Training initiative
June 1st 2004 Efficient resource management can bring an immediate financial payback for organisations of all kinds, with a range of other benefits including legislative compliance. A steering group of official bodies, consultants and training providers has developed a new course, now available through HS&E training centre, Woodland Grange. The centres environmental specialist Robin Bloodworth reports on the initiative and the benefits it brings.
Most businesses would make significant savings every year by using resources more efficiently. But the majority need training to help them understand and apply the relevant techniques. Envirowise, the Government body responsible for promoting best practice in environmental management, has led an initiative to create a focussed training programme. The course that has emerged is directed at all those involved in the subject not just environmental specialists and HSE practitioners, but also non-specialist production managers and any other in-house personnel with responsibility for improving resource efficiency. It will be accredited by IEMA and CIWM.
The training programme results from the work of a steering committee set up by Envirowise in autumn 2003 to design a syllabus for a two-day training course. Woodland Grange was invited to join to help interpret the syllabus into a manageable and effective training programme, and to carry out the first pilot.
Course content and coverage
The content is flexible enough to apply to a full spectrum of organisations. Above all, its a practical programme, providing the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out an effective resource efficiency review with appropriate follow-up. The key topics covered are:
Developing the business case for resource efficiency How to start the process; waste mapping identifying the inputs and outputs; estimating and calculating the true cost of waste; identifying the underlying causes of inefficiency (root causation).
Identifying options: Costing the options; cost/ benefit analysis; prioritising the options; calculation of payback time; presenting the results of the review.
Implementation: Setting objectives and targets, management programmes; reporting the savings.
Environmental reporting and the legal requirements for disposing of waste: The legal aspects of resource management (ensuring that delegates leave the course with sound knowledge of the 'duty of care' and how to deal legally with hazardous waste).
To make sure the learning can be applied to the real commercial world, there are several practical exercises, including the production of waste maps and exercises to help the calculation/ estimation of the true cost of waste. Techniques for generating practical ideas are covered and delegates also carry out a cost benefit analysis and prioritise options.
The final element of the training programme is a project requiring delegates to carry out a 'mini' resource efficiency review within their own organisation and to develop efficiency measures based on a sound cost benefit analysis. Delegates are awarded a Certificate upon successful completion of the project.
The Benefits
The course is designed to give a fast payback if the principles covered are implemented to ensure the systematic identification of waste and the creation of appropriately-based solutions. There are several other benefits. Reduced waste generation means, of course, a reduction in disposal costs. This is increasingly significant as the disposals cost per tonne is set to increase every year through the landfill tax. More effective re-use, recycling or recovery also brings savings on raw material for example, recovering solvent from contaminated waste or using heat from incinerated waste. Reducing the consumption of raw material is almost invariably a win/win strategy for instance reducing water consumption (a saving) will often result in less effluent being generated (another saving).
There are other benefits of resource efficiency not directly related to the savings. Clearly it makes a significant contribution to compliance with the ISO 14001 standard on environmental management systems and IPPC permits. Being able to demonstrate effective use of resources is good for the company image indeed it can represent a significant marketing and competitive advantage.
The pilot programme
The pilot run by Woodland Grange was held at the Atomic Energy site at Harwell, Oxfordshire, where Envirowise is based. Delegates attending the course came from a range of industries including construction and manufacturing. Overall, it was judged extremely successful, with delegates highlighting the scope they were given to practice efficiency strategies in a supportive environment, and the relevant and informed level of tutor support. Given the spectrum of different industries represented, an important factor to emerge was the versatility of the course content: the principles that it teaches are approaches applicable across all types of organisation. More articles from EEF Ltd/Woodland Grange: | 
