JUNE 2015 – ISSUE 34

Magazine for the employees of Hertel UK & Ireland

P04 Altrad acquisition Centre The story so far… a timeline tracks 40 years of achievement

P20 Meet some of our longest serving employees celebrating 40 years of Hertel UK and Ireland

A NEW LANDMARK!A special edition of the Hertel Herald looks at the people, places and projects which have made Hertel UK & Ireland the company it is today.

2015 is a landmark year for HertelJune 6th sees the 40th anniversary of Hertel UK and Ireland being established by John Burt to provide insulation services in the North East.

In reflecting on the company’s history, it is important to acknowledge that in August it will also be 120 years since Alexander Hertel formed the company to supply seals and insulation materials to the shipyards in The Netherlands.

The principles laid down by Alexander to anticipate and adapt to market changes and preserve the core asset of people are as relevant today as they were when he started the business in 1895.

This issue of the Hertel Herald reflects on the business in the UK and Ireland and how it developed. There are profiles, stories and anecdotes about those people who have been with the company for many years and who have played a major part in shaping what Hertel has become today. There is also a timeline to reflect the significant milestones reached down the years.

The usual mix of news stories and features throughout the magazine helps to show how the business continues to adapt to customer and market needs and prepares itself for the next 40 years and beyond.

We want your news & viewsAs editor of the Hertel Herald, I am always looking for stories to include in the next issue.

So if you have been involved in an interesting project or reached any milestones, or you have raised money for charity, I would be delighted to hear about it as soon as you know about it.

I’d also like your views about the Hertel Herald and any news or features you would like to see included in future issues.

You can contact me at jennifer.hazlewood@hertel.com call me on 01928 704000 or come and say hi if you’re at the Preston Brook office.

The paper used in the Hertel Herald is obtained from manufacturers who operate internationally recognised standards. The paper is made from Elementary Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp, which is sourced from sustainable, properly managed forestation.

CONTENTS

Welcome 03

Acquisition 04

People 07

Charity Corner 08

Safety 10

Sellafield – Meet the Team 16

In the Spotlight 20

The Hertel story so far Centre Pullout

Movers and Shakers 23

Long Service and New Starters 24

Moving places, changing faces, celebrated successes 25

Apprentice Programme 26

Mechanical 28

Business Development 30

Conference 32

Innovation Challenge 34

Site News 36

International News 38

Understanding How We Use Energy 39

Competition Time 40

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…which is focused on the 40th anniversary of Hertel’s arrival in the UK.

Marking this important milestone is also an opportunity to look forward as we embark on a new chapter following the acquisition of the Group by Altrad.

It was pleasing that Dr Altrad and his executive team chose Hertel UK and Ireland for their first visit to a Group company. While in Middlesbrough they met with our management team, where they learnt more about us and were highly complimentary about what the business has achieved in the UK and Ireland.

We have had a busy start to the year. There have been ongoing negotiations as we attempt to secure a number of contract extensions and we have made tender submissions for long-term projects in the nuclear sector.

Of the services we provide, access remains a core element of the business, partly because we are prepared to offer innovative solutions to provide efficiency and cost savings for our customers. This has helped to balance the reduction we have seen in the insulation and coatings markets. This decrease is mainly driven by circumstances outside our control, as product advances have seen applications last longer.

Mechanical services have been a growth area, with a threefold increase in business in recent years. Success has come from securing major contracts from customers such as Air Products, Essar, Lucite and RWE among others, which has helped position us as a major mechanical supplier. We have benefitted from the investment we made three years ago in the Ellesmere Port workshop and it is an area on which we will continue to focus.

Our number one priority above all else is safety. For the year 2014 we managed once again to achieve the demanding safety targets we set ourselves, as we all know, it is a process that is never complete. We have to remain constantly vigilant and be aware of the dangers within the environments in which we work.

It is always pleasing to reach significant milestones and reaffirm the aims of our Target Zero initiative. Feedback from customers who also recognise our achievements, regularly convey that they value the whole team efforts and see them as an integral part of their own safety processes.

An important commitment for us is to offer opportunities through individual learning and development. The apprenticeship and trainee schemes continue to help ensure we have the right skills for the business. From looking at the skills we need to continue to grow, we have now extended our apprenticeships beyond our traditional skills to encompass business support functions such as HR and administration.

The company has always believed in promoting from within as it is those people who best understand the business. To help those who want to progress and build careers as supervisors and managers, we have been working with a specialist training provider to create development programmes. This will offer a structured path that will help people to grow personally and professionally so that they can meet the challenges their new roles present.

We are also putting in place management and executive development programmes to help people achieve the next level. This programme will help to ensure individuals have the ability to develop and enhance their skills, so helping themselves and the business succeed.

Hertel has come a long way since John Burt started the business by working from a caravan in the North East of the country. As we look forward to the next 40 years and beyond, I believe that we have the right foundations and people in place for a long and sustainable future.

Welcometo the latest issue of the Hertel Herald…

David Fitzsimons Managing Director

Our number one priority above all else is safety. For the year 2014 we managed once again to achieve the demanding safety targets we set ourselves, as we all know, it is a process that is never complete. We have to remain constantly vigilant and be aware of the dangers within the environments in which we work.

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Acquisition creates new force in the marketA new chapter in Hertel’s 120 years has begun with the group’s acquisition by Altrad. The joining of the two companies provides new opportunities for both companies.For Altrad the acquisition also supports its moves to establish itself as one of the leading technical services providers in Europe and strengthens its position in other regions including the Middle East, the Caspian and Asia Pacific, where Hertel enjoys a significant presence.

Dr. Mohed Altrad, President of the Altrad Group, says: “Hertel is a promising and exciting company with attractive long-term growth opportunities and solid

management. It also holds corporate values which are similar to Altrad’s.

“Combining management teams will enable us to actively exchange ideas and best practice and will help to make the combined companies a benchmark for their industries.”

Victor Aquina, CEO of Hertel, adds: “We are excited by this new and challenging chapter for Hertel. I am sure we can build a robust, healthy and growing company that offers great value

to our customers, shareholders and employees alike while continuing to work under our current leadership and the Hertel brand.”

The announcement of the acquisition was made on 17th March and it is hoped to be fully agreed after the completion of formal processes at the end of June.

Complementary products and servicesAltrad was founded in 1984 by Dr. Mohed Altrad when he initially bought a scaffolding manufacturing company in southern France. Since then the company has expanded through a combination of natural growth and acquisitions.

With its headquarters in Montpellier, southern France, Altrad is recognised as one of the world leaders for scaffolding solutions as well as carrying, mixing and compacting products in both the civil and industrial markets.

It has an annual turnover of €860m and has operations in 16 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and America while also providing

products and services in more than 100 countries.

Access solutions provide 80% of turnover with 17% coming from mixing, carrying and compacting and 3% from local authorities.

The services and products offered by Altrad and Hertel are complementary from a customer and geographical perspective.

As a scaffolding manufacturer, Altrad will supply Hertel with the ‘best-in-class’ scaffold material. The sharing and management of equipment across the different businesses will help to give cost and efficiency savings.

We are excited by this new and challenging chapter for Hertel. I am sure we can build a robust, healthy and growing company that offers great value to our customers, shareholders and employees alike while continuing to work under our current leadership and the Hertel brand.

ACQUISITION

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• TRAD HIRE AND SALES With six depots around the country including Birmingham, Glasgow and Leeds, they offer a range of equipment including scaffold tube, fittings, boards, system scaffolding, stair towers, temporary roofing systems and associated equipment.

• SPECTRA SCAFFOLDING Based in Bury, Greater Manchester, they provide specifically designed integrated access systems, as well as temporary roof structure for the construction, restoration, demolition and commercial services sectors.

• ALTRAD NSG With its headquarters in Deeside, they work across different sectors offering non-mechanical industrial services including access systems, insulation, painting, coatings and industrial cleaning.

• GENERATION HIRE AND SALE They provide access systems, mobile access and work platforms, ladders and steps from 13 depots including London, Cardiff, Leeds and Newcastle.

• DESSA DESIGN Located in Cambridge, they supply temporary roofing and adjustable stairways as well as being weather protection and access experts.

• BEAVER84 Offer non-mechanical construction equipment including the hire and sale of temporary fencing. They have eight depots including Gateshead, Widnes and West Thurrock.

• ALTRAD BELLE GROUP With a manufacturing facility near Buxton, which has a product range including plate compactors, mini dumpers, snowploughs, cement mixers, saws, wheelbarrows and scaffolding.

• STAR EVENTS Established for 38 years, they supply equipment and services such as stages, seating, fencing and other structures to the events industry.

David Fitzsimons, Hertel UK and Ireland’s Managing Director, says: “The joining of Altrad and Hertel will mean a solid partnership in which the two companies can become the leading players in the markets in which we operate.”

Altrad’s first visit to UKShortly after the announcement of the acquisition on 17th March, Altrad’s senior management team, led by Dr. Mohed Altrad, visited Hertel UK and Ireland’s head office in Middlesbrough.

David Fitzsimons, Hertel UK and Ireland’s Managing Director, says: “The visit enabled Dr Altrad and his team to meet the Hertel UK and Ireland Board and learn about the business and its services.

“The meeting, which will be followed by others over the coming months, was extremely positive, with everyone excited by the opportunities that lie ahead through Altrad and Hertel working together.”

Front row, left to right: Jean Delrieu, Altrad Group Advisor, Altrad; Dr Mohed Altrad, President, Altrad; Ludovic Lopez, Group Controlling Manager, Altrad; David Fitzsimons, Managing Director, Hertel UK & Ireland. Back row, left to right: Paudie Somers, Operations Director, Hertel UK & Ireland; David Massey, HR Director, Hertel UK & Ireland; Christian Bouchenoire, Chief Sales Officer, Altrad; Max Timmer, Chief Financial Officer, Hertel Group; John Hall, Head of Business Development, Marketing & Proposals, Hertel UK & Ireland; Chris Abbey, Head of HSEQ, Hertel UK & Ireland; Louis Huetz, General Manager, Altrad; Jim Hiscock, Financial Controller, Hertel UK & Ireland; Laurent Larguier, Group Operations Manager, Altrad. Also present: Hugo Loudon, Chief Operations Officer, Hertel Group.

Strong presence in the UKAltrad has eight companies, which are already well-established in the UK. They will be recognised by many for the provision of access solutions. They are:

We will continue to develop and expand the business by offering multi-site and multi-services support to our existing and potential customers.

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Operated for Hertel by Reward Gateway. Registered in England and Wales (No. 05696250) at 90 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RT. Registered under the Data Protection Act(No. Z964960X). Terms and Conditions may apply. Offers can be changed or withdrawn without notice. Products subject to availability. Errors and Omissions Excepted.

Do you have a child under 16?Are you paying for day nurseries, nannies or after-school and holiday clubs?Join the V4M4U Childcare Voucher programme to pay for your state-approved and registered childcare.

The vouchers can also be saved to cover for emergency childcare or to pay for summer activity camps.

You can buy up to £243 worth of vouchers per month – or £55 each week if paid weekly – as a basic tax payer or £124 each month for higher rate tax payers.

With the vouchers paid for directly from your salary, spending is not liable for tax or National Insurance contributions so it boosts the value of the vouchers by up to £933 a year – depending on how many you buy.

So, register now at www.V4M4U.co.uk with your employee number, child’s name and date of birth, as well as the address of your childcare provider. It’s that easy!

Act now to be exempt from legislation changes, meaning you’ll save less!

www.V4M4U.co.uk

Save up to £933 a year with

Sign up and you can even get double V4M4U discount at Mothercare, Toys R Us and Early Learning Centre.

One in a million!Hilary Salmons broke through the Hertel £1m barrier on V4M4U and won a brand new iPad!

Logging on to the site recently, Hilary took the total spend by Hertel employees to more than £1 million. An iPad was the prize for the lucky person who helped the company to reach the magic total.

Hilary is one of the many employees who save money by shopping through the V4M4U

website to earn cashback of between 5% and 20% on a range of items.

V4M4U is free to use for employees and gives discounts on items bought from more than 3,000 retailers including household names like Morrisons, B&Q, Argos, Boots and ASDA.

If you are not registered go to www.V4M4U.co.uk to reap the benefits of saving money on your everyday and special treat items.

Colour Sergeant Wayne Shiels will forever be part of history after he was chosen to be a member of the Bearer Party that lowered the body of King Richard III into his final resting place during his reinterment ceremony at Leicester Cathedral held in March.

Wayne has worked for Hertel in various roles before joining as a trainee scaffolder at the Total Lindsey Oil Refinery in January 2014.

He was selected to take part in the ceremony due to his involvement in the Army Reserve, where he is a member of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment.

The story of King Richard III attracted worldwide interest after his body was found in 2012 in the ruins of an old friary beneath a car park in Leicester. The King of England died aged 32 in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field – the last battle of the Wars of the Roses.

Wayne, who has been in the Army Reserve for 19 years, was one of six soldiers chosen to represent his regiment at the event, which is part of the Queen’s Division drawn from the areas who fought for the King before his death at the Battle of Bosworth.

The King was laid to rest in a specially-designed tomb in front of the cathedral altar by Wayne and the Bearer Party.

Wayne said: “It was a major honour to be chosen for this role at an event which had sparked international interest. Not everyone can say they have buried a King.”

