorination Reaction •Expanded Phosgenation dependable supply Process Capabilities • Grignard chemistry Phosgenation ••Expanded Chlorination Reaction Process Capabilities Europe United States • Sodium dispersion Chlorination ••• Grignard chemistry Phosgenation Workington, UK NEW! Elma, WA NEW! • Reduction and synthesis Grignard chemistry Zeeland,States MI Seal Sands, UK Europe United ••• Sodium dispersion Chlorination Expanded Product Line NEW! Indianapolis, IN Halebank, UK NEW! NEW! Workington, Europe UK Elma, WAStates United Sodium ••• Reduction and synthesis Grignarddispersion chemistry Delaware Water UK • Maleic Anhydride derivatives Zeeland, SealHerriard, Sands, UK NEW! Gap, PA Workington, UK NEW! Elma, WAMI •Expanded Reduction and synthesis Europe United States Product Line • Sodium dispersion Greensboro, NC NEW! Indianapolis, Halebank, UK Asia Zeeland, MI IN Seal Sands, UK • Sodium Borohydride NEW! NEW! Workington, UK Elma, WA Ledgewood, NJ Weifang, China Expanded Product Line Delaware Water Herriard, UK Indianapolis, IN Gap, PA Halebank, UK NEW! •• Maleic Anhydride derivatives Reduction and synthesis • Grignard Chemistry Zeeland, MI NJ Seal Sands, UK Parsippany, Nantong, China Greensboro, NC Gap, PA Asia Delaware Water Herriard, UK Maleic Anhydride ••Expanded Sodium Borohydride Product derivatives Line

To learn more, visit vertellus.com, •• Grignard Sodium Borohydride •email Chemistry Maleic Anhydride derivatives or call +1-317-248-6540. ask@vertellus.com •To Grignard Chemistry learn more, visit vertellus.com, • Sodium Borohydride Vertellus – Smart Chemistry.

Our Specialty™ email ask@vertellus.com or call +1-317-248-6540.

To learn more, visit vertellus.com, • Grignard Chemistry email ask@vertellus.com or call +1-317-248-6540.

To learn more, visit vertellus.com, Vertellus – Smart Chemistry. Our Specialty™ email ask@vertellus.com or call +1-317-248-6540.

Vertellus – Smart Chemistry.

Our Specialty™

Indianapolis, IN Bayonnne, NJ Ledgewood, NJ Greensboro, NC Delaware Water Gap, PA Parsippany, Ledgewood,NJ NJ Greensboro, NC Bayonnne, Parsippany,NJ NJ Ledgewood, NJ Bayonnne, NJ Parsippany, NJ Bayonnne, NJ

Vertellus – Smart Chemistry. Our Specialty

NEW! Halebank, UKChina Shanghai, China Weifang, Asia Herriard, UK Mumbai, India Nantong, China Weifang, China Asia Vapi,China India Shanghai, Nantong, China

Weifang, China Mumbai,China India Shanghai, Nantong, China Vapi, India Mumbai, India Shanghai, China Vapi, India Mumbai, India Vapi, India

™

© 2015 Vertellus Specialties Inc. All rights reserved.

The VERTELLUS word and design marks are registered trademarks of Vertellus Specialties Inc. © 2015 Vertellus Specialties Inc. All rights reserved.

The VERTELLUS word and design marks are registered trademarks of Vertellus Specialties Inc. © 2015 Vertellus Specialties Inc. All rights reserved.

The VERTELLUS word and design marks are registered trademarks of Vertellus Specialties Inc. © 2015 Vertellus Specialties Inc. All rights reserved.

The VERTELLUS word and design marks are registered trademarks of Vertellus Specialties Inc.

Vertellus Specialties Inc. 201 N. Illinois Street Suite 1800 Vertellus Specialties Inc. Indianapolis, IN 46204 201 N. Illinois Street Inc. Vertellus Phone: +1Specialties 317‑247‑8141 Suite 1800 201 N. Illinois Street www.vertellus.com Indianapolis, IN 46204 Vertellus Specialties Inc. Suite 1800 Phone: +1 317‑247‑8141 201 N. Illinois Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 www.vertellus.com Suite 1800 Phone: +1 317‑247‑8141 Indianapolis, IN 46204 www.vertellus.com Phone: +1 317‑247‑8141 www.vertellus.com

Interested in taking your skills and qualifications to a higher level?

Wirral Met College provides an effective solution for employers and employees to address skills shortages through a growing portfolio of Higher Education (H.E.) qualifications.

Higher level apprenticeships in Chemical Science for Industry and Biological Science for Industry are supporting the development of higher level skills. Developed with COGENT Skills, these apprenticeships help employees develop their skills, knowledge and expertise to succeed in a chosen career of chemistry, forensic or medical science.

Students will take advantage of Wirral Met’s industry-standard facilities and equipment at the Twelve Quays Campus. Our course fees are competitively priced; Degrees and Foundation Degrees £5,975 per year full-time, reduced fees for Higher National Diplomas (HND) £3,975 per year full-time and £2,650 per year for all part-time courses, plus funding opportunities available for eligible employers.

Our courses offer a range of progression opportunities both within the college and with university partners including University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), University of Liverpool, University of Chester and awarding body Edexcel/Pearson.

Demand for higher level apprentices and access to H.E. for employees in the sector has reached record levels. With major employers such as Unilever Research and Development constantly striving to build a strong, competitive and skilled workforce.

Unilever employee and former Wirral Met Higher National Certificate (HNC) Applied Chemistry student Josh Carew commented: “As part

Contact our Employer Services Department to discuss higher level apprenticeships:

of my apprenticeship with Unilever at Port Sunlight, I completed an HNC in Applied Chemistry at Wirral Met. The teaching staff gave enough support and help to make it possible for me to get a distinction. I am now studying a BSc Degree in Chemistry at The University of Liverpool.”

0151 551 7610 employer.services@wmc.ac.uk

Chemicals NW advert:Layout 1 27/03/2015 11:12 Page 1

Did you know that waste legislation changes from 1st June 2015?

Does your business generate used packaging such as this?

2015's legislative changes affect the collection and disposal of empty drums, barrels, cans, kegs or IBCs as they are classed as hazardous waste. Find out more about how this applies to your business by speaking with one of the leading waste management companies.

Contact us for a legally compliant, cost effective and sustainable solution.

Tel: 0151 548 6130 Email: wm3@avantienvironmental.co.uk Website: www.avantiplasticrecycling.co.uk

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ACTA_ChemNWad2015:Layout 1 3/20/15 11:19 AM Page 1

A scientific and regulatory consulting firm providing strategic, comprehensive support for global chemical registration, regulation, and sustained compliance.

