Rhenus, in addition to being SQAS certified for logistics service providers in the chemical industry, is a member of the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) plastic control system, a global plastics industry initiative to reduce potential pellet leakage.
Pellets, or mermaid tears, are the raw material from which all plastic objects are made, unintentional pellet loss can occur at different stages of the value chain and lead to polluting effects.
By partnering with OCS, we have made a commitment to the environment, an issue that is a priority for the group today, as plastic spills are just as harmful as chemical spills and, although the consequences are less immediate, they last much longer in the environment. We have therefore put in place a number of procedures to ensure that these spills are reduced as far as possible.
The main objective of the procedures established by Rhenus in relation to pellets is to establish a systematic planning for their transport, storage and handling in order to prevent and/or remedy the associated risks in the event of a breakage or emergency that may cause an environmental impact.
In order to comply with the OCS Programme, a working procedure is drawn up establishing a hierarchy in relation to pellet loss or spillage in this order:
- Prevention: avoid pellet leakage.
- Mitigation: if it occurs, take measures to reduce the spillage.
- Clean-up: using appropriate tools, remove them immediately.
Rhenus process for reducing the environmental impact of pellets
To achieve this, Rhenus sets out a number of key points that must be complied with in all pellet handling facilities, which are explained below.
A distinction must be made between the concepts of pellet loss and pellet spillage:
- Loss: unwanted situation where pellets are lost outside the operational boundary (e.g. water, soil...).
- Spillage: undesired situation in which pellets are spilled within the operational limit.
Risk analysis in every delegation
Each installation has its own particularities, which makes it necessary to evaluate 5 aspects:
- Identify the origin of the goods.
- Analysing the flow of goods.
- Determine which suppliers are the most suitable to incorporate into the programme.
- Establish the flows of incoming, location and outgoing goods from the warehouse.
- Detect the risk of spillage.
Depending on the risks detected, specific training is carried out for each delegation, assigning actions and people in charge, although as a general rule, we have identified the areas of greatest risk:
- Warehouse: loading and unloading areas, movements between the dock and the aisles, and the aisles assigned for pellets.
- Transport: we must be alert to possible spills inside the lorry. For this reason, a series of actions are established to reduce the risk arising in each of these operations.
Customer identification and supplier selection
The correct control of pellets requires prior knowledge of those customers who transport this type of goods. For this reason, from the commercial activity itself, customers are informed about a series of considerations to be taken into account in the case of transporting pellet, pellet and/or plastic goods. For example, such cargo will not be accepted if it is not suitably packaged to avoid leaks, breakage or spillage.
As for our suppliers in the transport of pellet goods, they are approved on the basis of different criteria, among which it is considered essential to be registered in the OCS Programme, although it is also highly valued that they have other certifications (SQAS, ISO 14001, etc.) for their contracting.
Internal and external communications
Effective communication is very important in order to guarantee maximum safety and respect for the environment. That is why we have protocols for both internal and external communication for all the people, companies and organisations involved.
Internal communication, aimed at Rhenus professionals whose activity is related in some way to the handling of pellets, is carried out through the following actions:
- Staff training.
- Signposting of the areas established in the warehouse for the handling of this merchandise.
- Information on the results of Environmental Inspections.
- Information on the evolution of the OCS Programme in the company.
Furthermore, Rhenus is characterised by having a two-way communication with its workers, which is why they are encouraged to participate in the OCS Programme with their comments and proposals in order to continue improving. They are the ones who handle the goods and, therefore, their opinions are an invaluable asset to improve in this aspect.
With regard to external communication, we maintain open communication at all times with customers (procedures, incidents, risks or advice) and public bodies (to ensure the best possible compliance with current regulations).
Training and risk mitigation plans
There is a Risk Minimisation Plan that establishes responsibilities, actions to be carried out and execution times. And within it, the most appropriate actions can be found both in terms of prevention (protocols, measures and procedures) and reaction (equipment needed to deal with spills, types of losses depending on the spilled material or ways to cover leaks).
In addition, specific training is established in all the delegations that handle this merchandise, and is given to all professionals involved in the transport or handling of plastic pellets:
It should be added that these types of actions are not only carried out with Rhenus teams, but awareness meetings are also organised with transport providers at least once a year and whenever deemed necessary.
What does Rhenus do in an emergency?
We have different emergency protocols depending on whether the spillage occurs in the warehouse or during transport. In the first case, we place special emphasis on the loading and/or unloading operations of pellets, granules and/or plastics, with a view to detecting and sealing leaks, delimiting safety zones and recovering the normal conditions of the facilities.
In the second case, if the loss of powdery materials is detected, the vehicle shall be stopped without endangering its safety or that of other vehicles, following the relevant road safety instructions, taking into account some special rules:
- Do not tow the accident vehicle except with specific vehicles intended for this purpose.
- Collect the material before it can enter any sewers and seal any leakage points.
- Contact headquarters for assistance/advice if chippings are lost in a road accident.
- In the event of environmental impact, notify emergency services.
Waste management
Once the waste from spills has been controlled, it is managed in accordance with our waste management protocol and an area is set aside for its collection, where the bags of waste generated are deposited, with control of the batches and total kilos.
KPI management for continuous improvement
In delegations that have pellet merchandise, a series of indicators are established related to the handling of this load, such as the number of critical points in the installation, the number of incidents related to spills, volume lost, volume recovered, etc.
Based on the results obtained, new targets are set with a view to further improving the procedures and monitoring them closely.
At Rhenus we care about the environment and the correct management of pellets and microplastics, which is why we work to minimise our impact.