Hertel’s Wayne provides Royal guard of honour

PEOPLE

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Giving all for charityCake bakes, dress downs and sparkly jumpers have been among the activities undertaken by staff in Middlesbrough and Preston Brook to raise over £1,000 for charity.A ‘Wear it Pink’ day saw Head Office blushing with colour as everyone was encouraged to come to work wearing an item of pink clothing. Together with a cake sale and a sweepstake to win one of 30 pink items, the day raised £125 for Breast Cancer Research.

As always, Children in Need showed how generous people can be when a dress-down day and cake sale was held in Middlesbrough on 14th November. The money raised was divided between Children in Need and Hertel’s corporate charity, Barnardo’s, which helps children in poverty, supports young carers and helps families looking to foster or adopt.

Children were also the theme of money raised for ‘Christmas Jumper Day’, held at Head Office and Preston Brook, where the best and worst of festive wear was on show!

Save the Children and Barnado’s shared the proceeds raised from a cake sale and a ‘guess the Christmas jumper’ sweepstake. Plus, more

than 50 toys were donated by staff at Preston Brook to the Liverpool Echo’s Toy Appeal in exchange for wearing a festive jumper.

Everyone at Head Office got behind the spirit of Red Nose Day. In the run up to the day at Head Office, 120 red noses were sold while the office bakers were keen and eager to enter the ‘Great Hertel Bake Off’.

It didn’t take much persuasion for volunteers to take on the role of Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood to taste the range of cakes and scones that had been entered. The winning baker was Tom Conroy, National HR Manager, with runners-up Purchase Ledger Clerk Martin Wallace and Darren Jackson, ICT Database Administration Manager.

In addition to the noses and cakes, a sweepstake and Easter egg raffle were held with the proceeds split between Red Nose Day, Barnardo’s and the local children’s hospice, Zoe’s Place.

CHARITY DONATIONSDonations totalling more than £7,000 have been made by the company so far in 2015. This money has been used to support various causes including:• Amlwch Town Football Club• Ynys Mon Island Games Association• Kells ARLFC• Red Nose Day• Saughall Rotary Club • Cancer Research• Wavertree Cricket Club• Macmillan Cancer Support• West Cumbria branch of Parkinson’s UK• Anglesey Island Games Team• Cumbria Community Foundation• Charity Duck Race in Aid of Armed Forces Day• Federation of Master Painters & Decorators Golf Society

CHARITY CORNER

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Seven charities have benefitted by more than £20,000 after delegates at the company conference in Leeds were set an Apprentice-style challenge to raise as much money as they could in two and a half hours.The Charity Leadership Challenge saw seven teams formed from the 70 delegates, who were provided with information about the charities, support materials, collection boxes, a laptop and an iPad.

After selecting a team leader, tasks were allocated and the fundraising began.

The different teams’ members agreed on various strategies to raise money, which included calling contacts and suppliers to pledge through to organising bag packing in a nearby supermarket.

Some even decided to take to the streets of Leeds with the collection boxes.

Throughout the task, representatives of the charities were available to offer help and advice.

The task ended with each team having to present on how they tackled the challenge and what they had learnt on a group and individual level.

When the totals were counted, the charities and amounts raised were:

Charity Amount raised at the challenge

Total amount raised at time of going to print

Alzheimer’s Society £1,175 £1,363.75

Barnardo’s £693 + £400 pledged £921.30

Emmaus – working to end homelessness £623 + £250 pledged £664.07 + £250 pledged

Epilepsy Action £759 + €11 £759 + €11

Scope – about disability £2,111 £2,111

Children’s Heart Surgery £2,100 £2,716.73

Leeds Children’s Charity £4,165 £4,885

Rising to the charity challenge

Pledges were still being received after the task finished and all the team members wish to pass on thanks to all those who supported them in their efforts.

The donations were supplemented by a decision by the Board to donate this year’s corporate charity fund of £7,000 to be split among the seven charities involved in the challenge.

The team fundraising on behalf of the Leeds Children’s Charity invited Dave Norman, its Charity Director to be part of their post-challenge presentation and to explain what the charity does, describe its activities and highlight how the money was likely to be used. He also thanked all the teams for their efforts as he knows how hard it is to fundraise.

David Massey, HR Director, said: “We decided to move away from the more traditional team-building exercise at this year’s conference and provide a new style of challenge, drawing upon their leadership, team and individual skills.

“A real desire and competitiveness emerged amongst the teams as they sought to raise the most money. It showed the

different team members the importance of leadership, planning and how to respond to unexpected situations, including rejection. More importantly, in this exercise some worthwhile causes benefitted, so making the exercise particularly worthwhile.”

Every pound which was raised this afternoon was a pound we didn’t have this morning.”– Gina Morrison, Volunteer Co-ordinator at Emmaus

Sites around the country have been setting new safety and incident-free milestones. To mark this success Hertel and the site owners have given the site teams donations for the charity of their choice.

Safety success

£1,000 donated to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, £500 each from Hertel and Total

“It shows how a team can work effectively together and we have every confidence that they can sustain this over the coming months and years!” – Jacques Beuckelaers, Total Lindsey Oil Refinery’s General Manager

Hertel Site Manager: David Ackroyd

Drax records 1 million Recordable Incident-Free hours

£1,000 donated to Cancer Research UK, £500 each from Hertel and Drax

“I am delighted that we are able to celebrate this landmark achievement, which is testament to an excellent working relationship that exists between Drax and Hertel.” – Peter Emery, Production Director at Drax

Hertel Site Operations Superintendent: Graham Little

Two years without incident at Total Lindsey Oil Refinery

These are fantastic achievements that have been made and testament to the efforts and commitments of all involved. The key challenge going forward is building upon these successes by constantly employing questioning mind-set to continue on our journey of Target Zero” – Chris Abbey, Head of HSEQ, UK & Ireland

SAFETY

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No Lost Time Incidents during Cogen shutdown at Dragon LNG

Wales Air Ambulance receives £500 from Dragon LNG awarded to Hertel

“Safety is at the core of everything we do. The incentive scheme is an important part of being able to demonstrate our commitment and dedication to reaching the highest safety standards.” – Mick Craik, Hertel’s General Manager

Hertel Site Manager: Jason Rowley

National Irish Safety Organisation bestows a Distinction Award on Hertel Ireland for its proactive approach to continual improvement “The award is independent recognition of the effective safety systems we have in place and the commitment shown by every employee, in creating and maintaining a safe working environment through continual improvement.” – Philip Purcell, Hertel Ireland’s HSEQ Manager

Cristal achieves two years incident-free

Macmillan Cancer Support receives £1,000, £500 each from Hertel and Cristal

“Safety is the number one priority at Cristal and to have our contractors with that primary focus is imperative to achieve our goal of demonstrating exemplary safety performance.” – Richard Worsley, Cristal

Hertel Site Manager: Andy Hindson

“The Concord Alliance have managed a challenging and varied workload over the past eight years, and have delivered this safely. This is testament to the team working within the Concord Alliance to ensure that best practices for all partners are leveraged throughout the organisation.” – Melanie Jury, Site Director, Lucite

Hertel Site Manager: Paul Raper (Concord Alliance Manager)

2.5 million hours achieved at Lucite without a Lost Time Incident

The site’s Concord Alliance partners donate £2,000, split between Butterwick House Children’s Hospice and Teesside Hospice. £500 donated from each of the Concord alliance partners, Hertel, Lucite, Parsons Brinkerhoff and Cordell

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Rewarding Positive InterventionThe vigilance and confidence to intervene by three painters prevented a potential incident at the Bellanaboy Gas Terminal in County Mayo, Ireland.

John Gaughan, Michael Cullotty and Paddy O’Donnell noticed pinholes on the welds of the emergency generator diesel tank after they had shot-blasted it to prepare the surface for a new paint coat system.

They stopped the works and reported their findings and concerns to the customer, who in due course carried out all relevant repairs to the tank.

Eddie Barrett, Hertel’s Site Manager, said: “For John, Michael and Paddy to raise their concerns shows that our workforce take great care and diligence in their work and also recognise the importance of protecting the environment. This intervention shows that their awareness goes further than just their own activities and demonstrated the positive chronic unease attitude of the workforce on site.”

In recognition of their actions, the site’s Project Managers, Jacobs Engineering, presented the team with a €25 voucher each.

In the picture of the voucher presentation are Andy Boyle, Site Safety Rep. and Painters John Gaughan and Michael Cullotty with Supervisor Paddy O’Donnell and Ray Carolan of Jacobs Engineering.

Hertel Ireland Target Zero and Chronic Unease ProgramAs Hertel Ireland reaches more than three years without a lost-time incident, Regional Director Pat O’Donnell and HSEQ Manager Philip Purcell undertook a major drive at the beginning of 2015 to meet with every employee to emphasise the importance of remaining vigilant in the workplace.

A series of presentations have been held across Ireland to remind the teams of how Hertel’s goal of ‘Target Zero’ should remain at the forefront of their minds in the working environment.

They have also introduced the concept of ‘Chronic Unease’, which encourages everyone to be continually questioning whether anything could go wrong and to take any necessary actions before an incident could occur.

Pat O’Donnell said: “I am proud of our safety achievement in Ireland and it is important that we continue to be vigilant and to consider

where dangers could be. The purpose of the seminars was to reaffirm the aims of Target Zero and to refresh minds as to why it is so important.”

Philip added: “We have a fantastic safety record, which is supported by the awarding of consecutive National Irish Safety Awards. There has been a positive feedback from our

seminars and everyone has committed to helping to maintain our safety standards.”

All employees in Ireland also received a jacket with the Target Zero logo that will act as a continuous reminder of the goal of no safety incidents.

SAFETY

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Harry and Martyn remove danger and benefit charityPotential danger was averted when two members of Hertel’s Exchanger team at Fawley took the initiative when they identified a hazard.

Harry Lovejoy and Martyn Orr were working on the Catalytic Cracker when they noticed a length of angle bar was hanging from the underside of the floor plates, where the bars act as supports, and was hanging just above their heads. It was the result of a partial weld failure and if it had fallen, it could have caused serious injury and/or damage to the process unit.

Thinking about their safety training and the LPS Tools at Fawley, they used the 3As process of Assess, Analyse and Act. Harry and Martyn immediately gained safe access to remove the angle bar completely, so eliminating the danger.

Their proactive intervention led to ExxonMobil selecting them as the recipients of Fawley’s Q4 site safety recognition, which led to them receiving £500 for the charity of their choice. They both selected Leukaemia Busters as both have had family and friends affected by the Illness.

Awards recognise safe practice

Hertel has been awarded an Order of Distinction for receiving 16 consecutive gold awards in the prestigious annual scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The Order of Distinction is given for demonstrating an overarching occupational health and safety management system, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

The awards are an important part of RoSPA’s mission to save lives and reduce injuries. They recognise a commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill-health prevention at work.

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s Awards Manager, said: “The RoSPA Awards encourage the raising of occupational health and safety standards across the board. Organisations such as Hertel that gain recognition for their health and safety management systems are contributing to a collective raising of the bar for other organisations to aspire to, and we offer them our congratulations.”

Chris Abbey, Head of HSEQ UK and Ireland, added: “I am delighted that we have been awarded the Order of Distinction by RoSPA for 16 consecutive gold awards. This is testament to our approach on all health and safety-related issues within Hertel that promotes the reporting of any issues, no matter how minor they are perceived, with a view to learning from experience to prevent injury or ill health.”

Hertel Ireland has also been recognised with a ‘Distinction Award’ from the National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) for its proactive approach and continual improvement of health and safety.

A Distinction Award recognises the safety and management systems that help to create the

safest possible working environment. It also considers the desire to continually improve.

NISO’s awards are an important part of its aim of promoting a culture of excellence in health and safety in workplaces throughout Ireland.

Philip Purcell, Hertel Ireland’s HSEQ Manager, collected the award on behalf of the company at a ceremony in Mullingar, Leinster.

He said: “I was honoured to be asked to accept the award. The NISO award is a truly independent assessment of the high safety standards we reach within the company and acknowledges the part everybody plays in creating a safe working environment for themselves and their colleagues.”

BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL ACCREDITATIONHertel has become an accredited training centre

for the British Safety Council which means that it will be able to offer formal health and safety qualifications.

The move will ensure that everyone within the business is suitably qualified to carry out their daily tasks and promote a positive safety culture.

It will also provide an objective way of checking and demonstrating the compliance of internal and external standards such as OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001.

Chris Abbey, Head of HSEQ UK and Ireland, said: “Being able to provide the qualifications will allow us to be more flexible in designing and implementing our training plans and ensure that we stay up to date with changes in legislation and best practice.

A range of courses including COSHH awareness, Risk Assessment, Manual Handling and Fire Risk Assessment will be among those on offer.

All the qualifications will be accredited by the UK Government’s Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) in its Qualifications and Credit Framework.

Further information will be published on the UK and Ireland HSEQ web page. For further details please contact Chris Abbey or Dave Berry.

Pictured left to right: Harry Lovejoy (Hertel) Dr Sopsamorn Flavell (Leukaemia Busters), Dr David Flavell (Leukaemia Busters) and Ricky Haysom (Hertel, standing in for Martyn Orr working night shift).