• Global Chemical Notification REACH, TSCA, K-REACH, CEPA, China Order No. 7 • Biocides, Pesticides, Antimicrobials, Nanomaterials • Hazard Communication, GHS Classification and Labelling, SDS

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CONTACT OUR EU TEAM: Leslie S. MacDougall Director of Regulatory Affairs lmacdougall@actagroup.com

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Gyöngyi (Pearl) Németh, M.Sc. Regulatory Specialist pnemeth@actagroupeu.com

Jane S. Vergnes, Ph.D., DABT Director of Scientific Affairs jvergnes@actagroup.com

J. Brian Xu, M.D., Ph.D., DABT Toxicologist bxu@actagroup.com

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Biocidal Hygiene Products for: Poultry & Livestock Agriculture Dairy Farming Food Processing awards: MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2015 INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2015 To discuss your requirements Contact us: sales@quatchem.co.uk or visit: www.quatchem.com

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Part of Capita

We are a multi-disciplined project management and engineering design business and are one of the UK's leading engineering consultancies as a result of continual investment in our people, our systems and our business processes. Our core business involves all elements of the project lifecycle from project inception, right through to the detailed design and construction phases, including the delivery of full turnkey projects.

PROjEN – Chemicals Northwest Engineering Business of the Year 2015

PROjEN operates across a range of market sectors including; Chemical, Process, Petrochemical, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Utilities, Nuclear and Bioenergy. We pride ourselves on our straight forward, open and honest style which is at the heart of the way we do business. We have a ‘no politics’ culture where mutual trust and respect for each other’s skills and experience is paramount.

For more information please contact Shane Pugh

PROjEN Ltd

He would be happy to discuss any of your project requirements with you.

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2015: The first ‘round-the-world’ solar flight Solar Impulse is an innovative endeavour to make solar powered air travel a reality. Solvay has been a Solar Impulse partner from the start in 2004. We have contributed pioneering technologies that have resulted in 13 products being used in 25 applications and 6,000 parts – crucial elements that will help to make this ambitious flight a success.

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True T.O.C. for the Real World Municipal Waste Water Industrial Waste Water Boiler Protection - Condensate return • Total Thermal Oxidation = True TOC • Low maintenance costs as there are No Filters, reagents or catalysts.

• Can handle salt up to 300 grams per Litre • ATEX Zone I and II Options

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ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

IChemE training IChemE is committed to supporting the professional development of chemical and process engineers and related professionals.

Courses coming up soon include: Fundamentals of Process Safety www.icheme.org/fps HAZOP Study, Leadership and Management www.icheme.org/hazopstudy HAZOP Study for the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry www.icheme.org/hazopoil Applied Hazard and Operability Study www.icheme.org/appliedhazard Process Safety Key Performance Indicators www.icheme.org/pskpis Human Factors in Health and Safety www.icheme.org/humanfactors Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) www.icheme.org/lopa Process Safety Awareness www.icheme.org/psa Asset Integrity Management in the Process Industries www.icheme.org/assetintegrity Establishing and Maintaining a Safety Culture www.icheme.org/emsc Effective HAZOP www.icheme.org/effectivehazop Comprehensive Explosion Science www.icheme.org/ces Chemical Engineering for Other Engineers www.icheme.org/chemeng Chemical Engineering for Scientists www.icheme.org/chemsci What Every Engineer Should Know About Contracts www.icheme.org/contracts IChemE Forms of Contracts www.icheme.org/foccourse

Visit www.icheme.org/courses to see our full training programme.

Contact courses@icheme.org to request our 2015 course catalogue.

TT E T R A I N I N G APPRENTICESHIPS WHY CHOOSE TTE? TTE was established in 1990 and has since grown to become one of the North West’s leading providers of Specialised and Broad-Based Apprenticeships; focused on whole person development.

With a 5 Star Health and Safety record from the British Safety Council; TTE pride themselves on delivering first class training to help bridge the skill gap within the Petroleum and Chemical industries.

TTE strives “to be best in class in all areas of endeavour” and aims to provide an outstanding environment for learning. The learning environment will be one which is welcoming, safe and inspiring. It will be appropriate to the subjects and responsive to the needs of the learner. Suitably equipped, resourced and well managed, it will visibly promote equality and diversity, widen accessibility to learning and the learner environment and celebrate learner success.

HOW DO WE COMPARE? TTE also provide an up to date and comprehensive information, advice and guidance on a wealth of education and employment opportunities for school leavers and adult learners. Staff are dedicated to providing a first-rate and confidential facility to all clients and learners offering impartial information, advice and guidance. We work in close partnership with a number of key feeder schools and local industry, not only to produce tomorrow’s engineers but also to develop, guide and map out the pathway of the region’s learners and thus aid in their future success and development.

TTE actively work to ensure that all clients and learners are given equal access to our service. We approach individuals, schools, businesses etc, without prejudice or agenda. TTE recruitment closely monitor their activity to ensure ethnicity, gender, age and disability are managed in an equal and fair manner.

TTE’s success rates are well above the national average both in sector and for apprenticeships too.

TTE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TTE is highly focused on a person centred development programme for its Learners. As part of their training at TTE, learners will be engaged in many team building activities at Brathay in the Lake District. Here they will take part in a series of challenging indoor and outdoor activities designed to give them the chance to learn more about themselves and how they work - on their own and in a team. The objectives of the course are primarily to explore areas of communication and recognise what is useful. Learners will also practice step-by-step approaches to problem solving and develop teamwork skills. It is also important that they learn to understand how what they do and say impacts on those around them and appreciate that others work in different ways and need different things to help them work and learn. This will help them to grow in self-confidence, build interpersonal relationships and take responsibility for their own learning. In addition to this they will learn how to take responsibility for working safely in a high-risk environment and how to understand the link between ‘doing’ and ‘learning.’ The skills learnt through TTE’s Personal Development Programme are invaluable and will equip them to deal with a variety of situations and challenges, both at home and in the workplace.

COMMERCIAL TRAINING TTE is not only committed and dedicated to training tomorrow’s engineers but also boasts an outstanding commercial delivery team. Whether you are looking to up skill or cross skill, TTE offer more than 150 different training programmes specialising in Health & Safety, NVQ Programmes, Engineering Skills and Management & Leadership which can be tailored to your specific requirements

For all enquiries please ring 0151 357 6100 or visit

www.tteltd.co.uk

Chemicals Northwest membership – Service Providers at a glance

Business Improvement Services Ashton Chemicals Axion Consulting Blue Pea POD FoCul Ltd KPMG Photography for Industry PICME Siam Terrington Data Services UK Trade & Investment

Environment, Health & Safety Risk Management ABB Ltd BakerRisk Europe Ltd Baytouch Ltd Bit by Bit CICA CRA Europe

ABB Ltd Aveva Solutions Elmet Process Ltd Engenda Group Haden Freeman Limited Haztech Consultants K Home International RSS Structural Inspections

Envitech FoCul Ltd HFL Risk Services Human Reliability RAS Ltd Witt O’Brien’s

Higher Education Manchester Metropolitan University University of Chester University of Manchester Wirral Metropolitan College

