“Eventually I’ll become redundant”

Green production, with full attention to the environment and safety, has been high on Holbox’s agenda for years. To take the policy in this area to an even higher level, the company decided, among other things, to obtain ISO 14001 certification, which it achieved in 2021. However, that wasn’t the end of the process. The optimal implementation of the system in the new building in Roermond is the next step.

Melanie van Bracht, owner of consultancy firm SHE* Mel Veiligheid en Milieusupport, can still remember her early days at Holbox in 2019. She was certainly not dissatisfied with the company’s approach to safety and the environment. However, when director Martijn Hol pointed out the sustainability of the production process, she immediately came up with a challenging remark. She laughs: “I told him: prove it. That triggered him. Because even though Holbox had already done a lot of good things, there’s always room for improvement. Sustainability goes beyond the environment and complying with existing rules. It’s also about welfare and safety, for example. And having an eye for detail.”

A broader approach

She knows what she’s talking about. With her consultancy firm, Melanie assists all kinds of businesses. She also teaches Safety Science at Avans Hogeschool. She regularly involves her students in projects for which she is engaged. Including Holbox, which, in retrospect, she joined at a difficult time, in 2019, just before the COVID period. She explains that achieving ISO 14001 certification was one of the goals. “ISO 14001 focuses very specifically on a company’s environmental performance. This means having an eye for general matters concerning the environment, but also for aspects that are very specific to a company. That’s why we started making an inventory and drawing up a risk analysis and risk register. From there, you work towards the new situation by implementing improvements. In doing so, we also looked beyond just the environmental component and we used the opportunity to also improve other things that fall under sustainability.”

Continuity

Matters that received attention included the emergency response team, keeping emergency exits clear, the presence of fire extinguishers in the right place, the accessibility of gas pipes, and so on. As far as the environmental aspect is concerned, the handling of hazardous substances, the processing and separation of waste, the use of materials and storage, and the handling of ink, among other things, were examined. “During that process, it became apparent, among other things, that Holbox did not use FSC materials for all processes. It did use FSC cardboard, but that wasn’t always the case with paper. That was addressed immediately.” Improvements were made step by step, until certification was obtained in 2021. But that certainly wasn’t the end of the project, Melanie says. “You then enter the next phase: ensuring that people remain alert and that everything continues to go well. This guarantees the continuity of the improvements.”

Awareness process

In the meantime, an HSE (health, safety, environment) working group had been set up, including a number of Holbox employees in addition to Melanie. One of Melanie’s students also regularly visits the company for advice. Members of the working group now make observation rounds or inspections once in a while. Visual material is among the tools used to check whether the situation is still as agreed. Melanie: “We are engaged in an awareness process; that takes time. Employees have to unlearn certain habits and learn others so they start to take something for granted and if something goes wrong they wonder how it could’ve happened. This way, you reduce the chance things turn out to be not entirely ideal during an inspection by an external party.” One point on the horizon, says Melanie, is Holbox’s move to new business premises in Roermond next year.

She will also provide guidance and advice during that process. “It’s important that you immediately do everything right during the transition. In this building we’ve had to teach employees how to change years of habits. That’s something you have to prevent during the move. With good preparation, we make sure we immediately apply the right approach, in accordance with the regulations. That the working method they’ve now learned will remain intact in the new building. Of course, checks will always be necessary, but they can eventually be carried out by the HSE working group.” She then smiles: “I’ll remain involved for the time being, but the intention is that I’ll eventually become redundant.” n