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Top of the league at Carrington CCGTThe team working at Carrington on the construction of the combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station since April 2014 has been winning plaudits from the customer for its proactive safety culture.In November, the team entered the site’s large contractors’ safety league which recognises the safest contractor on-site each month. Hertel won in its first month in the league and then again in January, March and April 2015, making four wins in the six months since entering.

Michael Williams, Hertel’s HSEQ Manager at Carrington CCGT, said: “The team on-site has really embraced the HSEQ culture and achieved a strong safety record. Everyone has been a magnificent ambassador for the company.”

Wayne Lowcock, Alstom’s Consortium Environment Health and Safety (EHS) Manager at Carrington CCGT, commended the team: “We were recently audited by the global EHS directors. As part of the audit process of the EHS Gas Awards, which Alstom has since gone on to win, Hertel site leads including management, HSEQ and supervisors were randomly

interviewed to check their support for EHS in the Carrington project.

“The full team from Hertel clearly demonstrated its own personal commitment and collectively represented Hertel in a very professional manner. It is a pleasure to work with such a professional and committed team as their behaviour clearly reflects the core principles of EHS within Alstom.”

A number of Hertel’s own initiatives such as the falling objects campaign, cycling safety and ‘my Daddy works here’ have been introduced at the site and have been so well received that they have been introduced site-wide by the customer.

Appreciation of the team’s approach to safety has been recognised with individual awards in the site’s monthly scheme to demonstrate a ‘Shared Vision’ at Carrington CCGT. The awards highlight those who have succeeded in making a ‘good catch’ and ‘going above and beyond’ what

is expected to prevent potential incidents.

Among the Hertel team there have been more than 10 ‘best catch’ wins where a £50 voucher is given for identifying potential hazards. A main monthly prize of a television is also offered for the best catch.

March’s winner of the best catch was Hertel scaffolder John Fergus, who identified a potential issue around a feed water pit where there was little fall protection. John’s suggestion has led to the area having a scaffold barrier erected on all sides of the pit to make it safe.

Since Hertel has been on the site, there have been more than 1,000 access solutions provided for Alstom and other members of the new build’s consortium including Dure Fulgera Energy, CB&I, Dornan, Peers, Severfield and FK Solutions.

Michael added: “We have built some great relationships and offered them practical solutions when access issues have arisen. This relationship is fundamental to preserving an excellent safety record for the whole site.”

SAFETY

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ASBESTOS LICENCE RENEWEDA three-year asbestos licence has been awarded to Hertel by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).The awarding of the licence is based on previous and current performance of work involving asbestos, which is monitored and inspected by the HSE and the Office for Nuclear Regulation. They also consider the company’s overall approach to health and safety in renewing the licence.

An important part of the process is a one-day interview undertaken by the HSE asbestos licensing principle inspectors with Hertel’s asbestos management team including Dave Fitzsimons, Managing Director, Steve Watkins,

UK and Ireland’s Asbestos Compliance Manager, Chris Abbey, Head of HSEQ, Dave Berry, HSEQ Manager and Phil Scott, Fiddlers Ferry Site Manager. This involves looking in depth at leadership, asbestos competence, procedures and employee involvement.

The HSE congratulated the team on its exceptional professional preparation, responses and performance at the interview.

Steve Watkins, UK and Ireland’s Asbestos Compliance Manager said:

“We have to meet very strict criteria to hold an asbestos licence and only 30% of contractors manage to achieve the full three-year term renewal. The fact we continue to be awarded a three-year licence demonstrates the great team effort by our site-based teams to maintain the rigorous standards we have to meet.”

“I would like to personally thank everyone involved in the asbestos teams for helping us in achieving the renewed licence.”

Leading scaffold workshopsSteve Ingle, UK and Ireland’s Access Compliance Manager, has been working with customer Magnox to deliver a series of ‘Working at Height’ workshops and training sessions covering scaffold awareness, design, preventing falls, risk assessment and rescue analysis.The request to join in promoting awareness of safe working practices saw sessions being held at Sizewell and Chapelcross with more than 160 Magnox staff attending.

Steve was part of the team during the creation of the Magnox Workshop joined by representatives from Magnox including Harbi Minhas, Head of Conventional Safety at Magnox and Pete Bulman, Head of Safety at Chapelcross.

In addition, the positive response to the workshops saw Steve being asked to deliver training sessions based on Hertel’s scaffold modules 1, 2, 6 and 9 across the sites including Sizewell, Hinkley Point A, Wylfa and Chapelcross.

Steve commented: “We work as part of a team on the Magnox sites and I was delighted to be able to share our knowledge and experience with their teams as it builds understanding of the hazards of working at height and further strengthens safe working practices.”

Feedback illustrates the value Magnox have obtained from Steve’s sessions.

Pam Duerden, Senior EHSS&Q Advisor at Magnox said: “Looking at the feedback, there are some real key messages coming out.”

Paul Roberts, Industrial Safety Advisor at Wylfa, added: “We all thought the training was really beneficial to us. The content was spot on and appropriate for the audience, where Steve was open to questions at all times.”

Summing up the benefits Dave Mattravers, the Magnox Construction Manager at Hinkley Point A, concluded: “The course was informative and timely. The lecturer had a great deal of knowledge in this area and presented it at a level even the novice understood. The change in standards will help to shape the way we deal with scaffold risk assessments and method statements at sites.”

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SUCCESS AT SELLAFIELD BUILT ON GREAT DELIVERYIn 1989 Hertel began work at Sellafield with just three men. Some 26 years later, that team has grown to 350 and there are even two of that original team still working there today.Potential opportunities had been identified at Sellafield by Peter Higham, who was then Hertel Project Director. He asked Dave Turner, then working on a project at Cerastar, to speak to engineers at Sellafield, who he knew through his previous role at Nadin’s, to see if there might be any opportunities for Hertel.

Dave remembers: “The contact I had with people that I knew started to bring results with small projects carrying out various insulation and cladding works.”

“It also meant that the first three Hertel employees at Sellafield could be taken on. Trevor Walker, Harry Oldfield and Tony Knight formed the foundation of the team we have at Sellafield today.”

Alan Gosling, now Regional Director for the North West, was working alongside Peter Higham as a Project Manager at the time: “I can recall us getting that first job, which was worth a couple of hundred pounds and having to arrange for some accommodation for Dave and the small team to work out of. It is amazing to look back to those days and see what our work has become.”

By 1992 there were more than 30 Hertel people working on the site.

Dave added: “The work continued to grow until there came a point in the early 1990s where we could see the opportunities for insulation work were starting to slow down. It was a chance to widen the services we offered and build upon our reputation for excellent delivery.”

“We gained work and, in doing so, Sellafield became the first site in the UK where Hertel offered multi-discipline services by initially offering scaffolding, painting and asbestos stripping. It was successful and we continue to offer those services.”

SELLAFIELD – MEET THE TEAM

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Among those brought in at the time for the scaffolding projects was Mick Nutt, who is now Site Manager at Capenhurst.

Around the site, Hertel was becoming a familiar sight and its offices – or rather portacabin – were initially behind the iconic dome of the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (WAGR) before being moved to an area known as Site 5, which is the area where Hertel is still based today.

The offices grew alongside the work and, looking back at those days, Dave smiles at the conditions they worked in: “When we put the cabins on the new area, we found that the ground wasn’t level. So when it rained, the slope meant that the water ran not only through the compound but the offices too!”

“We also didn’t have a toilet, so when anyone wanted to go, we had to go over to the main offices and ask if we could use them! When I think about it now, it seems mad, but at the time we just got on with it.”

As the business continued to grow, so did the number of cabins and, much to the relief of the team, a dedicated Hertel toilet arrived!

By 1996, Hertel was well established at Sellafield and the team had grown to more than 100.

“We were really expanding and had shown ourselves to be a company that could deliver a quality service. This was supported by the fact people were seeking us out to help with jobs. Our success was underpinned by winning a term-contract for scaffolding and cladding. That gave us the real foundation to move forward,” added Dave.

Contracts were also being won that helped to develop Hertel’s capabilities at Sellafield. These included projects such as the commissioning of the Community Heating Plant in the late 1990s, where Dave and the team secured the contract to provide all the plant’s mechanical, insulation and painting services during the start-up phase. The work meant that the team grew to more than 200 on the site.

Hertel’s position at Sellafield took a step change when it was awarded two major site contracts; the Decommissioning Framework Agreement (DFA) and the first Multi-Discipline Site Works (MDSW1) contract in 2007.

Alan Blackwood, Site Manager, said: “Securing the Sellafield contract for an initial four years was a confirmation that we were seen as a company to deliver.”

At the same time, there was a project to remove asbestos from Calder Hall, the former power station on the site. This would become the largest asbestos removal project seen

in Europe at the time, with more than 2,000 tonnes of waste being removed from the station and its turbine halls. This success would lead to the work to remove the top ducts of the heat exchangers at Calder Hall, a project that will run until 2016 (awarded under the DFA).

Alan added: “We were working on landmark projects, often involving the need to be innovative as it was the first time work of the kind was being done anywhere. It was valuable to be able to draw upon our 20 years’ experience on the site to ensure that we continued to deliver for Sellafield Limited.”

In 2011/12, both of these contracts were rebid under European procurement rules and again we were successful in both.

An important process born from our successes has been the constant review of the way work is carried out and whether savings can be made for the customer by introducing greater efficiencies in the way things are done.

Brian Raby, Regional Director Cumbria, has led one such initiative: “With about 18 months of the MDSW 1 contract remaining, it was clear that the framework was not functioning as well as it could have been. We took the decision to hold a series of collaborative workshops with Sellafield Limited and the other MDSW delivery partners, Shepleys and Amec.

“There were some open and honest discussions which led to the agreement on some initiatives to enhance the group’s performance to help deliver efficiencies and cost savings to the contract.

“This approach broke down significant barriers resulting in collaborative improvements, work planning and the management of resources which have ultimately benefited the customer. During the remainder of the MDSW 1 contract, this collaborative work led to a collective saving for Sellafield Limited of in excess of £1.8 million. By applying it to MDSW 2 as well, a total of £4.6m, fully verified by Sellafield Limited, has now been saved.”

Hertel as a company is always looking to improve and grow the services offered to customers. Earlier this year we brought mechanical activities in-house rather than sub-contracting, by transferring 34 staff from our suppliers Redhall. This has given greater control of the mechanical discipline.

Lance Geldert, Assistant Site Manager, also sees the new offices, which opened at the end of 2014, providing benefits: “The new offices brought the administration and support

services teams together in one place. No longer were they in several sites across the Sellafield complex. In itself this makes us more efficient, so ultimately benefiting the client.”

What also helps to mark Hertel out at Sellafield is the number of employees who have stayed with the company. Not only are members of the original team, Trevor Walker and Tony Knight, still there, many have been there for anything up to 20 years. There are those who joined as apprentices and have moved through different roles from charge hands to supervisors and other management positions.

This is a reflection of Hertel’s belief in developing its own talent and providing the opportunities for those who want to build their careers. It also gives benefits to Sellafield as there is knowledge of the site and its buildings within the team, possibly unrivalled, which has enabled Hertel to be viewed as a valued delivery partner.

As the Regional Director, Brian believes that providing opportunities for personal and professional development is important, “We have plans in place to ensure that the success built up across the site continues. Good people are needed to help us grow and some of those who have contributed to the success will not be here for ever and will one day retire. We have to fill those gaps with quality people who understand what our company is about and about the needs of Sellafield.”

“We also have a strong and effective apprenticeship scheme in place, so that we have a supply of the right skills, and we work closely with the local authorities and Sellafield to find local people who can fill those gaps.”

Alan adds, “An important part of the growth in employee numbers has been the move away, wherever possible, from taking on agency workers. It enables us to provide an awareness of what is needed so that we can deliver the best possible services.

“There are also implications for our safety record as employees understand the standards to which we must work to ensure a safe working environment for all.”

This experience gained at Sellafield has benefited the business, leading to not only having a strong presence in Cumbria but also knowledge that has helped Hertel win contracts at nuclear sites across the country.

Hertel has come a long way at Sellafield since the first project 26 years ago.

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The growth in work at Sellafield has been created by having a ‘can do’ attitude and great team work. One thing that stands out is the length of time that some of the team have been working at the site.

Here we meet some of the members of that vast team who all show a real commitment to Hertel and to providing the best services and solutions to the customer.

Dave Turner Retired Site Manager

Dave will be familiar to many and is considered to be ’Mr Sellafield’, having played a key role in developing the business at the site.

He officially retired seven years ago but with the site in his blood, he currently works as a consultant for Hertel.

Mick Pearce ScaffolderMick began working for Hertel in 1994 as a scaffolder after serving an apprenticeship with Balfour Beatty Fairclough.

It has been interesting for him to see how the company has developed and widen the services it offers. During his time with the company, he has also had the chance to work on projects at Chapelcross.

However, he believes Hertel maintains a good and friendly feel despite having grown substantially since he joined. Mick sees that community is continued off-site, with most people living locally and being actively involved in local clubs and sport.

Among the changes he has seen, is the greater emphasis on safety. He believes that the fact there is a strong community feel on-site has benefits for safety as friends look out for each other.

Trevor Walker Asbestos Supervisor

Trevor was at Sellafield when it all began for Hertel. He was one of the first three employees back in 1989.

He originally had a 12-month contract as a labourer, before becoming a permanent member of the team and starting to work with cladding and roofing. Later on he would move to working with asbestos and is today an Asbestos Supervisor. He has worked on some of the biggest projects on the site such as the stripping of Calder Hall and its turbine halls.