Engineering Products & Services Crane ChemPharma Croft Filters CRR Ltd Elaflex Flexim Instruments Hertel HTS Engineering Group Ltd LIS NW Lokring Mann-tek Oranmore Environmental Services Ltd Oschatz Perry Process Equipment Siemens Swagelok Trelleborg Versar PPS

Landlords, Facilities and other Business Services Chemquest Ltd OAMPS Sci-Tech Daresbury STFC Innovations Technology Acces Centre TW Languages

Legal & Patents

ABB Ltd Bouygues Fichtner Engineering Inventya Stopford Projects URS Corporation

REACH/SDS Services ACTA Group Baytouch Ltd Dr Knoell Consult Ltd Global MSDS Ltd Intertek UK & Ireland Stewardship Solutions The REACH Centre

Recruitment Antal International CY Partners Kelly Scientific RMG Recruitment Transitionplus Ltd

Sampling/Testing/ Analysis CEHTRA UK Ltd Chilworth Technology Ltd Explosion Hazard Testing Ltd Intertek UK & Ireland LP Chemicals SampleRite Ltd SGS Siemens

Appleyard Lees Bawden & Associates Bond Dickinson Brabners LLP E3 Employment Law Eversheds Harrison Goddard Foote

Engineering Project Management

Banner Chemicals Group UK Brenntag UK Clugston HW Coates Ital Logistics M&S Logistics Trade Europe Warrant Group

Emansys

Haztech Consultants

Engineering & Process Consultants

Logistics & Distribution

RW Legal Squire Sanders Hammonds Symmetry Law WP Thompson

Local Councils Halton Borough Council

Skills & Training CK Science Cogent TTE Training Ltd Witt O’Brien’s

Waste Management Services Avanti Environmental ECO FS PJ Environmental Tradebe Ltd Xenon Technical Services Ltd

ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

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ANTAL

How will your company cope with skills gap shortage in high demand short supply disciplines across the Petrochemical sector?

It’s fair to say that the engineering and technical disciplines have been candidate led throughout the last 10 years or so and this did not let up during the triple dip recession, it is also equally fair to say that there has been further tightening of this market and the candidate led nature is spreading right across the sector to all disciplines.

There has been a move across the globe to move toward RPO or master vendor agreements in an effort to deal with this and to work closely with a recruitment partner to mitigate the risks associated with the excessive demand. The benefits of this relationship is the ability of the recruiter to spend more time digging deeper in to the local and global markets in order to expose the specific skill sets required.

processes deeply in order to make the most out of the data taking both time and money.

Candidates are becoming more demanding

than ever in terms of their own perceptive Brand Guidelines value. The role of the recruitment consultant

Data is more apparent these days and this does help in the process so more expertise manipulating the data is becoming important to gain market advantage, meaning you have to learn the search

is huge in terms of selling opportunities and realigning salary expectations to realistic and achievable levels within current bandings.

We at Antal provide Master vendor and RPO services to the industries most respected organisations and we would love the opportunity to discuss your requirements in the near future. This has been demonstrated with the diverse placements that we have made over the last few years covering all disciplines across the Petrochemical sector.

Effectively, this contingent approach reduces operational efficiency leading to further thinning of the market as it only identifies the easy to reach part of the market suiting a nonexclusive arrangement.

Laboratory and scale-up equipment Labtex supplies leading laboratory products including HUBER liquid temperature control systems, DIEHM glass reaction systems to 100 litres, PREMEX magnetic drives and high pressure autoclaves, POPE wiped film and short path evaporators, distillation systems, BOLA labware in PTFE and other technical plastics, PLANETROLL ATEX drive technology and ASECOS storage solutions for hazardous materials to BS EN 14470-1.

We specialise in scale up equipment for Process R & D in the chemical, pharmaceutical, defence, aerospace, biochemical and other industries.

In particular glass and steel reaction systems, distillation and evaporation techniques, liquid temperate control and hazardous material storage solutions.

We also offer a vast range of ‘general’ lab equipment in our 1400 page catalogue. In conjunction with LLG, the 3rd largest lab distributor in Europe, we can supply all your equipment needs.

Based in the North, we service the whole of the UK from our Headquarters in Huddersfield. With a team of sales professionals, highly competent administrative staff and trained service technicians you will find that talking to Labtex is a breath of fresh air.

To experience a fresh approach to problem solving please give us a call on 01484 600200 or visit www.labtex.co.uk

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We pride ourselves on our customer service, quick response, accurate and informed advice and attention to detail.

THE TCE TODAY APP Now you can view tce wherever you are with your smartphone or tablet*.

• read the digimag both online and offline • search the magazine archive • see the latest news feeds • browse the latest jobs • view our training courses How to download: Search ‘icheme’ on the App Store, Play Store or Amazon Appstore. Log in using your email address and membership number.

For more information visit:

WWW.TCETODAY.COM/APP *app available on iOS, Android and Kindle Fire.

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K HOME INTERNATIONAL

Bespoke Engineering Solutions from K Home International K Home International (KHI) is a multi-discipline engineering design and project management company with an established track record providing bespoke engineering solutions to companies across a wide spectrum of industrial sectors including, chemical, petrochemical, energy & nuclear, metals & minerals and oil & gas.

Supporting the Northwest

Keeping it simple

KHI remains fully committed to enhancing its support to the UK process industry and, in particular, members of Chemicals Northwest. The company is currently providing Engineering, Project and Construction Management services in the region.

KHI is a privately owned company and the ownership is still within the family of its founder Ken Home who founded the company over 40 years ago. This gives the company the flexibility to respond more rapidly to clients needs and changes that inevitably arise on any project.

The benefits of working with KHI

Another sector that offers growth potential for KHI is the nuclear industry.

The company can offer its bespoke engineering solutions using the experience gained from the wide range of industrial sectors it currently serves. The company continues to expand its in-house expertise by developing individuals with the knowledge of working in this tightly regulated industry.

Putting people first

n A track record of successful

Health, Safety and the Environment Central to the company’s success is KHI’s commitment to health, safety and the environment by making QSHE standards the first priority in all of its operations.

Competence in this area is based upon successful management and full compliance to QSHE legislation over many years and confirmed by an exemplary safety record.

KHI’s outstanding track record in the prevention of accidents and ill health was recognised by the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards in 2014, winning Gold Awards for the past three consecutive years in the scheme, which is the largest and longest running awards programme of its kind in the UK. The company recently surpassed over 2.5 million man-hours without lost time accident.

Embracing technology KHI has ensured, through a significant ongoing programme of investment, that all areas of its operation are supported by a comprehensive portfolio of cuttingedge software, one example is PDMS which integrates all disciplines into a comprehensive 3D model complete with clash detection capabilities and other intelligent features which enable problems to be resolved prior to construction.

