Sustainabillity

Environment

Our refining facility complies with the European and even stricter Flemish legal environmental requirements. Installations and procedures are continuously being adapted to new legislation. All activities and facilities are duly licensed.

Air

Process gases and hygienic gases are cleaned using BAT (Best Available Techniques) such as bag house filters, electrofilters and scrubbers. Emissions of dust, metals, gases and dioxins are very low and comply with the legal limit values, showing a decreasing trend, thanks to continuous efforts to improve. 

Major stacks are equipped with continuous monitors for dust and gases. Discrete measurements on stacks are performed up to monthly for the most important emission points.

Continuous efforts are made to abate diffuse emissions. Dusty materials are stored in covered buildings. Open air stockpiles and roads are intensively sprinkled. Ventilation losses from buildings are reduced and controlled. A method to estimate the quantity of the diffuse emissions has been developed and shows a decreasing trend over years. Further study is being undertaken to map relevant sources and to develop adequate abatement systems.

Water

Not only process water, but also cooling water, all rainwater and sprinkling water, is treated in an onsite BAT waste water treatment plant, where acids are neutralized, metals, sulphates and fluorine are removed by physical chemistry processes. Two-thirds of this water is reused internally while one-third is discharged into the river, in full compliance with the current standards.

Soil

The project to rehabilitate adjacent residential areas has been finished. The aim of the remediation work was to remove the health risks for the residents, especially children. Non-paved parts of the terrain were removed to a depth of 30 cm and filled in with clean soil. Afterwards, the gardens were finished with lawns. A professional cleaning company also dedusted the dustiest places, such as attics and cellars, in some houses.

Soil remediation works in the Moretusburg area started in September 2006 and were finished at the end of 2007. No fewer than 700 houses were involved in this large-scale project. The public area was also cleaned up and refurbished.

In the Hertogvelden area, further away from the plant, 50 plots were cleaned up in the same way in the spring of 2008.

Historical soil contamination in the plant is also being controlled. Significant areas have been covered with plants, brick rubble or concrete pavement in order to prevent dust generation. Contaminated groundwater is drained away and treated in the waste water treatment plant.

Waste

We try as much as possible to find useful applications for all our outputs. For example, sulphuric acid is sold for further use, poor slags are used as a concrete filler or as dike reinforcement material. Slag applications are covered by certificates issued by the Flemish authorities.

Waste containing elements that cannot be recycled any further, amounts to only 4 % of the incoming material and is disposed of in duly licensed landfills.

Health and safety

The aim of is to create a zero accident workplace.

Actions

To achieve a zero accident workplace, we need to take several actions:

• create more tangible engagement of management
• improve communication structures as regards health & safety
• create transparent rules and efficient procedures
• set up efficient training and development
• behaviour audits and effecient incident investigation & reporting

In order to obtain zero accidents, we have created a health & safety policy and 12 health & safety principles.

Policy

• We want a safe and healthy working environment for everyone.
• We don't compromise on health and safety.
• Everyone has their responsibility as regards health and safety.

Principles

• Everyone is responsible for his own safety and that of others.
• We address each other as regards unsafe behavior and we keep an open mind for such reactions.
• We learn from mistakes, incidents and audits. We share best practices.
• Our employees and external employees have the same rights and obligations as regards health and safety.
• Procedures and instructions are clear, available, known and understood.
• Training is necessary to maintain a safe and healthy working environment and to continually improve it.
• Involvement and behavior are essential in accomplishing a successful health and safety policy.
• Order and tidiness are vital to establish a safe and healthy working environment.
• We communicate frequently and clearly to our employees and other stakeholders about our health and safety policy and its results.
• We recognize and value good results for health and safety.
• Safe behavior is a prerequisite to work at Umicore.
• Improving safety is a never-ending story.

Business Excellence as a strategic vehicle for improvement

Umicore Precious Metals Refining strives for business excellence in all processes, products and services. Based on customer requirements and expectations, dedicated and competent employees continuously improve the quality of our services, through the quality of our processes. Through a clear understanding of all customer needs and expectations, we develop partnerships, allowing us to deliver a complete and distinctive service.

As result of a sustained quality approach, Umicore Precious Metals Refining is ISO9001 certified for all her processes. All operational activities for recycling, smelting and refining of precious metal bearing materials as well as marketing, sampling and assaying of materials to be processed are included.

Umicore Precious Metals Refining's commitment to the quality of our environment has led to achieving the ISO14001 standards for the entire Hoboken site.

Umicore Precious Metals Refining manages all its processes following the ISO45001 standards to ensure a safe and healthy production environment for our people.

The above mentioned standards are all embedded in one integrated management system; this system is regularly assessed by an independent certification body.