During the 26 years Trevor has been working on the site, he has got to know many people; not only colleagues at Hertel but also people working for Sellafield and other contractors. Many have become personal friends both on and off the site.

Lance Geldert Assistant Site Manager

Lance came to Sellafield as a scaffolder for a six-week contract and has ended up staying for 18 years.

He originally came to work on the Community Heating Plant project Hertel was working on, before being taken on permanently. His initial contact with the site came through his friend Steve Ingle, UK & Ireland Access Compliance Manager. During the time he has been with the company, he has held a number of positions including scaffold charge hand, supervisor and senior supervisor before being appointed as Assistant Site Manager five years ago.

As Lance says, he “loves it” at Sellafield. Up until this year he drove the 60-mile, hour and a half journey every day from Morecambe to the site. He has now relocated his family to the local area.

Alan Blackwood Site Manager

Coming across to Sellafield six years ago, Alan joined the team after having worked for Hertel Technical Services at Wilton in 2008.

He was asked by Ian Dalgarno and Brian Raby to take on the challenge of moving the work at Sellafield to the next stage.

Alan had extensive experience of working in the mechanical sector prior to joining Hertel.

An important part of Alan’s role at Sellafield has been to develop the collaborative working approach that is in place with Amec and Shepley and has proved to be beneficial for the MDSW2 framework contract.

He also sees the collaborative approach within the team at Hertel as the foundation of the success at Sellafield.

SELLAFIELD – MEET THE TEAM

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Danny Parker Painting Charge HandFor Danny, working at Sellafield is a real family affair. He joined Hertel 22 years ago as a painter and shot blaster and is now a Painting Charge Hand. His son Danny Junior, a scaffolder, joined the business 10 years ago and his younger son Jason has been a labourer for three years.

Danny leads the painting team on B38, a building he says that is like the Forth Road Bridge, requiring the continual love and attention of a paint brush.

He is always delighted when colleagues draw on his experience from his time on the site and with the company.

Kevin Law HSEQ ManagerA deep-seated interest in safety has driven Kevin’s career since he started with Hertel as an apprentice Thermal Insulation Engineer in 2000. His enthusiasm to discover more saw him pay for his own NEBOSH qualification so he understood more about the subject.

Hertel picked up on this interest and he was offered the chance in 2006 to become a Safety Advisor.

In 2012 he was promoted to the position of HSEQ Manager for the whole site, where he now has responsibility for a team of HSEQ

Advisors, Dose Manager, SSOW Engineers and the recently appointed Lead Investigator, Daniel Roberts. This role involves looking into all incidents, no matter how minor, to understand why they have occurred and what can be done to prevent them in future.

In his time with Hertel, Kevin has noticed the increasing importance of safety at Sellafield, for the customer as well as Hertel. This is supported by the Target Zero initiative that has seen more than three and a half million hours completed without an incident, which is testament to the approach taken by all employees on the site.

Having seen a growth in the Hertel team from around 80 to more than 500 at busy times, he is proud that the company is now seen as one of the main contractors on the site.

Brian Raby Regional Director, CumbriaBrian has been with the company for 22 years and is a familiar face to many throughout the country, having been involved in many of the sites where Hertel works.

He took up his latest role as Regional Director earlier this year, having worked with the team in Cumbria for the last six years.

Steven Cowell Scaffold Project Co-ordinator

No two days are the same for Steven as he undertakes his role as a Scaffold Project Co-ordinator.

He joined as a scaffolder in 2006, having been on Sellafield since he was 16, starting as a Chain Boy for Balfour Beaty. He eventually moved on to scaffolding and worked his way up to his current role.

Steven is responsible for scaffold projects across the Sellafield site as well as the contract at nearby Eastman Chemicals. He is involved in working with customers to identify possible work, tendering and pricing new jobs, which includes painting, allocating work teams for secured work and liaising with the scaffold design team.

For Steven, one of the most interesting aspects of his work is the ability to be involved in complicated scaffolding work, some of which meets challenges not seen anywhere else.

Adrian Norendal Projects Control Manager

Adrian sees himself as the ‘new kid on the block’, having been with Hertel since 2010. He was previously the client when he was working

at the now defunct UK Atomic Energy Authority with work at the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (WAGR).

Since joining Hertel, he has been involved in co-ordinating various projects that present unique challenges in high radiation and contamination areas and often involve multiple contractors. He is now responsible for the work on the building B30 and has recently led on the Magnox sludge removal projects.

Glen Slee Operations Manager

Glen has been working at Sellafield for just over 10 years, having joined as a Mechanical Fitter and worked in various roles including Team Leader and Project Management roles, before taking up his current role. He is always grateful for the support that Dave Turner offered him in his early days.

Having seen the company’s role grow at the site, he sees the pride and determination the team has to deliver, sometimes against the odds, whilst working on some of the most hazardous projects seen at Sellafield.

When he started, there were just three Project Engineers on the site; now there are 30. He sees that as a statement of intent to continue to grow and also a reflection that Hertel is now seen as more than just providing scaffolding and painting, and now includes mechanical services.

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IAN DALGARNO, REGIONAL DIRECTOR – NORTH EASTIan joined the company for two weeks and is still going strong 38 years later.

Initially he worked as a draftsman on the construction of a facility for Monsanto, now Ineos, at Seal Sands.

Ian said: “I was in between jobs as I waited for a visa to come through for a job I had lined up in Libya. Taking the job seemed to be the perfect way to tide me over. I can still vividly remember working out of a caravan that was parked up on Skippers Lane.

“It was a time when there were many projects in Teesside, and Hertel, then two years old, was growing rapidly as it was successful in securing new work to support the build programmes being undertaken in the process industries.

“At the same time there were other projects coming on stream such as Conoco Phillips and BASF, as well as expansion by British Steel and ICI at Wilton. It seemed that Hertel kept winning new work and my contract kept getting extended.”

With his trip to Libya out of the window, Ian was becoming an important member of the Hertel team as the business developed and he was appointed as a Project Manager in 1983. By 1986 he had become the Area Manager for Middlesbrough and then became North East Regional Manager in 1990 before moving to his current role as Regional Director – North East in 1997.

Ian has witnessed Hertel’s growth and development and remains the longest-serving employee in the business.

“It was under the guidance of the Managing Director at the time, John Burt, that the business went from strength to strength. He had launched the UK company and had the insight to see that to continue our success we needed to be more than just an insulation company.

“In the early 1980s he saw a gap in the market to introduce multi-discipline services. John had seen companies offshore use one supplier with a multi-skilled workforce to provide services. He could see no reason why that couldn’t be done on-shore.

Customers saw the benefit of having one contractor covering a number of disciplines

and jobs as it increased efficiency and reduced the resources needed to manage jobs. The first new services offered were scaffolding and access services followed by painting.

The success of this approach led Hertel to invest in workshop and office space with a move in 1993 to Sotherby Road. Within two years there was a search for further premises as new business meant the space was filled.

Expansion outside the North East also came with this new direction, with facilities being opened in Warrington, Hereford, South Wales and London.

“It was a great time and we had built a team who all pulled together and really delivered for customers. John Burt was helping to drive that success and to everyone in the company he was very fair, although he wasn’t afraid to tell you when he felt you were wrong!

“The company was growing quickly but John saw the importance of offering people opportunities for personal development and learning so that they could grow with the company. That ethos still exists today and I have seen many people come into the business and grow and develop from apprentices through to holding management positions. I believe it is this support which encourages people to stay and build a career. More importantly, it gives stability to the company, which the customers appreciate.”

Ian is also a well-known figure within the industry in the North East and is committed to supporting the region and its process industries. He is actively involved with industry bodies, such as NEPIC. Over the years he has sat on and chaired various committees, most recently as Chair of the Client Contracts committee.

He is also an active member of the Tees Valley Engineering Partnership, which looks to attract new business to the area and promotes training and apprenticeships across industries to secure skills. He was also a Director and was President for two years of the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA).

During his time with Hertel, Ian has also been a believer in ensuring that Hertel, wherever possible, sources its own supply chain from

local companies. This has provided a boost to many and has allowed them to grow to become trusted suppliers to the process industries.

Ian’s belief in the region doesn’t only involve promoting its industry and skills, he supports the community. He was elected as a Councillor to Stockton Borough Council and Thornaby Town Council. He was also Mayor of Thornaby for three years and has most recently been the Deputy Mayor. Following the last election, he was re-elected as Mayor of Stockton, a role he took up on 3rd June and will hold for a year. Most recently he has been campaigning to raise funds to restore Thornaby Town Hall to become a community asset.

As Hertel UK and Ireland marks its 40th anniversary, Ian, who has been with the company for all but the first two years, has seen many changes and is proud to have been involved in helping to develop the business.

“We grew quickly and what was important was being able to make that sustainable. To do that we brought in good people who understood what Hertel is about. The initial drive and success came from John Burt, who was an outstanding man with drive, ambition and a business acumen that has instilled much of the culture and approach we still have in the business today.

The support Ian has offered to many within the business is also greatly appreciated. One colleague who has worked with Ian for more than 20 years sums him up: “Ian always has an ‘open door’ ready to give advice, a helping hand and support to colleagues as they develop their careers.”

Think how different things might have been if Ian had taken that flight to Libya.

Here we meet some of the longest-serving employees discussing how they have seen the company develop over its 40 years and revealing some long-forgotten secrets.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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PAUDIE SOMERS, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR – UK AND IRELANDPaudie was number three on the payroll in Ireland. He joined the company in 2002, just a couple of months after the business had opened in Ireland. The first two on that payroll, Paul Ryan and Helen O’Sullivan, are also still with the company.

“When I joined Hertel, it was just a small office in Foynes. Things were just getting off the ground, having secured the maintenance contract at Aughinish Alumina that gave us a great anchor for the business. The great thing is we are still there today, and with a lot of commitment and long hours by everyone in the team we are continuing to grow.

The business has continued to expand and a major step forward was made when the contract for Conoco Phillips in Cork was awarded around late 2003, “That moved us down to Cork, which is a difficult market to break in to. We also secured a significant project with ESB in 2005, which is now one of our major customers since we more recently secured the maintenance contracts with the

Electricity Supply Board at its Moneypoint power station.

“It was around this time that Pat O’Donnell also came into the business and of course he has become Regional Director for Ireland.”

Paudie believes the reputation that Hertel had on Stanlow was a major contributory factor in winning work on the new build Shell Corib gas project.

“The business in Ireland has grown and a milestone was marked at the end of last year when we moved into new offices in Foynes. This will enable us to continue to expand. We were ready for the move as we had outgrown our original office which had arrived on the back of a series of trucks one Tuesday afternoon, having been released by Sellafield!

“Although I have become more involved in the UK business, I am still actively involved in Ireland and pleased to say that I still know most of those who work for us.

“When the business first started, we had a lot of help from the UK business and owe them a great deal for the support they offered us. Initially we probably had a staff that was 80% UK nationals and now that has turned around with over 95% being Irish nationals.

”The business is well-established and is also playing its role in helping develop the insulation trade by setting up apprenticeships and increasing the standard of scaffolding training. This will help to play a part in raising overall industry standards.”

LEN WALKINGTON, UK PURCHASING MANAGER – MIDDLESBROUGHLen joined the business in January 1992, having been enthused by the vision for the company laid out to him by John Burt, the then Managing Director.

He joined the business when it was based in offices on Wallis Road at Skippers Lane. When the move to Sotherby Road happened it was a return to familiar premises as he had worked for the company which had owned the site prior to joining Hertel and he even played a role in the deal to acquire the premises!

“It was different from what I was used to,” said Len. “The people were dynamic and very busy. There was no real hierarchy; you got on and did your job, looked after each other and developed the company. Of course, we had to put in place more procedures and structures as we grew, but it was a great time and an experience.

“The company may be a lot larger now but we still all look out for each other and it is still an enjoyment to come to work.”

Len also stands as being recognised as the first editor of the Hertel Herald because, as he says: “I was probably the one daft enough not to realise you never volunteer! It focused on people and had some in-house jokes, and was received really well. It has continued to develop and evolve with some great information in there.”

Recognising the importance that the company has had in his life, Len added: “I have met some fantastic people and I owe it all to John Burt who was the founding MD. The company has grown and people in the company have been allowed to grow.

“What I find fascinating is that there are some people who have 25 years or more service and they are still young. There has always been the opportunity for people to develop and you don’t stay with a company that long unless you enjoy it and get something out of it.

In summing up, Len said: “I think Hertel has been fantastic for me and my family. I also think it has been a brilliant company to work for and to be involved with. It has contributed to the local economy, not just in Teesside but throughout the UK.”

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY HERTEL UK & IRELAND

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ALAN GOSLING, REGIONAL DIRECTOR – WEST AND NORTH WALESAlan joined Hertel 27 years ago as a Project Manager at Stanlow, having previously gained experience with both Kitsons and Joseph Nadin.

After completion of the Gas Tails and HFA Projects he became Regional Manager for the North West, along with various national sites following the closure of the Goole Office.

One of the first new contracts won was a job worth just a couple of hundred pounds,

at Sellafield and it makes him appreciate what has been achieved when he sees the good work done, over the years by many people, to what it has become today.