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In a market where it is widely recognised that there is a shortage of qualified engineers, KHI has over the last 20 years continued to sponsor and train apprentices. The legacy of this investment is a group of young engineers and designers with bright innovative ideas who continue to ensure that the company remains at the forefront of its field.

Here are just some of the benefits that KHI’s clients continue to enjoy: project delivery n A flexible and structured

approach to project management n Integrity, openness and

transparency n Cutting edge integrated

management system

KHI also continues to be totally committed to the development and training of its entire workforce, from apprentices to senior managers, to support their continuous personal development and provide them with the skills needed to ensure that KHI retains its edge in an increasingly competitive world.

n Compliance with the highest

New Appointment of Engineering Director

n Offer a single discipline or

safety standards n Rigorous cost management and

planning n Comprehensive portfolio

of cutting-edge software, including PDMS 3D Modelling. multi-disciplinary approach.

If you require more information please contact David Boxall, Business Development Manager on 01642 765421 or via email david.boxall@khomeint.com.

Follow us: LinkedIn and Twitter @khi_ltd

Mike McHugh, Engineering Director for K Home International

In January the company welcomed Michael McHugh as Engineering Director.

Mike brings a wealth of technical engineering and managerial experience from his time at Cleveland Bridge and TAG Energy Solutions. He will oversee the delivery of projects with respect to Engineering and Design.

BESPOKE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS For over 40 years K Home International has provided bespoke engineering design solutions to its clients nationally and internationally l

A proven innovator with experienced capable resource

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Multi-disciplined detail designer with the ability to provide the EPCM role

l

l

Concept design support including P&ID development, SIL assessment, FEED Studies and HAZOP facilitation

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Utilising licensed engineering design software in: Process, Civil, Structural and Architectural, Mechanical, Piping, Electrical and Instrument Control

3D modelling and visualisation capability in all current formats

K Home International Ltd

For further information contact David Boxall on: tel: +44(0)1642 765421 fax: +44(0)1642 760721 email: david.boxall@khomeint.com

Tomlinson Hall & Co. Ltd BPMA Distributor of the Year Winner Est. 1919

Your Dedicated Pump Experts

World Class and Locally Available Air Operated Double Diaphragm & Peristaltic Pumps

1

High quality certified pumps for the toughest applications in the chemical industry including ATEX Zone 0

2

Smart design and fewer parts save maintenance costs

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Large UK stock available for same day delivery

www.depapumps.co.uk www.elropumps.co.uk Call free: 0800 10 777 10 Š Copyright 2013 CRANE ChemPharma & Energy

Available in the UK from our authorised distributor: Tomlinson Hall & Co. Ltd, Lagonda Road, Cowpen Lane Industrial Estate, Billingham, TS23 4JA

HOSOKAWA MICRON

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Smooth & Clean: ELAPHARM®

Affordable On-Line Particle Size Measurement Puts Manufacturers in Control of Profits, Waste and Quality ELAPHARM hose assemblies for the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry: • ultra smooth lining of DuPont Teflon® PTFE • homogeneous elastomer hose construction to DIN 26055-3.

• Flexible and kink resistant, pressure and vacuum resistant.

• Nominal bores DN 13 to 50 mm • as ELAPHARM (non el. conductive) or ELAPHARM OHM (fully el. conductive) • FDA / USP Class VI • up to +150° C, vacuum 0,8 bar, PN 10 In-house hose assembling by Elaflex, straight from the reel for fast delivery of your assemblies.

Choice of fittings, eg. PTFE lining flared over ends, no entrapment, for highest media purity requirements.

ELAFLEX LTD. Phone +44(0)1992 452950 · Fax +44(0)1992 452911 sales@elaflex.co.uk · www.elaflex.co.uk

Hosokawa Micron Ltd, Hosokawa Alpine AG and Xoptix Ltd have entered into an OEM arrangement to sell the Optisizer dry particle size analyser through their tried and tested relationship which spans over 5 years and 100 units.

The Optisizer, on-line measuring system, for continuous particle sizing during the production process, allows engineers to quickly identify out of specification product and take action to remedy this – preventing product wastage, maintaining product quality and minimising un-necessary costs. Engineers can also assess the effects of any process change on the finished product. Reliable data is automatically fed to the plant and control system to allow for optimum process control.

The Optisizer offers high performance accuracy within an easy to use and compact unit and is a vital tool for powder and bulk solids producers particularly those in the food, chemical, minerals and metals markets.

Until now the cost of this technology has often been prohibitive but the Optisizer changes this and brings this valuable information gathering process within many operating budgets. Data gathered from the Optisizer can can support Hosokawa Micron’s Performance Improvement Solutions service or be automatically fed into any plant control system to allow for optimum process control.

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A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF

AWEEKINTHELIFEOF Tuesday This morning I visit a local client, an SME in the North West. The company is trying to attract investment and thus their intellectual property is very important. We discuss their current patent applications and also their latest research results. They have altered the ratio of two ingredients in an existing formulation and achieved an unexpected improvement in performance. I explain that this may be a patentable invention.

Jennifer Delaney Partner, Appleyard Lees

Jennifer Delaney is a patent attorney at Appleyard Lees. She studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and then obtained a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry. She has worked in research in industry for both Unilever and Smithkline Beecham.

Jennifer began her career as a patent attorney at Appleyard Lees 11 years ago and has been a partner for four years.

She now manages the Chemistry and Life Sciences team in the firm’s largest office in Manchester.

Monday First thing on a Monday, I remind myself of all the deadlines in my diary for this week. Patent attorney work is very much driven by deadlines. For example, you have exactly one year from the date of filing a first patent application for an invention to file foreign applications.

No extensions are possible and if the date is missed the client will miss out on worldwide protection.

Patent offices also set deadlines for responding to their communications during the examination of patent applications. Then of course there are client deadlines. I spend most of the afternoon finalising and filing a patent application for a client who wants to give a customer a sample of a new product tomorrow.

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ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

The client asks me to take their current international applications forward in a number of countries. As soon as I am back in the office, I send instructions to patent attorneys in other countries.

I am qualified to represent clients at the UK Intellectual Patent Office and the European Patent Office but in other countries we work with local attorneys. We also receive work from them and I have enjoyed a couple of fun trips to the US to meet with our favoured firms there.

Wednesday Overnight I have received a number of emails from the Far East relating to cases for a large corporate client. Our paralegals ensure that any deadlines are captured and that we have translations of all the necessary documents.

This corporate client has also asked us to provide a freedom to operate opinion in relation to a new product that they wish to launch. This involves looking at competitors’ patents and applications to see if there is any potential for infringement, and advising the client on how to mitigate the risk.

Today I am also preparing a talk that I am to give next week at a university client. The university wants to educate

its staff regarding intellectual property to ensure no inventions are missed.

Thursday Today I visit a local corporate client for whom I do a lot of work. One of my favourite parts of my job is getting to know the inventors and IP managers that I work with. Today we are meeting to discuss the oral proceedings that we are attending at the European Patent Office in Munich next week.

