Environmental report 2006 (.pdf) - Kemira

EnvironmentalresponsibilityFrom good to great in safetyAs a result of active safety management efforts, the frequency of occupationalaccidents fell to 6.0 (8.4) accidents per million working hours. Although wehave made good progress in occupational safety, there is still much room forimprovement. The ultimate target is clear – zero incidents.As part of the Kemira – from Good to Great program, thefinancial year saw the launch of the Safety – from Good toGreat scheme aimed at enhancing the safety culture andoccupational safety. We have also a tighter internal auditscheme running at the same time. The Tiel site in the Netherlandswas named our ‘best improver’ in 2006 – starting froma relatively high level of incidents the plant has been ableto go down to zero within two years. Following the Groupcertification of our activities in Finland in 2006, the OHSAS18000 safety management system will also become part ofour EHSQ systems in all the business areas.We are committed toPreventing and minimizing anyharmful effects of our operationsContinuously improving ourenvironmental performancePromoting sustainable developmentby making efficient use of energy andnatural resourcesThere were no lethal accidents, or accidents resulting inenvironmental damage. However, a storage fire at a paintmanufacturing plant in Russia and an explosion at one plantunit in Joutseno, Finland, caused substantial property damage.Product safety – responding to REACHThe REACH regulation of the European Union was finalized atthe end of December 2006 and Kemira is committed to complyingwith the regulation. Under the guidance of Kemira’sReach Competence Center in Finland, Kemira has madean inventory of its substances and is preparing for futureregistration. Following recent acquisitions, Kemira manufacturesor imports approximately 200 substances which mustbe registered in accordance with REACH within the next11 years. About ten of these substances will be subject toauthorization.The direct cost of REACH compliance on Kemira will be inthe order of €30 million during the next ten years. However,this is a very rough estimate since the actual substance levelcosts depend on many factors, and any business acquisitionsor divestments may change the total figure considerably.Although we do not expect material business impacts, amajor workload lies ahead of us, especially within the next3-5 years.Kemira began preparatory work on REACH several yearsago, and established a Reach Competence Center (REACH CC)in Finland in 2006 to co-ordinate its efforts. Data collectionwith other EU manufacturers and importers, in the so-calledSIEFs (Substance Information Exchange Forum), will hopefullyrun smoothly and keep to the tight schedules set out by theregulation.3