He became a Regional Director in 2009 and he says that brings with it a responsibility for everything ‘from cradle to grave’ on every aspect of the works.

As the company has grown, he feels the supportive culture that exists, coupled with

the experience of people within Hertel hasn’t changed and he sees it as evolving from the fact the business started as a family company, with that ethos remaining today.

IAN FRASER, SITE OPERATIONS MANAGER – WYLFAIan joined in 1980 and worked in a small portacabin at Hardwick Grange, Warrington, where he shared two desks and a telephone with Ron Whitehead.

“The office was next to the small fabrication shop we had.

Whenever the telephone rang, I had to get Ron to go and tell the fabrication shop

to stop banging so I could hear the caller!”

Ian has plenty of stories about his 35 years with Hertel. One story that sticks in his mind is the tale of Christmas turkeys.

“Everyone used to be given a turkey at Christmas before we had the voucher scheme. The office would order the turkeys and we would drive around and drop them off at every site.”

“At the time we had a Sales Director called Ken Jones who wasn’t particularly happy about

getting a frozen turkey. Alan Gosling, who was working with us at the time and feeling a little mischievous, got hold of a real live turkey and put it in Ken’s office while he was out.”

“When he came in, he was greeted with real mayhem and mess caused by the turkey. It ended up with Ken having to take the turkey to a farm to meet its natural fate as he didn’t have the heart to do it himself. He’d got rather attached!”

RON WHITEHEAD, LEAD ESTIMATOR – PRESTON BROOK OFFICERon joined the company in 1980, then a fledgling team in the North West, when he was appointed by George Whitelaw, who was heading up the company’s move into the North West.

The first North West offices were at Hardwick Grange in Warrington, close to the M6. In the following years, an increasing number of contracts were won that were serviced out of the office. These included Shell Carrington, ICI Runcorn and Huddersfield, and a number of projects at Stanlow.

“By late 1984 the order book was looking strong and George left the business to be replaced by Bert Waters, a Project Manager from Middlesbrough who came across to the North West. He brought with him a lot of experience gained from having worked with John Burt in the past.

“We also had started to secure maintenance contracts at ICI Runcorn and at Stanlow, which helped to push us forward. Things changed for the business in 1989 when Hertel took over work from Joseph Nadin’s, which enabled us to extend beyond our insulation services,

which led to an increasing turnover.”

During his time with the company, there are not many projects or contracts that Ron has not been involved in: “Over the years I have got to know so many people in all areas of the business. I have also seen many changes and it is pleasing to see how the company has grown and developed since those early days in Warrington.”

If you have enjoyed this article, you can watch the live interviews at https://youtu.be/5Y82wvPj5VU

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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HSEQ MOVESA shuffle of the HSEQ department sees two new faces join the team.

Liam Morrison is the new Regional HSEQ Manager for the South and South Wales. He joined the company in 2009 as a HSEQ advisor at Valero, formerly

Chevron, in Pembroke. Most recently he has been Fire and Safety Coordinator at Valero, responsible for civils, fireguards and stand-by men.

In addition to Valero, Liam will also cover Stanlow, Fawley, Dungeness, Hinkley Point and Dragon LNG.

Diane Bainbridge becomes the new Regional HSEQ Manager for the North East and Cumbria, based in Middlesbrough.

Diane has a wealth of experience, having previously worked for Clyde Bergeman Power Group where she was UK HSE Manager covering material handling operations, air pollution control operations and engineering workshops operations within the power, cement, and steel industries, both in the UK and Europe. In her new role, Diane will be covering 14 sites across the North East and Cumbria.

John retires at 71!John Lowther has set his final base plate and laid his last batten, having retired after 54 years as a scaffolder.

John was an Advanced Scaffolder at the Drax Power station, where he has worked since the mid- 1990s. He joined Hertel when the company took over the SIP maintenance contract at the power station in 2011.

During his career, John gained more than 30 years’ experience working on power stations, including Eggborough and Ferrybridge, before joining the maintenance team at Drax. He was a trusted member of the turbine shutdown team where his knowledge and experience will be missed.

New Group ICT ManagerMarcus Spence has taken up the role of Group ICT Manager overseeing the Group’s global IT infrastructure and applications.

Marcus manages the Group’s Middlesbrough-based 14-strong ICT team, and is also responsible for a team member in Belgium and six UK regional staff servicing various sites. He also works closely with regional IT teams around the world to ensure they have the support they need.

An important part of his job is to undertake regular trips to Europe to see key stakeholders and to meet with the Board so he understands the challenges within the business for IT applications. He also visits operational sites to understand their needs.

Marcus was previously with Hargreaves Ltd.

Directors appointed for business growth

Dave McLoughlin becomes Business Improvement Director for Hertel UK, with a focus on the management of innovation and improvement of new and existing contracts.

Dave joined the company 34 years ago as a Thermal Insulation Apprentice. Since serving his time he has worked on various projects across Teesside and became a Supervisor for turnarounds for customers including BASF and Ineos. He later worked as a Site Manager before being appointed as a Regional Manager in 2008 and then became a Regional Director for the East region in 2009.

John Potts takes on the position of Regional Operations Director, with responsibility for Humberside, Anglia and Scotland. He is returning to the company having worked in both the UK and the Middle East. A particular focus for John will be to develop Hertel’s presence in Scotland.

Brian Raby has taken up the role of Regional Director for Cumbria. Brian has been with Hertel for 22 years and was previously Regional Manager Cumbria.

During his time with the company, Brian has been involved with sites in the North East, Humberside and the South East. He has responsibility for the day-to-day management and delivery of services to customers in Cumbria.

Pat O’Donnell has become Regional Director of Ireland, with responsibility for the company’s commercial and HSEQ performance. Pat joined Hertel as Site Manager in January 2005 and worked on various projects before becoming Operations Manager in 2011.

Pat began his career in the Industrial Mechanical Industry gaining experience both in Ireland and Australia over 17 years.

All report to Operations Director Paudie Somers.

Commenting on the new appointments, Paudie said: “We see these appointments as a reflection of their excellent work in recent years in developing their respective areas of the business. I am sure we will also benefit from John’s experience of the market.”

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

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Long Service Awards25 yearsIan Fraser Site Manager WylfaMark Dalgarno Asbestos Projects

ManagerDavid Hall Finance Director

12½ yearsPauline Galyer PA to DirectorsPaula Pattison Senior Commercial

ManagerPadraig Somers Operations DirectorMichael Taggart ICT Project ManagerAlan Robinson SupervisorRobert Thompson Senior Scaffold

Supervisor

In every issue of the Hertel Herald we mark the milestones for some of our longest serving staff by highlighting those that have reached 25 years and 12½ years of service, as well as welcoming new starters. In this special issue marking Hertel UK & Ireland’s 40th anniversary we also congratulate our longest serving employees in the UK and Ireland.

Longest serving employeesUKIan Dalgarno Regional Director

North EastJames Hughes CoordinatorNeil Beddows Site Coordinator StanlowRonald Whitehead Lead EstimatorDavid McLoughlin Business Improvement

DirectorStephen Raper Insulation Contracts

ManagerMalcolm Cornforth Staff SupervisorPeter McDonough SupervisorJohn Graham Fabrication Sotherby

RoadGlenn Thompson Operations

SuperintendentRichard Dugard Total Lindsey Oil RefineryMichael Fryatt Kings LynnPeter Gleeson StanlowKeith Griffiths Conoco Phillips,

Seal SandsChristopher Guffick

Conoco Phillips, Seal Sands

Charles Kennerley StanlowIan Muldoon StanlowWilliam Ross Sotherby Road,

MiddlesbroughRobert Ross Conoco Phillips,

Seal SandsRichard Taylor Stanlow

New startersChapelcrossAmanda Douglas AdministratorJeffrey Blair EngineerJill Walker AdministratorDouglas Irvine Engineer

Conoco PhillipsAnthony Moffitt Quantity Surveyor

Cristal StallingboroughHollie Keaney Administrator

Fiddlers FerryTerence Knight Commercial & Technical

ManagerLouisa Annett Administration ManagerDerek Mullarkey Site Operations ManagerStephen Harris WPP Operator

GrimsbyJohn Potts Regional Director

New startersKings LynnSusannah Naylor Administrator

MiddlesbroughKiran Sharma ManagerWarren Mayers EngineerDiane Bainbridge ManagerAndrew Brass EngineerMarcus Spence ManagerNathan Taylor AnalystKirsty Gillespie Controller

Preston Brook Stephen Stewart EstimatorJennifer Hazlewood

Coordinator

Kenneth Boyd EstimatorJeffery Lewis Manager

SellafieldDominic Park PlannerMark Giel TraineeDaniel Roberts HSEQ AdvisorKelly McMinn AdministratorLinda Duncan EngineerFrances Bailey Cost Engineer AssistantMatthew Bruce EngineerAndrew Scott ManagerBeverley Geldert CoordinatorDavid Garrett PlannerLaurence Woods EngineerPeter Leather InspectorJanice Caunce ControllerStephen Fee PlannerLeanne Hambling ControllerIain Strong EngineerLisa Egan ControllerKate Postlethwaite

Planner

Anthony O’Malley EngineerMichael Brown Advisor

SizewellAshley Notman Manager

Longest serving employeesIrelandPaul Ryan Project ManagerHelen O’Sullivan Safety OfficerMairead Kiely Accounts AssistantPadraig Somers Operations DirectorEdward Mulvihill Site Manager, AughinishAnn Behan Assistant AccountantSeamus Murphy Financial ControllerShane Tierney Painting SupervisorPat O’Donnell Regional Director IrelandJohn Spillane QAOliver Maloney AughinishMick Ball WyethTom Kennelly AughinishLiam Sweeney AughinishMichael McMahon AughinishTom Fitzmaurice AughinishPatrick Franklin AughinishNed Enright AughinishKieran Ryan AughinishSean Fennell Moneypoint

LONG SERVICE AND NEW STARTERS

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There have been a number of changes within the business – new jobs, new joiners and qualification successes.

It has been a busy time for new appointments in the commercial team with Graeme Wilson becoming Regional Commercial Manager for Cumbria. Graeme was previously Site Commercial Manager

for Sellafield and Site Commercial Manager at Lindsey Oil Refinery.

Kiran Sharma joins the contracts and commercial team as Commercial Manager. He arrives at Hertel with more than eight years’ experience working with companies such as Turner & Townsend, the

Ministry of Defence and, most recently, Faithful + Gould, where he spent 18 months seconded to Total in Aberdeen.

At Sellafield, David Lloyd has joined as Commercial Manager for MSSS. David has extensive experience working on the Sellafield site, the most recent being with Amec.

The commercial team has also had some notable successes.

Danny Locklan, Commercial Manager at Head Office, has been awarded, after almost three years of part-time study, an MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution from Leeds Beckett University.

The knowledge Danny has gained through the qualification will benefit the business during contract reviews pre contract and any post contract claims. Not one to sit around, Danny has at the same time gained a Level 1 certificate in football coaching!

There are apprentices working in all areas of the business and Paige Brundall has successfully completed her Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Business Administration as well as finishing her two-year

apprenticeship programme. This has led to a permanent contract as a Contracts and Commercial Administrator at Head Office.

David Wood and Josh Worton both gained their BSc in Quantity Surveying at Northumbria University which led to new roles for them within the business.

David is now a Quantity Surveyor for the multi-discipline contract at the Drax Power Station. David originally joined Hertel in 2014 on a part-time basis while he completed his final-year studies.

Josh, who has been with Hertel since 2013, has now taken up commercial responsibility as Quantity Surveyor at the Total Lindsey Oil Refinery. He had previously worked

on various projects around Teesside and at Dungeness.

David and Josh are following in the footsteps of Neil Ackroyd and Jonathan Fox, who also achieved company-sponsored degrees in Quantity Surveying and are now Regional Commercial Managers in Teesside and the East respectively.

Paula Pattison, Senior Commercial Manager, said: “The company is committed to giving employees the opportunity to develop and fulfil their potential, through a structured training programme, offering them a defined career path. Congratulations to each and every one who has successfully completed training courses and progressed on their own individual journey”.

There are also some new faces in the Mechanical department.

Ian Wilcox has moved back into the business to be Regional Commercial Manager for Mechanical. Previously Ian had been working within the central commercial team at Head Office.

Nick Kavanagh becomes Operations Manager for the North West, previously the North West Regional Commercial & Contracts Manager. His role will be to expand the opportunities for the mechanical operations in the region.

A number of promotions have also been made in the HR team.

Gary Devine and David Laggan have been promoted to Regional HR Managers.

Gary, who joined the company in 2010, takes on responsibility for Mechanical, Stanlow and the East and Humber regions, while David, who has been with the company since 2009, will be working in the North East, Cumbria and Scotland regions.

After completing evening study to gain professional qualifications, Jamie Jewson moves from his role supporting the HR team across the UK to a HR Advisor role where he will report to Gary.

Alice Cleasby has been appointed as Administration Assistant in the team after successfully completing an Administration Apprenticeship.

Moving places, changing faces, celebrated successes

The company is committed to giving employees the opportunity to develop and fulfil their potential, through a structured training programme, offering them a defined career path.Congratulations to each and every one who has successfully completed training courses and progressed on their own individual journey.

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Sellafield success!

Apprenticeships are an important part of Hertel’s work at Sellafield.