The oral proceedings are in relation to a competitor’s patent. We filed an opposition to the grant of this patent two years ago and both parties have since submitted written arguments regarding why the patent should or should not be maintained. Both parties will be invited to discuss specific issued in the oral hearing and then a decision will be issued, on the day. This case is very important to my client as the opposed patent is preventing them from selling one of their products for a particular purpose.

Friday This morning I give a tutorial to some of our trainees. Training to be a patent attorney involves a mixture of “on the job” training and professional examinations. It typically takes at least four years to qualify.

All patent attorneys have a degree in science or engineering and many of us also have a PhD. One of the things I love about my job is the ability to still use my science, as well as my legal skills, in a business environment. Being a partner at Appleyard Lees means I also take an active role in running the business, as well as my work as a patent attorney. This afternoon I have an appraisal with a member of staff and a meeting with our business development manager. I then make a final check of my diary and head home.

150 years of innovation As one of the UK’s leading patent and trade mark specialists, we have been supporting innovative businesses for over 150 years.

We have a dedicated and experienced chemical and pharmaceutical team and work for some of the most innovative companies and universities in the UK and throughout the world.

Appleyard Lees Growth Fund The Appleyard Lees Growth Fund initiative was established to help companies to protect their inventions. The annual fund of £50,000 is available to companies with winning ideas and a proven track record of innovation. Grants from the fund are assessed by partners at the firm of IP specialists and funds will be awarded to projects which meet the criteria. Appleyard Lees does not take any equity stake in the companies or IP protected.

>

To find out more call Jennifer Delaney, Partner on 0161 835 9655

E: ip@appleyardlees.com W: appleyardlees.com

“They have shown immense skill

and imagination in getting our claims accepted by examiners in crowded IP fields.

They get the technical minutiae right but don’t let go of the overall commercial picture.

They are practical, commercial, straight-talking and jargon-free.

”

Chambers & Partners

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Ammonia Analysers Monitor and Control Waste Water Treatment « Inlet » « In Process » « Final Effluent » « In Situ » « Self Contained » « Self Calibrating » Contact us to select the best measurement technology for your site

Hazards25 Title

Sub heading

In association with the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center

13–15 May, Edinburgh, UK The most dangerous phrase in the industry? It can’t happen here.

We continue to see process safety accidents caused by human error, a failure to learn from past incidents and a breakdown of process safety systems.

Hazards 25 provides the chance to learn and share process safety best practice to help you avoid repeating past mistakes or making new ones as processes change.

This is an ideal event for anyone involved with operating systems and processes handling hazardous materials.

Find out more and register at www.icheme.org/hazards25

C0321_15

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ELEMENTS SPRING 2015 C0321_15 Hazards HP 185x130.indd 1

26/03/2015 11:08

Tanker Fall Prevention & Safe Loading Systems MEET ALL HSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF FALLS FROM ROAD TANKERS WITH OUR ACCESS & LOADING SOLUTIONS LP1600 - Tanker Safe Access Systems & Folding Stairs Our access platforms & gantry’s offer:- Safety hand rails, anti-slip flooring & kicker plates - Low cost modular design & fast on-site installation - Wide range of height & platform sizes FOLDING STAIRS adjust to height of tanker - Safety working cage to prevent falls - Spring balanced for easy operation

TopTank - Mobile Tanker Access LP1600 Loading Platform, Folding Stairs & Chemical Top Loading Arm

- For locations where fixed gantry’s are not suitable - Integral access ladder & fall prevention cage - Height adjustable cage to fit all size tankers - Easy one person operation - Double size ISO container cage option - Meets HSE tanker fall prevention recommendations

Chemical Loading & Unloading Arms

TopTank Unit With ISO Tank Safety Cage

- Ensures the safe & clean transfer of liquids - Used to safely load many hazardous & corrosive chemicals - Spring balanced for light & easy operation - Options include pneumatic control, high level shut off & vapour recovery - Removes requirement for manual handling of heavy hoses & couplers

Tanker Loading Safety & Control Equipment A range of complimentary equipment to protect personnel & plant from accidental drive offs & unsafe load sequences including:- Earth-Rite RTR - Tanker static grounding system - Trapped key interlock system - Sequential control of loading operations - Traffic barriers - Safely control tanker movements in loading & unloading operations

Molasses Top Loading Arm, Folding Stairs & Access Gantry

email: sales@inflow.co.uk tel: +44 (0)1268 596900

The safest way to protect personnel from the hazards of working at height during tanker access operations

web: www.inflow.co.uk fax: +44 (0)1268 728435

Introducing the Continuous Improvement in Process Safety CIProS™ Qualification Series Process safety is good for people and business. Simply stated, an organisation with a sustainable PSM programme at heart can concentrate on performance without the time-consuming distraction of excess scrutiny from regulators. By adopting good corporate governance practices in process safety, you can be sure that your risk control systems are effectively maintained, guarding your staff and business night and day.

A vocational qualification to fill a vital skills gap To address the shortfall in PSM expertise, a suite of fully accredited vocational training qualifications is now available from one of the industry’s most respected names. We are a National Skills Academy Process Industries Centre of Excellence for Process Safety.

This suite of vocational qualifications provides learners with the means to not only undertake a given task but fully appreciate that task in its widest context. What are the consequences of not performing this task? Why should it be carried out in a certain sequence? And when is the correct time to do it? Without being able to answer these questions, simply carrying out the task in isolation is at best routine and at worst could pose a real risk to plant safety.

The CIProS™ Qualification Series addresses this by enabling learners to identify what good practice in PSM looks like and how to implement it in both everyday and emergency situations.

Modular and flexible Delivered in a way that best suits your business, CIProS™ Qualifications are delivered in a flexible modular format that allows delegates to study at a time and pace that fits in and around working hours. What’s more, to avoid expensive duplication, they can be tailored to support corporate programmes, whilst the choice of in-house and open courses can be offered to reflect budgets and delegate availability.

The combination of mandatory and optional units provides a comprehensive syllabus that eliminates potential knowledge gaps in your company’s process safety programme.

A mixture of interactive presentations, mentoring, coaching, workshops and training courses complement industry-specific learning. This delivers a qualification that consolidates wider learnings in a way that benefits your company’s particular manufacturing situation. Delegates can then add real value from day one of qualification.

