Worker and environmental safety high on Unithai priorities

The Australian Thai Chamber of Commerce (ATCC) has just released their “Business of the Year” award. The winner? Unithai, under their dynamic “front line” CEO Gerrit de Nys.

There is no secret to winning awards such as this - it requires dedication at all levels, and Unithai’s Health, Safety and Environment represent one part of the company’s award winning approach.

Safety first at the Unithai Shipyard

There is a tendency to look upon industry, and particularly heavy industry, as environmental “criminals”. However, at Thailand’s largest shipyard is John Hunter, the Health Safety and Environment Manager, who says, “Our employee safety and health, and the protection of the environment which we share with our neighbours, is a fundamental core requirement of our business. Environmental health and safety effective systems play the major role in Unithai business alongside our ship repair and heavy fabrication. It is not the reality of government enforcement which has induced Unithai to adopt these policies. Unithai has always regarded both our entire workforce and our environment as our primary asset. This approach necessitates careful management of both worker health and safety in the community, pollution prevention, and environmental protection. Unithai is committed to these polices in a cost effective manner that does not lower safe and healthy productivity. To this end we have a Health Safety and Environmental Department, which has 32 HSE trained employees but which will rise to 40 by the end of 2001.”

So how does Unithai go about producing the desired end results? John Hunter continued, “Unithai have produced a well defined and clearly structured HSE manual which is part of our overall ISO 9002 Quality System. Unithai however, aims to produce more than just words on paper. We ensure that our HSE manual policies are implemented through formal training sessions, for all workers - including contractors, on the job instruction and supervision and environmental monitoring. This ensures that our HSE implementation is visible and at the same time has a positive effect on our company image and safe productivity.”

These are stirring words, but does the concept really work? “Because we closely monitor all our activities, we are able to determine the effectiveness of the initiatives we take. Every new initiative is given a trial period of 4 -6 months before the procedure is finally published and set in stone. In this manner we ensure our procedures are both acceptable and effective. We have reduced our incident record dramatically over the past four years.

“However, we are aware that conscientious and continuous monitoring and focused training is essential. Every employee is thoroughly briefed on our HSE procedures before starting work at the shipyard. I take the view that all hazards can be eliminated.

“Unithai have ensured our HSE targets and goals are challenging but achievable and are set to attain international recognition for our efforts. During the year 2001 we shall be certified ISO 14001 and at the same time are working towards corporate membership of the International Safety Council.”

John Hunter is obviously enthusiastic about the work. “I love my job, it is both challenging and a huge twenty four hour responsibility as I am deeply committed to worker health and safety and the environment. Our wastewater filtration trailer is one example of our commitment to create a truly pollution free environment. To accomplish this we contracted the services of FFI who designed a marvellously effective system.”

Jack Firth of FFI (First Filtration International) systems said, “We were proud to be able to work with Unithai to design this unique system to protect our environment. Our water filter and polishing unit is a mobile trailer based system to allow ease of manoeuvrability in industrial sites and is actually a first for Thailand. Without becoming too technical, this system is designed for removal of oil from wastewater. The purpose of this system is to cost effectively filter wastewater and discharge it into the environment in accordance with Thai environmental laws. The flow rate of the system and the filter material is equivalent to 1235 tons of waste water per hour.”

Always enthusiastic, Jack Firth went on, “ Additionally the system can be configured to remove elemental mercury and other environmental contaminants. It is a truly versatile design and manufactured by FFI in Pattaya, and we are indebted to the vision of Unithai in commissioning it.”

The final word came from John Hunter, “All our waste water is regularly monitored by our company environmental engineers and tested by approved Thai Government laboratories. We are proud that our waste water consistently betters the national standards, which at the same time saves our company millions of baht in disposal costs, some of which in turn, is reinvested in the HSE programme.”

It has been a catch-cry in the past that Health, Safety and Environmental issues cannot be quantified. It appears that Unithai have shown that to be incorrect.