Four apprentices are the latest to successfully complete their apprenticeships at Sellafield. During their training they all completed a mixture of work-based experience and block release at college.

Adam Roberts has gained an NVQ Level 2 in Thermal Insulation. His training was supported

by a block release programme to attend the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) training centre in Darlington.

Three scaffolding apprentices, Calum Gearing, Robson Todd and Lewis Newton, achieved the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) NVQ Level 2. They were also involved in a block release to T2000’s construction

industry training centre in Blackburn.

Alan McCluskey, Hertel’s Learning and Development Advisor, said: “We are always pleased to see our apprentices complete their programme and achieve the qualifications. The scheme is an important part of the work we do at Sellafield as it ensures that we have the right skills available to be able to fulfil the needs of the contract now, and in the future.”

Apprenticeships meet Ireland’s needsWorking with the training body FAS – the Irish National Training and Employment Authority – Donna Hanlon, Senior HR Advisor for Hertel Ireland advised that Hertel has had a significant role in helping establish the Industrial Insulation Apprenticeship which was first introduced nationwide in 2007.Previously, the focus of the apprenticeship available in Ireland was for sheet metal work and cladding, which did not meet the needs for the business.

Donna said: “Hertel (Ireland) Ltd saw the first group of apprentices join the Industrial Insulation Apprenticeship Programme in 2008 which was better designed to suit the Industrial Insulation services sector. We have had difficulty in the past finding enough

people with the right skills, particularly when resourcing for turnarounds. It has been interesting to see that through this apprenticeship, Industrial Thermal Insulation Engineering is now a recognised trade in Ireland”.

The current programme consists of five alternating phases of on-the-job and off-the-job training and development over a minimum four-year period.

The success of the apprenticeship scheme has seen many of the former apprentices move through the business and become Supervisors on various sites.

Currently, Raymond Lynch, Stephen Sheehan and Damien Sexton are completing the second year of their apprenticeship in Industrial Insulation, and Gary Calpin, Thomas Quinn and Noel Quinn have been recruited as first years.

APPRENTICE PROGRAMME

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Declan Carberry, who completed his Quality Assurance Apprenticeship at the Cloister Way mechanical fabrication workshop in February, has been highly commended as one of the best Young Achievers/Apprentices in the North West.Declan was recognised at the Chemicals Northwest 2015 awards, which the industry-led organisation for the North West chemical sector holds every year to celebrate the success shown by individuals and companies throughout the region.

Accompanying Declan to the prestigious event in Manchester were Scott Dawson, who was Declan’s mentor in the Cloister Way fabrication workshop and Alan McCluskey, his Learning and Development Advisor.

Declan now works as an Inspector with the Quality Assurance team at Cloister Way. He joined Hertel and took up an apprenticeship three years ago after gaining an NVQ in

fabrication and welding at Mersey Maritime College in Birkenhead.

Declan said “I’m so proud to have been named among the best in the North West. To be highly commended is fantastic and recognises the support and encouragement I have received from everyone here at Hertel in helping me to learn and develop during the last three years.”

Phil Harrison, Hertel’s Fabrication Workshop Manager, added: “Declan has worked hard and has shown that we can trust him to help the workshop reach the highest standards. He is certainly worthy to be named as among the best in the North West.”

Mick reaches a new levelThe knowledge Mick Grierson gained though achieving a Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Management is helping him to fulfil his role as Site Manager at Carrington CCGT.Mick, who moved to the site in 2014, was given the opportunity to take the company-sponsored qualification as an important part of his professional development.

He originally joined the company as a scaffolder 20 years ago at Stanlow and moved into management roles nine years ago, eventually becoming Services Manager at Stanlow.

Mick said: “I have taken various qualifications as part of my personal and professional development and had reached Level 5 NVQ in management. I really enjoyed that and I have seen real benefits in my work. When there was the opportunity to take a Level 7, I saw a chance of further self-development.”

The modules in Mick’s Level 7, which is the equivalent of a post-graduate diploma and a Masters, covered the areas he felt would benefit him. These included decision making, developing business plans, leadership and improving performance.

“I researched the modules and worked closely with an assessor as I progressed through the qualification. My focus throughout was understanding more about the market and our competitors. There is no doubt the knowledge I have gained is put to use every day in some form, whether that is in planning, managing the team or working with the customer.”

Mick was presented with his certificate by his assessor, Sharon McCarron, from SMC T&D Consultants at the Preston Brook office.

Declan named as one of the best apprentices in the North West

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Mechanical services take opportunities to grow An investment made three years ago in the new fabrication workshop at Ellesmere Port is playing a major part in the growth of the mechanical services business.Having the facilities at Cloister Way has helped enable the business to secure a number of major contracts including the manufacture and installation of a 12km stainless steel pipeline at Lucite’s Cassel site, skid modules for SABIC at Wilton and a 10km ethane pipeline for Samsung.

Other new projects during the last 12 months include the commissioning of a new energy from waste plant for Air Products in the North East and a new Combined Heat and Power plant for RWE Innogy at Markinch, Scotland.

Chris Garland, UK Mechanical General Manager, said: “Our investment in the mechanical business has coincided with a number of large contracts coming to market. The facilities at Cloister Way have put us in a position where we can secure and deliver on these larger contracts.”

The decision to include a fully enclosed exotics bay alongside another four segregated bays when Cloister Way was built has proved to be a success and has opened up new markets for mechanical services.

Chris added: “The option of using the exotics bay has opened up the energy and nuclear markets for us as they demand stainless steel products. We are also able to supply to these markets with the attainment of the BS EN 1090 quality standard certification which is growing in importance to have for structural steel fabrications.

“At Cloister Way we also have the advantage of having a large laydown area on the 5.4 acre site, allowing us to goods inward receipt all material and provide 100% material traceability for pipework, structural steel and

associated products off-site and deliver in a just-in-time basis. This helps our customers greatly reduce the need for project site laydown, achieving greater on-site efficiencies.”

The mechanical business commenced during the 1990’s with the acquisition of Nordot in the North West, which worked primarily at Stanlow, and Aker Kvaerner in 2006, based at Wilton, which serviced customers in the North East.

Business growth has been achieved by being adaptable. Traditionally, mechanical work was predominately from the oil and gas sector and represented around 90% of the mechanical business. New opportunities in the energy and nuclear sectors have led to them now representing around 50% of the mechanical work carried out.

“While construction and installation of pipework remains our main mechanical service, we have been able to expand our service offering which included development of our commissioning services, such as the work we have been doing for Air Products and RWE Innogy.”

Chris sees the chance to develop this specialist service and delivery of turnarounds on a national scale: “There are opportunities with turnarounds as customers are always concerned about maintaining the fixed schedule. Hertel have a specialist team that understands the demands and can deliver, which will interest customers who are faced with delivering a turnaround on time, on budget and above all, safely.

“As a multi-discipline business, we are also able to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ of our services, such as access, insulation and corrosion

protection, benefiting our customers who only need one point of contact within Hertel to look after all of their services. We are able to provide the full range of mechanical services as part of our maintenance solution too. We foresee this as a major target growth area in the next 2/3 years”

To help in this, the mechanical team has been strengthened by moving people from other parts of Hertel and by bringing in people with the relevant experience from outside the business.

The team is headed by John Salkeld, Regional Director, who has overall responsibility for mechanical services delivered by the company. He is supported by Chris Garland, the UK Mechanical General Manager with day-to-day responsibility for the development and delivery of mechanical services across the country.

In the team also is Ray Fawcett as a Senior Project Manager, who was previously at Fawley; Mechanical Services Managers Steve Simpson in Teesside and Nick Kavanagh in the North West; Jeff Lewis, who has responsibility for managing quality; Project Manager Scott Hughes; and Phil Harrison, who is Workshop Manager at Cloister Way.

Two key people supporting the team are based at Preston Brook; Andy Warrington and Jonathan Wilkinson who are the Mechanical Estimators, helping the team in responding to new business opportunities.

Chris is optimistic for the future “We now have a team with a range of experiences and knowledge that we are using to develop the business. Having won contracts with new customers and in different sectors, we can build on the foundations of our mechanical services to take the opportunities that exist in the market to the next level.”

MECHANICAL

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New quality standard drives way forwardThe Cloister Way mechanical fabrication workshop has been awarded the European quality standard BS EN 1090 by the awarding body, Lloyds Register Quality Assurance. Achieving the standard means that the workshop will be able to gain business from new and existing customers.

Phil Harrison, the Workshop Manager at Cloister Way, said: “Customers want their supply chain to show full traceability in relation to products and services. The certification is increasingly needed to allow us to be part of their supply chain.

“Many aspects of what we did within the workshop already meet the procedures outlined in BS EN 1090 and now we are able to show that through formalised policies and procedures. Being able to provide fully certified products opens opportunities at sites where we already work or to supply new ones.”

One of the key aspects of the BS EN 1090 certification is that all the steelwork leaving the workshop carries a CE kite mark – which is the authentication that all work has been carried out to the European standard.

The process for allowing the kite-mark stamp to be used means that quality checks are made at every stage

of the manufacturing process.

Phil added “The Quality Assurance (QA) team has an important role in monitoring and formally recording all the different stages of the manufacturing process. It also means that each element gets an individual reference number, which helps to give the traceability.”

It’s not just the processes that form the certification. The first element of achieving the required standards is for the QA team to check the documentation supplied with the raw materials from the steel suppliers, for conformity.

This ensures the raw material meets the required standards. As the job proceeds, they record each weld, the individuals completing the work and check that the job conforms with the required standard, as checked by a CSWIP (Certification Scheme for Weldment Inspection Personnel) qualified inspector.

As the job nears completion, all the paperwork is submitted to Phil who reviews it, signs it off and issues the certification.

“The BS EN 1090 process means that we create full documentation about the material and the work carried out. Once the certification process is complete, the QA team can place the kite-mark stamp on the item,” he added.

A full information pack, with all the supporting documentation, is handed over to the client on delivery. This provides them with a full and transparent audit trail.

The new system has now been in place since March 2014, and has already led to new work at Fawley and Sellafield. This means that Phil is able to expand the workforce; in particular he is keen to find more specialist platers with the right skills to work to these tight tolerances.

“The certification has widened the services that we offer and we need to be able to keep more work in-house rather than subcontract so that we can maintain the quality standard. The only way to do this is to look to bring in our own specialist welders.”

Business gainsThere have been a number of new business wins and contract extensions since the last issue of the Hertel Herald. These have included:

E.ON Holford A two-year extension to the contract at the underground gas storage facilities in Cheshire Work includes building maintenance and cleaning services

Essar Stanlow A minimum three-year term contract extension to provide multi-discipline maintenance services continuing Hertel’s long association with the site

Samsung (SABIC) Fabricating and installing a 10km pipeline to carry ethane as part of the upgrade of SABIC’s Wilton cracker

Lucite Fabricating and installing a 12km stainless steel pipeline at Lucite’s Cassel site in Billingham

Carrington Power Station

Two contracts at the construction of the new power station for scaffolding support from CB&I Shaw Group and Duro Felgeura

Sembcorp Teesside Supplying and installing a utilities and steam pipeline

E.ON Connah’s Quay GTP (Gas Turbine Pressure) low flow upgrade

Greystar Provision of slops and PIG (Piping Instrument Gauge) cloud disposal facility

RWE Innogy Mechanical support for the commissioning of a new CHP (Combined Heat Power) plant

Air Products Mechanical support for the commissioning of an energy-from-waste plant on Teesside

SABIC BESTOWS SAFETY AWARDHertel UK has received a bronze award in this year’s SABIC European Contractor EHSS Award Celebration for services delivered throughout 2014.

Hertel completed around 100,000 hours without a single incident, delivering multi-disciplined services across SABIC’s North Tees and Wilton sites.

Works delivered included the RBS Arcton Project, which accounted for more than 65,000 man-hours.

For SABIC, Hertel delivers a full turn-key solution, managing multiple in-house services including mechanical, E&I and access provisions, as well as liaising with third party civils contractors and the customers operation team. The use of an off-site fabrication facility has helped to improve both quality control and governance on health and safety.

SABIC’s awards bring together contractors from all its European sites. They acknowledge a range of safety indicators that drive safety, health and environmental (SHE) performance,

including safety reporting, training and engagement with client safety systems of work.

Kayvon Azadi, Business Development Manager for the North East and Cumbria, collected the award on behalf of the team at the event near SABIC Europe’s head office in Sittard, Netherlands.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

30 |

After an extensive tendering process Hertel Ireland have been successful in winning a three-year contract at P66 Oil Refinery. Hertel have operated continuously on the P66 Cork site since 2003 as a multi-discipline contractor, providing scaffold access, insulation, asbestos removal and minor civil works. This contract win also includes corrosion protection which is an additional service Hertel will now provide to the customer.

Paul Ryan, Site Manager commented “This is testament to the ability of the on-site team, to deliver the service the customer requires, in a safe and efficient manner, both in the past and for the future.”

Pat O’ Donnell, Regional Director added “The customer has once again expressed its confidence in Hertel by entering into this renewed collaboration, including the addition of painting to the existing services, which we are extremely proud of.”

OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW HERTEL OFFICEHertel have been successfully operating in Ireland for the past 14 years with their Head Office based in Foynes, Co. Limerick. On the 19th December 2014, Hertel (Ireland) Limited held an official opening ceremony to open its new modern facilities at the location.