Business benefits • A proactive and positive process safety culture • Avoid reactive compliance by demonstrating organisational competence

• Align your process safety with business needs and aims, optimising budget and resource

• Replace disparate activities with integrated processes for effective Corporate Governance

• Monitor and audit according to KPIs to make for more effective management and informed decision making

• Raise the profile of process safety culture company-wide • Ensure topical safety matters are viewed within a company context • Empower all levels of the business with the required knowledge and behaviour

• Encourage an organic learning culture that embraces change and development, ensuring your company is always up to date

Individual development • Ability to put in place and maintain a culture of Continuous Improvement in Process Safety

• Accredited qualification that enhances opportunities for progress and promotion

• Training delivered to recognised standards certified by PAA\VQ-SET

• Independent assessment of knowledge and achievement for industry-wide acceptance

• A unique syllabus of technical and management modules, with practical hands-on workshops for holistic development

• Leadership and management potential is developed in real-life situations

• Fills a much needed ‘hands-on’ gap that academic only qualifications do not address

• Measurable input into the commercial success of the company • Cross-company exposure and input, bringing a positive influence on process safety

To find the next available course dates for your company, get in touch today: Call: 0161 304 5902 Visit::www.cipros.co.uk

hfl

consulting Safety Sustainability Profitability

NEW MEMBERS

Croft Filters Ltd

The expert team at Croft Filters is available to offer support and advice on any aspect of mesh filters, filter elements and filter housings.

We have perfected the Dixon Ring manufacturing process, developing a machine especially for high-speed production. And we’re soon to launch a new range of filters based on Additive Manufacturing technology, which will offer our customers a number of significant benefits, such as cutting-edge design, high strength and impressive

Contact: Neil Burns Director Croft Filters Ltd, 2 Beech Court, Taylor Business Park, Risley, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6BL T: 01925 766265 F: 01295 765029 E: sales@filters.co.uk

production speeds.

www.filters.co.uk

Croft Filters also stock a range of material (often for next-day delivery), including stainless steel mesh, perforated sheet, wedge wire, fine wire mesh, wire mesh sheets, wedge wire, filter mesh, expanded metal mesh and galvanised wire mesh.

Facebook – www.facebook.com/ CroftFiltersLtd?ref=hl

CICA, the Chemical and Industrial Consultants Association, is a UK b ­ ased network of over 30 independent consultants specialising in the application of chemistry and chemical technology in industry.

CICA members provide advice and support on almost every aspect of chemical and industrial manufacture, engineering, research and development, analysis, marketing, applications, regulation, the environment, organisation and strategy.

They operate in industries ranging from

Twitter - twitter.com/croft_filters LinkedIn - uk.linkedin.com/pub/croftfilters-ltd/ab/202/a22

At Croft Filters, we take great pride in our commitment to understanding our customers’ needs and supplying a rapid turnaround on our bespoke services.”

CICA, the Chemical and Industrial Consultants Association

Each member has considerable experience in senior management or research in the chemicals and related process industries.

Accessing the expertise that your project requires by engaging a CICA member, can provide cost ­effective, efficient and speedy solutions to technical and business challenges. CICA members can operate singly or in multi­disciplinary teams depending on the clients’ requirements.

Profile Croft Filters Ltd

Croft Filters is a leading filter manufacturer with over 28 years’ experience designing and manufacturing industrial filters to solve filtration challenges in a range of manufacturing sectors all over the world.

Our extensive expertise means customers benefit from filter manufacturing solutions in any shape or design, including basket strainers, duplex filters, vacuum filters, cone filters, cylinder filters and screen filters in perforated plate, woven wire mesh and expanded metal.

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inorganics, petrochemicals, chemical synthesis, polymers, natural products and pharmaceuticals, as well as working closely with universities, government departments and NGOs. If you are looking for innovative solutions and expert independent advice from a trustworthy source, contact CICA.

Profile CICA, the Chemical and Industrial Consultants Association Contact: Mr Paul Forsythe Honorary Secretary Alemare Solutions Ltd., 5 London End Irchester Wellingborough Northants NN29 7BH T: 01933 356422/ 07772 492625 E: secretary@chemical-consultants.co.uk www.chemical-consultants.co.uk

To identify a consultant with the expertise you need, visit the CICA Website www.chemical-consultants.co.uk and click on Search or Find a Consultant.

Alternatively, you can click on Target Markets or Areas of Expertise, or go to the Consultant Listing. The Website gives each consultant’s contact details or you can contact the CICA Secretary directly.

ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

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NEW MEMBERS

Inventya Based at Sci-Tech Daresbury in Cheshire, Inventya helps SME’s and corporates to commercialise new products and services.

A specialist science and technology commercialisation consultancy, we’ve helped to commercialise over 300 new technology products and have secured more than £4.6 million in R&D funding for early stage business ideas since 2012.

We work across chemicals and process industries, manufacturing, materials, biomedical and cleantech sectors to help firms with big ideas go to market.

We can support your R&D pipeline with: n Mapping R&D pipelines for close-to-

market potential, & identifying ‘white space’ n R&D funding roadmap identifying

ongoing grant funding opportunities n Bespoke global market research

to validate market potential & gain customer insight n R&D consortia bid writing & partner

Profile We helped secure in excess of £500k of grant funding for one biomedical client, validating market potential for six different portfolio products, and our independent market research findings directly supported the firm in raising investment of £2.6m.

In another project, we are exploring the commercial feasibility of a fully nonanimal in vitro replacement test for the standard LD50 acute toxicity test faced by cosmetics & personal care ingredients suppliers. The aim is to eliminate interspecies differences & ethical issues related to animal testing, and develop a test capable of meeting REACH regulations and acceptance as an OECD guideline.

Inventya Limited Sci-Tech Daresbury Vanguard House Keckwick Lane Daresbury, Cheshire WA4 4AB UK T: +44 (0) 1925 607 191 F: +44 (0) 1925 607 398 E: info@inventya.com www.inventya.com

If your firm’s R&D could benefit from independent market validation, additional funding, or collaboration and partnering we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss your needs in more detail. Contact us by emailing info@inventya.com or by calling 01925 607194.

search n Guidance on IP protection and ‘patent

box’ R&D tax credits

VersarPPS

Profile VersarPPS

VersarPPS is a leading UK manufacturer of Decontamination Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment. We specialise in providing complete solution packages to a wide variety of hazard prone industries.

With seven decades of protecting workers in hazardous environments our reputation for reliability and expertise makes us an leading industry specialist. The company was acquired by Versar Inc. in 2010 which has enabled us to refine our research and development capabilities while expanding our investments and technologies in Europe and the rest of the World. As a result, we have been able to use our extensive experience in specialist products from our UK factory to develop innovative and bespoke designs for a range of exclusive solutions.

Our PPE and Respiratory product offering has evolved over the last few years enabling us to meet all of our customer requirements. Designing and manufacturing a full range of respiratory suits and hoods including air-line to enable operators to work safely and comfortably in the most hazardous

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ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

environments. In 2014 we introduced a range of our own Limited Life Coveralls, the VSuits. Ranging from General Maintenance Type 5 & 6 suits, protecting against liquid and dusts to Type 3 & 4 providing higher Chemical splash and spray protection.

