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Recognition for Eaton's environmental systems

Eaton Electric in Middleton, Greater Manchester has recently gained accreditation to the International standard, ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems.

ISO 14001 is an international standard against which an organisation can measure its environmental performance. "ISO 14001 accreditation indicates that we manufacture and supply environmentally friendly products that conform to stringent policies and procedures" explains Stuart Parker, Eaton's Middleton Site Manager. This has implications for Eaton's customers and for the local community.

"Our neighbours and the local community can rest assured that we are dedicated to the prevention of pollution and the efficient use of raw materials and energy, and that we endeavour to recover, recycle and re-use waste materials wherever possible. Where waste is unavoidable we ensure that correct disposal procedures are followed" says Mr Parker.

"As far as our customers are concerned, accreditation will impact significantly upon retention of our current customer base and, hopefully, bring in new business from customers who are looking for suppliers who can prove that they are environmentally responsible" he continues.

ISO 14000 is a series of international standards which provide a framework for the development of an environmental management system and the supporting audit programme.   At the heart of this series is ISO 14001 which sets out the actual requirements for those aspects of an environmental management system over which a company has control or can be expected to exert an influence. Eaton's Middleton site was independently assessed by ASTA BEAB Certification Services.

Eaton moved to the Middleton site from its old Ace Mill site 1½ miles away in Chadderton, in November 2004. The old Grade 2 listed building, a former Lancashire Cotton Mill, had been occupied by the wiring accessories business since the early 1970s but was no longer suited to modern business operations. The Middleton site houses product assembly facilities, offices, a laboratory, meeting rooms and product display areas on a single level.

The move meant that the company had to rewrite the existing part-completed Environmental Policy and Procedures Manual.

One of the first hurdles which the company had to overcome on the new site was the removal of asbestos from the side of the building and the adjacent canal bank. This followed an Asbestos Audit undertaken early in 2005. The work was completed and the area landscaped at the beginning of May.

Stuart Parker pays tribute to the Environmental Focus Group at Middleton, led by Ken Holt. This also included Facilities and H&S Coordinator, Jon Partridge, Logistics Coordinator, Tom Liddy, and Mr Parker himself.

 

Eaton MEM website: www.eatonelectrical.com/uk

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