Padraig Somers, Operations Director of Hertel UK and Ireland, carried out the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The opening was attended by all of the Foynes Staff, Regional Managers and the Workshop Team.

The offices replace what was originally temporary pre-fab facilities, which had been transferred from Sellafield almost 10 years ago.

Pat O’Donnell, Regional Director Ireland, said: “Being able to move into the new offices reflects our success in Ireland. They provide us with much-improved facilities and are more suitable for client meetings”

The new facilities include a main open-plan office, surrounded by a number of individual offices, a conference room and a much appreciated spacious canteen.

Hertel Ireland P66 Oil Refinery Contract Award

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Conference focuses on leadershipCelebrating 40 years in business and meeting the leadership challenges of the next 40 years and beyond was the theme of this year’s company conference held in Leeds on 14th and 15th May.More than 70 delegates, including Directors, Regional Directors; Regional Managers; Site Managers; members of the commercial regional business support teams; and those involved in the management development programme, considered ‘Delivering Leadership Excellence’.

Hosted and facilitated for a second year by Mike Morton, who was joined this year by Alec Fitzsimons of Maguire Training, which is working with Hertel to provide management development programmes, the conference considered what were the key skills needed within the management team for the business to continue to progress.

The conference opened with a short video looking at the history and people who have helped make the business what it is today. Recollections came from long-standing employees: Directors Ian Dalgarno and Paudie Somers; Procurement Manager Len Walkington; Lead Estimator Ron Whitehead; Wylfa Site Manager Ian Fraser; and Managing Director David Fitzsimons, who each have between 12 to 35 years’ service with the company.

Many of the recollections have been summarised in the article on pages 18 to 20, and if you would like to see the full video, it can be viewed on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/5Y82wvPj5VU

Opening the conference and marking this year’s anniversary, David Fitzsimons, Managing Director, noted that: “Forty years is a fantastic achievement. In that time we have seen some tough times but have achieved a sustainable growth. We have invested and retained our staff, and to meet our needs we have now developed middle and senior management training courses to ensure we can take the business forward for the next forty years and beyond.

“John Burt, who established the UK business and who sadly passed away last year, gave us

the foundations for the business and he would be very proud of what we have achieved.”

The focus of the two-day conference was to look forward to the needs of the business as it continues to grow and develop.

In keeping with the conference theme, the role of the leadership and management teams was considered alongside how to achieve team development and growth. The manager’s role in helping individual team members reach their full professional and personal potential was discussed and how to identify when to offer support and coaching.

Alec Fitzsimons, (no relation to David), told the delegates: “Team development and growth is about understanding and identifying the different levels and situations you find within your team. It is a manager’s responsibility to work to develop the potential that is there and by doing so help to make Hertel more successful.”

The conference also heard from Sandro Forte, author of the book “Dare to be Different”, who works with companies and individuals to identify where they can succeed.

His theme was that it is important to differentiate yourself from your competitors, particularly in the experience that customers have when dealing with the business. It may be necessary to undertake some change in order to show, and maintain, that difference and it is important that once that change is made, the situation should not revert to how it was.

David Massey, HR Director, who has worked with Pete Thompson and Ann Waldon in arranging the conference, said: “Everyone attending the conference has taken away new skills and understanding about leadership. This will benefit their team members as they will be able to identify the support and skills needed to help those individuals develop personally and professionally.”

CONFERENCE

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Group CEO outlines strong futureHertel Group Chief Executive Victor Aquina thanked delegates for the contribution Hertel UK and Ireland has made to the Group when he spoke at the company conference.He said: “Being here today allows me to say thank you for your contribution to the turnaround of the Group over recent years and to congratulate the company on its 40th anniversary.”

He gave a presentation on the international perspective of the business, which also reaches the landmark this year of 120 years since its formation. During the presentation, he illustrated the role played by Hertel UK and Ireland at a Group level, described how the business has come through some recent difficult years and examined how the Group is likely to progress following its acquisition by Altrad.

“The two companies provide complementary services that will enable us to bring a unique offering for our customers. Together with Altrad we have the foundations for future business growth. Working together we have substantial opportunities for us to strengthen the Group’s position in the markets.”

He highlighted how the two organisations’ relative strengths will help to develop new business opportunities in Europe, the Caspian, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

“Our business models are very similar and the organisations have a good cultural fit. Each of us has a presence and market knowledge relating to regional markets and individual countries to provide benefits for both.”

Mr Aquina did acknowledge that recent years had been difficult and that over the last three years, the Group’s turnaround had been achieved by significant contributions from

the UK business. “In 2014, the Group completed a change programme and started to see some business growth, particularly in the Caspian and Asia Pacific regions, which has worked to strengthen the business.”

The growth had benefited from involvement in projects such as the building of the world’s largest LNG plant, Gorgon, in Australia; Europe’s largest chemical plant currently being built for BASF in Germany; and BP in the Caspian.

While he emphasised that these are landmark projects for Hertel, he said it was important that they were underpinned by increasing maintenance contract work as in the longer term there were unlikely to be many more projects on this scale.

“We work for many blue-chip global companies and it is often the case that our work for them is restricted to certain regions. Our plan is that we build these relationships on a global basis. This ambition will be helped by joining with Altrad, which will create opportunities to drive our ambition of being the global leader in providing SIP and mechanical services.”

He was also able to report that the order book is strong across the Group, together with the structures that are in place to achieve long- term growth.

Hugo Loudon, the Group’s Chief Operations Officer, accompanied Mr Aquina on his visit to the conference. During the conference he took the opportunity to tell delegates that he observed strong togetherness within the UK and Ireland management team, which helped to give it the feel of a family and he could see there was support to individuals when needed.

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The winning innovation allows asbestos inspections to be carried out on live pipelines rather than having to wait for plant shutdowns or unplanned outages.

All of this year’s entries have again shown how practical solutions are being developed throughout the business to meet the challenges found in delivering on-site services.

Launched last year, the Innovation Challenge highlights how teams are using their knowledge and experience to create solutions that benefit our business and that of our customers.

There were 45 entries this year with five shortlisted by a panel including the Board of Directors with John Hall, Head of Business Development, Marketing & Proposals, and Chris Abbey, Head of HSEQ.

“Congratulations to every site that entered. It was a very difficult decision to choose a shortlist, as every entry has demonstrable benefits and will ultimately increase our customer satisfaction and retention,” commented John Hall.

“There is no doubt that being able to show that we can be innovative and meet challenges plays an important part in winning work. The entries are used in bids we make for new business as examples of our forward-thinking approach.”

The winner was voted for by all attendees at this year’s company conference where Pat O’Donnell, Regional Director Ireland, received the winner’s trophy on behalf of P66, Cork and £500 for the team or a charity of their choice.

Restoration of scaffold boards at Magnox ChapelcrossMoss and algae had built up on 13,500 scaffold boards erected around the heat exchangers at Chapelcross, the former nuclear power station, to allow for the removal of asbestos and deplanting. Some of the boards had been there for six years.

This presented a severe slip hazard, which prevented Magnox Ltd from carrying out its statutory structural inspection of the heat exchanger steelwork. As a result, Hertel was instructed to replace the boards.

Working with the supply chain, a potential solution was found with “Gard Kill”, which is designed to kill moss and algae. Tests proved a success and it was passed as safe to use on the site.

Scaffolders were trained to apply Gard Kill, and an application was made to all 10 levels of scaffold of the 13 heat exchangers where treatment was needed.

The solution removed a slip hazard that was preventing the customer from carrying out statutory inspections and saved more than £390,000 in labour and material costs that would have resulted from replacing the boards.

Roof-edge protection brackets at SellafieldAt Sellafield, a roof-edge protection bracket was devised to allow the area to be clear for the stripping of the existing roofing system and the unhindered installation of the Kalzip aluminium roofing system.

It wasn’t possible to use scaffolding on the roof and there was nothing on the market to provide a fixing for the roof-edge protection handrails that would allow the Kalzip installation and prevent damage or rework to the roof.

Working with bolt manufacturers, a bracket was designed that allowed outboard roof-edge protection to be fitted and give an unobstructed work area, where possible, to fix the large Kalzip aluminium sheets. The whole process took two years.

The project was successful as there was early engagement with the client and close work with the supply chain to develop the solution. The process was proved on a roof mock-up prior to the ‘live’ project, so helping to make the actual installation more efficient.

Customer savings in excess of £300,000 were made as well as a reduction of 10 weeks in the work schedule.

Each one of the five nominations in this year’s shortlist for the Innovation Challenge 2015 was unique in its own way:

An asbestos coring box, which was designed for use at the Phillips 66 oil refinery in Cork, Ireland, has won the Innovation Challenge 2015.

Innovation challenge 2015 boxed off by the team at Phillips 66

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HIMS – handheld device at Conoco Phillips, Seal SandsManaging the data, including more than 5,000 images, from a rejuvenation programme of 180,000m of pipework and 30,000 supports at ConocoPhillips Teesside has led to the development of the web-based Hertel Integrity Management Systems (HIMS).

The system allows for easy collection and sharing of data with secure access, whether at the workface or in the office. The client also has access to the data on a ‘read only’ basis.

The heart of the system is a handheld device, a tablet suitable for use in Zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas, which can capture data, including photographs and DFT (Dry Film Thickness – of the paint), that can then be uploaded to HIMS using 4G connectivity or Wi-Fi.

HIMS has reduced the duplication of work and administrative burden while removing the potential for errors with manual entry. It is in line with the client’s drive to remove inefficiencies and makes cost savings by reducing manpower requirements.

An additional benefit is that it provides a complete record of the life cycle of the project that can also be used in later maintenance projects.

Scaffold material lifting frame at Rusal Aughinish AluminaA lifting frame has been developed by the team at Rusal Aughinish Alumina, meaning that moving scaffolding has become more efficient and safe.

Every month the team build a scaffold for the cleaning of the centre well of a vessel. Scaffolding has to be loaded at an angle, using a crane and slings, through a small 3m x 2.5m roof opening, which poses a safety risk with the potential for individual tubes to fall out.

The team has designed and built a bespoke lifting frame that securely holds the 16ft scaffold tubes and prevents them sliding out when they are lifted down at an angle.

The frame provides a safer working environment and reduces the risk of damage or injury, helping Hertel to meet its Target Zero objectives. It also reduces costs for the client as it speeds up maintenance and speeds up the return to a working vessel.

The winner:Asbestos coring box at P66 CorkPhillips 66 needed a way to access hot/live pipelines, insulated with asbestos, to carry out a mandatory inspection programme.

The lines could historically only be isolated during the five-yearly turnaround or when there were unplanned outages.

Hertel’s on-site team developed a ‘coring box’ that allowed them to remove asbestos lagging for inspection from the hot lines. Successfully trialled, the box also gained approval from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) in Ireland.

The customer can now implement an inspection programme between outages and also has the ability to revisit any area without the need for asbestos control measures.

With inspections that can be carried out at any time, the customer has saved considerable cost and the team has been able to demonstrate to the HSA that Hertel is a market-leading specialist in managing asbestos. The innovation helped to contribute to a three-year contract extension providing an expanded range of services.

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WylfaThe flexibility offered by rope access meant that the team at the Magnox Wylfa Site on Anglesey was able to react quickly to replace a piece of cladding that had become loose in high winds.

Rope access has successfully been used on a number of jobs at Wylfa where traditional access systems would have made the tasks more complex.

Trailblazing at SellafieldCareful planning and the trialling of a cantilever scaffold for a project at Sellafield has supported success in what is seen as a major milestone in the UK’s nuclear decommissioning programme.

Hertel was commissioned to provide an access system to allow equipment installation for the removal of radioactive sludge from the bottom of the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP). The pond was originally built in the 1950s to store, cool and prepare Magnox nuclear fuel for recycling into new fuel.

Use of a cantilever scaffold was the best solution to allow for the installation of the pumps, hoses and platforms required to

commence transfers between the pond and newly constructed interim storage facility.

The facility is considered to be one of the most challenging decommissioning projects in Europe and therefore work needed to be carefully planned and implemented.

Adrian Norendal, Project Controls Manager, said “As we had been appointed to provide the access, it was important that we were well prepared and understood all the issues we might face in building the complex scaffold.”

Having been selected as preferred contractor, Hertel joined with Redhalls Nuclear to provide the mechanical rigging support and with PPS, the contractor undertaking the electrical

installation. Scafftech provided the design for the five-metre-high cantilever system.

The team took the opportunity to use an off-site test facility which provided a pond that could be used to test procedures before they were implemented on site.

During the two-month trial period, the team also developed the lifting plans, method statements, management plans and all supporting documentation for the project.

“We were approached in September 2014 and, having agreed the scope, the trial started in November. The decision to trial the design and building of the scaffold helped us to address any issues both we and the customer had, and also develop a build programme and take account of the conditions we would find in the actual ‘live’ build,” added Adrian.

The scaffold was installed by February 2015 and work began to remove sludge in March 2015.

Ian Richardson, Project Manager, FGMSP Additional Sludge Retrievals Project, told the team: “This is a significant milestone in the history of Sellafield and is the first transfer from the pond using the Additional Sludge Retrieval System. You can be suitably proud of what you have achieved.”

Adrian added: “Success in this project, despite the challenges of the environment, is the result of true team work. The way the work has been addressed is impressive and helps to demonstrate to Sellafield that we have the capability to work with them on the most demanding of projects.”