VersarPPS have become recognised internationally as a world leader in the manufacture of decontamination equipment, notable for its ease of transport and swift deployment in the wake of hazmat incidents. We are committed to best practice in the design, production and operation of Decontamination Equipment and PPE for every type of hazardous environment including Nuclear, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical.

Contact: Hannah Pendleton Marketing Communications Manager Professional Protection Systems Ltd, Protection House, Sherbourne Drive, Tilbrook, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK19 7AJ. T: 01908 272240 F: 01908 371605 E: hannah.pendleton@ppsgb.com www.versarpps.com

NEW MEMBERS

FLEXIM Instruments UK Ltd

Profile

FLEXIM Instruments UK Ltd is a North West based specialist supplier of non-invasive, maintenance-free ultrasonic flowmeters for liquids or gases; installed outside the pipe without the need for any process shut down or interference during commissioning.

FLEXIM’s clamp-on flow meters are highly accurate, repeatable and cost effective for retrofit on pipes from 10mm - 6m diameter and on all pipe materials, e.g. glass, plastic, exotic alloys, etc. Costs remain highly competitive independent of exotic pipe material or extreme pressure.

Non-invasive flow measurement solutions are ideal with corrosive, abrasive or contaminating media. Non-invasive mass flow and concentration analysis of acids and other chemicals means reliable, drift-free and virtually maintenance free measurement where you thought it impossible from previous experience. We have solutions for pipe temperatures from -160°C to +580°C.

A unique industry,

FLEXIM Instruments UK Ltd Contact: Andrew Downham Northern Area Sales Manager FLEXIM Instruments UK Ltd Theatre Court London Road Northwich Cheshire CW9 5HB

cleaning, our unique Transmitted Light Process Refractometer technique is absolutely zero point stable and driftfree. Better still, it works in the presence of far more contamination build up than Critical Angle Refractometers and doesn’t fail when contamination builds up on the measurement prism. Instead, the analysis of signal amplitude to determine turbidity or deposit formation on the prism generates a predictive maintenance cleaning alert long before any measurement failure occurs.

T: 01606 781 420 F: 01606 784 544 E: sales@flexim.co.uk www.flexim.co.uk

Visits to our Northwich offices are encouraged where you can learn, with hands-on demonstrations in our training suite, why major clients from Petrochemical, Fertilizer and Natural Gas industries are using FLEXIM products to provide reliable, accurate, repeatable and cost effective measurement solutions.

We also manufacture invasive Transmitted Light Process Refractometers; unlike Critical Angle Refractometers which drift due to contamination and need frequent

ies and unique news with unique compan

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Elements Summer 2014

GREEN

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A Special Focus

G E M E N T, E N V I R O N M E N TA L E N E R G Y N O R T H W E S T G R E E N = G A S ( S H A L E ) , R E C Y C L I N G / WA S T E M A N A

Shale gas: opportunities and threats for the North West chemical industry and beyond

REACH R E AC H = R E G I S T R AT

I O N , E VA L U AT I O

N, AUTHO R I S AT I

ON & REST RICTIO

one

A Special Foc us N of CHEM ICALS

Can Shale Gas transform the economy?

CNW Summer Conference – REACH, A Time To Plan Big Intervie w – Dr Peter Jenkinson

REACH 2014 – a time to plan Security/Safety Feature

Dr Knoell Sponsors Arti cle – REACH: Bey ond the “R”

Chemical Focus in Cheshire

REACH Rea dy Exclusive Arti cles This supplement is sponsored by

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Magazines for your industry by your industry

ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

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TrainingCourses in Human Training in Humanin Factors and Factors Process Human Reliability Safety for the Oil for the Oil, Gas and & Gas Sector Utilities Sectors Human Factors is recognized as a key topic for addressing safety in the oil, gas, and power utility industries. Buncefield, Texas City and Deepwater Horizon have emphasized the need to understand and address the systemic operational and management failures that led to these incidents Human Reliability Associates offer a comprehensive training programme in Human Factors in Process Safety. This includes hands-on workshops and case studies based on our extensive practical experience over the past 34 years. The course can be taken as individual days, two day modules or as a complete, integrated four day course.

Trainers The courses will be given by Dr David Embrey (Managing Director), Jamie Henderson and Neil Hunter with more than 50 years of collective experience.

Recent (2015) feedback endorsed the quality of our training: “Presenters were subject matter experts and have a real skill for delivery of this content in a clear, concise and professional way” “Good speakers with experience and communication skills” “Very interesting content and great presentation skills” “Speakers were knowledgeable, helpful and interactive”

Fees (excluding VAT) Single days Single module (Two Days): Complete Course (Two Modules-4 days): (Payment must be made via a single invoice)

£750 £1000 £1800

Course dates 2015 Module 1: Human Factors in Plant design, safety cases, procedures and competency

22nd-23rd April

9th-10th September

11th-12th November

Module 2: HF incident analysis, safety critical communication, workload and human reliability assessment

20th-21st May

7th-8th October

9th-10th December

Booking a place Contact us at the address below: T: +44 (0)1257 463121 E: dembrey@humanreliability.com www.humanreliability.com 1 School House, Higher Lane, Dalton, Wigan, Lancashire, WN8 7RP, UK. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfU2ISSUE7FlxHltMJDaioQ

CNW EVENTS

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Chemicals Northwest Breakfast Networking meeting The Heath in Runcorn was the venue of the 9th January Chemicals Northwest breakfast sponsored by Aquilant Scientific Ltd. Aquilant Scientific supply a wide range of laboratory and plant analysis equipment and today, Matt Lambert of principal supplier Analox outlined the effectiveness of gas detection systems that aid the management of safe working atmospheres.

New CNW member GSK was represented

by Dave Postle who gave some background to how the company is structured these days and how the new ‘biopharm’ investment at the Ulverston site represents an important step in confirming the UK as a key player in the company’s supply chain strategies.

Dr Kneoll has a strong reputation in supporting companies through the involved stages of REACH compliance.

Dr Ian MacKinnon listed their wide range of speciality areas including toxicological data, exposure risks and translations.

Ruth Sanderson is the founder of Blue Pea POD a personal development consultancy based in Chester. Ruth explained how an organisation’s business culture is made up of a recipe of features that defines how an organisation can be successful.

Sarah Grindrod of HFL Consulting

L –R: John Roche, Dave Postle, Ruth Sanderson, Gary Rawlinson, Shahed Karolia, Sarah Grindrod, Iain MacKinnon

reminded all of the company’s continuing efforts in promoting continuous improvement and corporate governance

in process safety management, in particular the growing success of their technical qualification system.

Meeting discusses industrial strategy The Royal Society of Chemistry sponsored this latest gathering at The Heath in Runcorn on 6 March and Clare Wilson & Brian Hickmott gave an outline of their industrial strategy. The strategic themes include: Innovation, professional development and a focus on SMEs. Funding is available through RSC’s Emerging Technology competition and the Enterprise Plus scheme.