SITE NEWS

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REHEARSAL GIVES ENTRY TO REACTORPreparations to carry out an inspection of the bioshield of the reactor in Trawsfynydd nuclear power station saw the team rehearse for two weeks with a replica that had been built off-site.Hertel had been asked by Magnox to assess any corrosion within the Trawsfynydd reactor vessel. There had been issues for a number of years following the discovery in 2005 that it was suffering from increased moisture levels.

A programme to dry the reactor out had been undertaken and completed in 2011. A later review identified that it was not known for how long the moisture problem had been present prior to the drying out.

It was decided to carry out an inspection to assess any corrosion and its impact and to find out whereabouts the corrosion was present as well as understand what damage there might potentially be to the vessel wall. The project took 12 months of planning and three weeks to complete.

Maurice Wilson, Hertel’s Site Manager, said: “To carry out the inspection meant entering the bioshield, which had not been done by man on this particular reactor for 20 years. Using a robotic kit had been ruled out as it could not be relied upon to provide more evidence than was already known.”

An engineering, asbestos and scaffolding team was brought together, supported by health monitors to ensure that work was carried out within radiation uptake levels.

Maurice added: “As this had not been carried out before, a replica of the bioshield was created on Anglesey where we could plan and rehearse the work that needed to be carried out so that we could develop a programme to complete the work safely and with minimum exposure for our team. It also provided

the opportunity to invite regulators and stakeholders to see the plans and procedures for the project.”

After two weeks of rehearsals, the team transferred back to Trawsfynydd to carry out the work, which included visual inspections and the collection of samples including those of insulation cladding and the skirts; ultrasonic measurement of the thickness of the reactor’s support skirts and testing the reactor’s relative humidity; and carrying out an endoscope inspection underneath the support stools.

The work, which took place in January, was seen as successful and it is planned that there will be further entries to undertake more inspections.

“We devised a solution for Magnox to understand the extent of corrosion within the reactor. It has drawn interest from the Office for Nuclear Regulations, which have been asking for updates as it may provide a process that can be used on other sites,” concluded Maurice.

TOP DUCT SUCCESS LEADS TO CHAPELCROSSExperience gained in the decommissioning of the Calder Hall power station at Sellafield led to a new project being awarded at Chapelcross.Hertel is working to remove the top ducts from two of the heat exchangers at the Chapelcross nuclear power station. The work is an important part of reducing significant hazards around the decommissioned nuclear reactor.

Chapelcross is almost a replica of Calder Hall and, using the knowledge gained from the eight-year project at Sellafield, the first two top ducts will be removed by November. It is expected that work will start on a further two, which will be complete by March 2016.

Work involves around 60 staff from a range of trades and will see the removal of all steelwork, ductwork and pipework from around the top ducts. Once removal is complete, each 50 tonne bridge and top duct will be lifted from the top of the heat exchangers. A 1,200 tonne crane, which is the largest in Europe, is then used to lift the top ducts 100ft in the air to clear the building before being lowered to the ground and placed into storage.

Brian Raby, Regional Director Cumbria, said: “Experience from Calder Hall has been invaluable for us to safely and effectively remove the top ducts. It gives us an understanding of the procedures needed to safely remove them.”

“At each stage, the project presents challenges such as working at height, managing dosage uptake and complex lifting procedures.”

The work is awarded through the national Magnox Decommissioning, Demolition and Asbestos Removal Framework (DDA).

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Safety landmark at BASFOne million incident-free hours have been marked by Hertel in Germany while working on the construction of a new plant for BASF at Ludwigshafen.

With more than 1,400 workers on site, Hertel has been working on the construction of the toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant since early 2014. The plant will produce 300,000 metric tonnes of TDI a year, which is used in the

manufacture of polyurethane foams for use in the automotive and furniture industries.

Andreas Meier, Hertel Germany’s HSE Manager, said: “Target Zero has played an important part in reaching the milestone of one million hours without a lost-time incident. All the employees have been active in maintaining a safe workplace and ensuring that they return home safely every night.”

Pearl of a turnaroundIn Qatar, Hertel has worked on the largest turnaround ever undertaken by Shell.

Preparations for the turnaround at one of the two trains at Shell’s Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant began three years ago. Hertel was involved in 12 months of planning and scoping work for the project and had a team of more than 600 working on the 60-day turnaround.

Jason Pearce, Hertel’s Turnaround and Site Manager at Pearl, said: “Careful planning was central to the success of the project as was the coordination of materials and manpower.

“Working in the Middle East, it was also important that everyone involved had the correct visas and that transport,

accommodation and welfare was in place at the right time to meet our tight schedule.”

Prior to work starting, Hugo Loudon, Hertel’s Chief Operating Officer, and Qatar country Director Robert Wakefield met with Shell. At the meeting they were presented with an award by Qatar Shell’s Gas-to-Liquids Turnaround Manager, Carlos Gamio, for the successful completion of Hertel’s pre-turnaround activities.

More than 85 tonnes of insulation was removed from the train during the turnaround. There was also 5,500 tonnes of scaffolding to be erected on site.

Jason added: “For the first time in the Middle

East we have used system and conventional scaffolding trailers. This has helped to improve efficiency in moving materials safely by reducing manual handling and housekeeping.”

All the work was completed on schedule and with no lost-time incidents. Hertel received 19 safety recognition awards from Shell during the turnaround.

Pearl produces cleaner-burning diesel and aviation fuel, oils for advanced lubricants, and naphtha, used to make plastics and paraffin for detergents. It makes enough diesel to fill over 160,000 cars/day and enough synthetic oil each year to make lubricants for more than 225 million cars.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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The Hertel Herald met with Ray Tant, Quality and Environmental Manager, to learn more about the legislation and what it might mean for you.

Ray joined Hertel in April 2014 and has more than 25 years’ experience of working in quality gaining experience in the nuclear, electrical and non-destructive testing sectors.

So what is happening?The UK has to abide by the European Energy Directive and implement the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme – ESOS – regulations that are being introduced by the EU. It means that any company with more than 250 employees or a turnover in excess of €50m – around £35m, will be required to review its total energy use that comes from its operations.

As a business, it means that we need to understand how we use our energy. This covers the lights we use in buildings and the fuel we use in our vehicles, and it even runs through to the oxy acetylene used in our workshops.

The legislation will even require us to know the amount of energy we use per employee and identify the measures we could take to save energy.

Having undergone the processes to achieve the standard we also understand more about how we use our energy and how we can manage it.

How is that managed then?There is the international management standard ISO 50001, which covers energy management. To achieve the standard involves performing many of the processes and procedures that are present in the ESOS. While ESOS does not require ISO 50001, there is an overlap that holding the standard makes complying with ESOS an easier process.

What has been done?Although the legislation does not come in until the end of this year, we were working towards the certification for about eight months and became certified to ISO 50001 in January this year.

We have been refining the documentation and procedures ready for auditing by the standard-awarding body, Lloyds Register Quality Assurance. Achieving the certification shows the Environment Agency, which is managing the ESOS legislation, that we are fully compliant with the requirement.

Is that it then?No. ESOS is much more than putting in place procedures to understand where we use energy. We will be assessed on what our actual energy usage is and have to demonstrate that we have considered ways, and are taking actions, to make savings.

So is this linked to carbon reduction as well?While using energy does have an implication for carbon emissions, the actual ISO 50001 standard and ESOS are separate from any carbon-reduction initiatives.

What did you find when you looked at our energy usage?It was really interesting. We found that our largest energy usage wasn’t electricity or gas. It is in fact diesel. This came from looking at how much fuel was used not only by our fleet vehicles – both cars and vans – but also by any mileage covered by our employees even when they used their own cars in carrying out their duties.

What do you do with this information?Knowing where we use our energy helps us to look at where energy savings can be made. With the right information, this can help us make the right decisions in determining the best use of our energy resource.

With fuel use, for example, can we reduce it by deciding to have a meeting via video conference or conference call, or considering if a journey is necessary – can a vehicle be shared, can we all aim to do one less journey? Can we better plan our journey to keep a constant speed, so not accelerating – less acceleration can save 15-20% energy? We have also added hybrid vehicles to the list of company cars to give further options in saving fuel.

There is also the aspect of how we use our vans on a site. We have to ask, if we did something different, would we be able to save fuel? Do we need to have the engines running when idle, although we are aware that it is sometimes needed in terms of team welfare to provide warmth in winter so we need to be sensible how we address these issues.

We will also have to look at our energy usage in buildings. Maybe there is a decision needed about whether we should replace bulbs with low-energy ones or install sensors in areas where lights do not need to be on all the time. Could it be that it is actually more efficient to run a boiler on low overnight than to be turning it on every day?

It is really about asking ourselves the right questions.

So is it about saving money?Effective energy planning will ultimately lead to some cost savings. Some of those savings will involve an investment, such as in IT so that we can make conference calls rather than making business trips, so the pay-back in financial terms will not always be immediate.

How will this affect customers?We will have rolled out the standard to include all sites by the end of November. It is hoped that our customers will then become aware of Hertels Energy Management System and maybe even seek our input in developing their on-site strategies.

Obviously a business of our size needs to adhere to the ESOS. By holding and maintaining the ISO 50001 standard, we are able to demonstrate to our customers that we are being responsible in understanding and managing our energy consumption.

By having ISO 50001, it demonstrates to our customers that we understand our energy consumption and that employees are aware of things such as not leaving taps running or leaving heaters on. These good habits are reassurance of the way we work at Hertel.

Does this replace ISO 14001?No, ISO 14001 primarily covers environmental management and seeks to ensure our business has a minimal impact on the environment, including the disposal of our waste. ISO 18001 covers our health and safety, such as assessing our working space.

Where can I find out more information about how ISO 50001 will affect the business?All the documents and guides are available on HI under Support Services > HSEQ > HSEQ UK & Ireland > Quality.

Contact Ray Tant if you would like any more information on ray.tant@hertel.com

New European Union legislation concerned with the way energy is used by businesses is coming into effect on 5th December. This will impact Hertel and has implications for everyone within the business.

UNDERSTANDING HOW WE USE ENERGY

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ACCIDENT PREVENTION

Down1. _ management plans need to be in place. 3. All _ need to be reported and controlled. 4. You must be _ for the task you are doing. 5. You must report all incidents to _. 7. A _ test is required for confined space work. 8. Waste must not be left on the _. 10. An unsafe _ is careless behaviour. 11. HSEQ is _ responsibility. 12. _ in place to protect ourselves and colleagues. 16. Almost an accident is a _ miss. 17. A safety _ must be applied to energised equipment.

Across2. Taking _ is not following procedures. 6. The work party must be _ before starting work. 9. If in doubt you must _. 10. You must _ the risks before you start work. 13. You must _ all incidents. 14. All fixed plant must be hard _ to the mains. 15. Warning _ must be installed in hazardous areas. 18. Target _ is our overriding safety program. 19. You must have a good _ of the work area. 20. _ levels need to be as low as practicable.

Here’s your chance to win one of two £50 vouchers by putting your safety knowledge to the test.

Can you spot the 12 safety hazards in the photograph or complete the safety-related crossword below? If you can, then circle the hazards or fill in the missing words and send your entries to Jennifer Hazlewood either as a scan to jennifer.hazlewood@hertel.com or post them to Jennifer Hazlewood, Hertel Herald, Hertel UK & Ireland, Unit 3 Abbots Park, Monks Way, Preston Brook, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 3GH by 1st July 2015 for a chance to win one of the prizes.

The prize winners will be notified and announced in the next edition of the Hertel Herald. Good luck!

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SPOT THE HAZARDCOMPETITION TIME

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In the last 40 years…

The Hertel story so far

1975 – 2015

The story so far…

Regional office opens in Hardwick Grange, Warrington to serve growing customer base in the North West

Hertel becomes the UK’s leading insulation business with 1,100 employees

Steve Tonks joins as Managing Director Designate

1975 1980 – 84 1989 1993 1995 1997 1998 19991980

Hertel wins the contract at Conoco Phillips, Seal Sands

Opening of new head office at Sotherby Road in Middlesbrough

Hertel enters the UK market with 50 employees and John Burt at the helm

Opens its first office – a caravan parked in Wallis Road, Middlesbrough

Stanlow, ICI and Shell Carrington contracts in the North West commence

Acquisition of Joseph Nadin’s

First work won at Sellafield

Further expansion sees North West office move to larger premises at Bold, St Helens

John Burt retires and Steve Tonks becomes Managing Director

Acquisition of Nordot, a small mechanical contractor at Shell, Stanlow

Expansion into Ireland comes after securing a contract from Aughinish Alumina.

A small office opens in Foynes

2004 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2014 20151999 2001 2005

New offices at Foynes in Ireland are opened

New UK head office opens at Hudson Quay, Middlehaven

Hertel is now a well-established multi-discipline contractor

Purpose-built mechanical workshop opens in Cloister Way, Ellesmere PortHertel re-branding

John Burt retires and Steve Tonks becomes Managing Director

Irish offices expand with bigger offices arriving from Sellafield

North West regional office moves to Preston Brook

Grimsby regional office opens

David Fitzsimons takes over as Managing Director

From a caravan in Middlesbrough to a company with 2,500 employees and a customer base stretching across the UK and Ireland, it has been a fascinating journey of people, places and projects.

we’ve come a long way!