Jarrad Bycroft of Warrant Group explained the working structure of the Euroteam logistics network. As the UK representative, the company is enjoying success within a coordinated approach to chemicals distribution through an alliance with partners in other countries.

The managing director of new Chemicals Northwest member, Eco FS outlined the

reasons for locating their new waste recycling plant to Manchester. Russell Lloyd described the types of material processed, including waste water for steam raising, high temperature chemical recycling and blending of metal degreasing fluids.

Nick Backstrom of Cogent Skills explained how the Employer Owned Skills Pilot fund is helping firms to take on apprenticeships.

Dan Younger and Anth McKeown listed the recruitment services provided by another new CNW member: CY Partners Ltd.

L - R: Brian Hickmott, Russell Lloyd, Jarrad Bycroft, Clare Wilson, Dan Younger, Nick Backstrom, Anth McKeown

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CNW EVENTS

Focus on Water in the Chemical Industry sponsored by Veolia Water Technologies Co-hosted with YCF, Chemicals Northwest’s latest seminar was designed to bring together the water companies, the regulator and our chemical companies to discuss this vital business resource. The event held at The Heath in Runcorn on 18 February was opened by John Roche of Chemicals Northwest and chaired by Dai Hayward, chair of YCF. The Environment Agency was represented by Jim Ratcliffe and Tony Heaney of the National River Basin Management Services department. The Water Framework Directive provides for the assessment of the chemical status of water courses now and predicting the future risk of chemical non-compliance.

Consultations are now in place for the six year review of the river basin plans with a view to identifying where and what the agency needs to work on. Various costing models are also under consideration as there will be dramatic differences in activity levels for the proposed options.

There has been an increase in the number of chemicals now placed on the water emissions priority substances list as a result of the Environmental Quality Standards Directive review in 2013. The Environment Agency will look at the 13 ‘substances of concern’ and how they are risk-assessed through its normal permitting approach and ultimately with

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The company is mindful of its global demand for water both in its products and its processes. Their approach has shifted from the ‘volumetric’ to ‘impact’ assessment of water consumption, paying more attention to water scarcity and other geographical demands. The corporate target is to reduce water consumption by 20% in its supply chains by 2020.

Industrial Emissions Directive reviews.

GSK’s corporate sustainability strategy was outlined by David Postle, Group Environment, Health & Safety manager.

Brian Lawson, Operations Director at Dr Reddys, Mirfield explained the practical steps taken by the site to reduce its water use and hence spend. Water represents 10% of the facility’s utility bill and an action plan was derived following a “define, measure, analyse, improve and control” investigation. The key change was to install more meters and produce a ‘water map’ for the site. Thousands of pounds have been saved on water use and sewerage charge re-alignment.

Seminar sponsors, Veolia Water Technologies was represented by Sofia

CNW EVENTS

Figueiredo, Sustainability Manager – Process Water, who urged the chemical industry to improve its management and treatment of waste water. Sofia described Veolia’s “RECO Solutions” system that is delivering process water savings at sites through efficient pre-treatment of boiler feeds using less concentrated effluents. Chemical industry leaders should consider: communicating more on water re-use, the value of recycled water, an integrated approach to water use and asking for more streamlined regulation.

Katie Schofield of Kelda Water (sister company to Yorkshire Water) informed the delegates of the forthcoming changes to the UK water market in 2017. Through its “Open water” programme, OFWAT (the water industry regulator) wants to open the market to more competition through reducing demand thresholds and setting up more wholesale and retail structures.

The government expects customers will use less water and enjoy lower prices in the future.

Techniques, such as the new ISO 14046 for

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water footprinting standard were reviewed

by Chris Foster of EuGeos, including the role of ‘virtual water’ in making your calculations. This is the water used at various stages of raw material production that does not appear in the product. Chris explained that the chemical industry accounts for 2% of UK’s virtual water imports. Companies will want to consider water footprinting when they develop sustainability programmes and when understanding the risks to their business of not having this important resource, or indeed the opportunities.

North Wales and Merseyside Responsible Care Cell discusses security challenges and management solutions Aila Bursnall, Responsible Care Executive attended the latest group meeting held at the Heath, Runcorn on 10 December.

The focus of the session was Security Risk Management, with Marc Finch, Technical Manager G4S, giving 3 case studies related to conducting security risk assessments. He noted the process used, and some outcomes from those assessments. A number of site’s had examples of actions taken due to security issues, often related to new technology and not the ‘traditional‘ aspects of site security. Once again

people were signposted to the recent CIA’s publication ‘Maintaining security in chemical businesses’, which contains reference links, and is recommend for reviewing as part of arrangements to manage security effectively.

Ian Oakes, NRW discussed the approach to inspection under EPR and COMAH, and the opportunity to comment on the inspection programme.

Martin Poyzer, EA, noted the issues around the BREF review process; the primary activity trigger for permit

reviews; the EELS directive and the importance of assuring exemptions were in place if needed by January.

Aila Bursnall CIA, gave feedback from the recent best practice sharing safety reps visit to Innospec; the plans for a behavioural safety site visit; HSE updates on current Consultations and Guidance; and the recent request to members for comment on the impact of the revised waste classification criteria.

For further information contact Aila, BursnallA@cia.org.uk

ELEMENTS SPRING 2015

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SYMMETRY LAW

Fracking - cheap gas bonanza or environmental problem?

The extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) of shale beds is at an early stage of development in the UK, with just two test sites to date.

Both have gained a certain notoriety in the popular press, Preese Hall near Blackpool for the minor earth tremors that resulted from fracking activity and Balcombe in West Sussex which attracted vociferous anticipatory protestors despite no fracking taking place. The Government believe fracking has the potential to produce gas cheaply (at a time when North Sea oil and gas production is tailing off), reduce carbon emissions by displacing oil in power stations and industrial processes, and increase both our energy security and the supply of UK-sourced ethane for the chemical industry.

The Infrastructure Act 2015, which came into force in February, contains various measures to facilitate the process of shale gas exploration and exploitation. These include the right to frack below a depth of 300m without the landowner’s consent.

While the Bowland Shale across the north of England undoubtedly has potential as a source of gas, economics will ultimately be the deciding factor. The only way to assess the likely gas yield and the cost per unit of gas is to carry out more exploration and frack some test wells. Fracking in the USA has resulted in pollution of groundwater and other

adverse environmental and public health impacts, but in many cases this is the result of hands off regulation and practices that it is said would not be permitted in the UK, such as the over-exploitation of water resources, storage of effluent in open ponds and the use of undeclared chemicals in the fracking fluid. Strong regulation may be key to winning over stakeholder opinion in the medium term, however in the short term at least, fracking on UK soil is likely to generate opposition.

For further information please contact; paul.bratt@symmetrylaw.co.uk victoria.joy@symmetrylaw.co.uk

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tel: 0161 883 1000 0152 425 1613 www.symmetry-law.co.uk contact@symmetry-law.co.uk

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