Executive Summary Antaris has designed and delivered a Circular Economy Leaders programme in partnership with Central Solutions. The programme was delivered successfully last Autumn, resulting in all participating organisations taking the initial steps in transitioning
Power Property had health and safety documentation in place but required it to be updated to reflect the growth it had experienced over the previous five years. It also needed it to be updated to
Antaris Consulting began working with Archaeological Management Solutions in March 2020, with the initial task of implementing ISO9001:2015 in order to meet tender requirements. Additional requirements arose for ISO 14001, and then ISO 45001. AMS
In 2002, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) identified the need to carry out a comparative assessment of the health and safety performance of its numerous, country-wide and internationally located businesses. ESB decided to commission Antaris and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to undertake this review of its business units including Networks, Power Generation, Consultancy and Commercial activities. This assessment was to be carried out in order to evaluate the “health” of the health and safety management system of each business unit, and to measure and ultimately improve its health and safety performance.
In order to compare the performance of the different locations, Antaris and NSAI developed a benchmarking assessment software tool (BAT), which was modelled on the requirements of OHSAS 18001, the occupational health and safety management system standard, and customized to reflect the particular health and safety issues within the ESB.
Together we defined a BAT model based on seven sets of “drivers” and three sets of “results”. The “drivers” specified what an organisation should do in order to implement an effective health and safety management system and encompassed all of the requirements of OHSAS 18001. The “results” detailed outcomes achieved through implementation of the drivers and demonstrated a commitment to continual improvement and best practice.
Each “driver” and “result” were assessed by means of a set of questions, which were scored on a scale of 1 to 5 based on the response of the business unit to the questions.
Antaris and NSAI assessed in excess of 120 locations and developed a software to capture the findings and produce a benchmarking assessment report for each site.
As a result, Antaris and NSAI helped the ESB to map out the health and safety performance across the various units and identify opportunities for improvement. This resulted in a marked reduction in the number of accidents and incidents. The benchmark assessment process also accelerated the drive for certification to OHSAS 18001 throughout the ESB.
‘ESB has operations in a large number of countries worldwide. As we strive towards our goals of zero injuries to staff and minimising our impact on the environment we are also aware of the need to comply with the varying legal obligations that apply to these matters in different jurisdictions. Keeping abreast of evolving relevant legislation is a critical challenge for our company. I have found that the TMS Register of Legislation and Compliance Tool provides me with a tailored and cost-effective means of meeting this need and gives me the assurance that we are up to date regarding our statutory safety and environmental obligations’
Owen Wilson, Manager Group Health, Safety and Environment, ESB
Continuous improvement, legal compliance and superior management of internal matters are at the heart of corporate strategy for Cara Partners, a bulk pharmaceutical manufacturer based in Little Island Industrial Estate in County Cork. Cara Partners is a French-German joint venture which manufactures a standardised Extract of Ginkgo Biloba, an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). In support of its continuous improvement strategy, Cara Partners decided to implement a management system based on the requirements of the OHSAS 18001, international health and safety management standard. The company selected Antaris to provide assistance and support in implementing this highly recognised health and safety management system.
At the beginning of the project, we conducted a baseline evaluation of Cara Partners’ health and safety performance and used it as the basis for the new health and safety management system. The review also helped to identify health and safety legal requirements. An online register of health and safety legislation was developed using Antaris’ software application Pegasus Legal Register. Pegasus was also used to assess the company’s compliance with relevant legislation and to generate an improvement action plan. Cara Partners conducted hazard identification and risk assessments in a wide range of specialist areas, including ATEX, HAZOP, chemical exposure, manual handling, ergonomics, legionella and occupational hygiene. We worked with the company to ensure that the documented assessments met the requirements of the standard. We also developed a health and safety manual which provided a road map to the overall system and references to all documents and records required by the standard. The OHSAS 18001 Management System was further documented, including the OHS Policy, Emergency Plan, Safety Statement, and operational health and safety procedures, based on existing materials where possible. Objectives and targets were documented in a Health and Safety Management Programme, linked to the risk assessment programme and the register of legislation. We carried out a comprehensive pre-assessment audit of the management system and provided support in the corrective and preventive action process.
As a result of this successful cooperation between Cara Partners and Antaris, the company achieved certification to the OHSAS 18001 in early 2009. Implementation of the certified management system has helped Cara Partners to deliver improvements in health and safety performance and to increase the levels of employees’ involvement in the improvement process. We continue to assist the company in maintaining their health and safety management system as required. This ensures a high level of efficiency due to the familiarity with the system in place and flexibility in the level of involvement.
‘ESB has operations in a large number of countries worldwide. As we strive towards our goals of zero injuries to staff and minimising our impact on the environment we are also aware of the need to comply with the varying legal obligations that apply to these matters in different jurisdictions. Keeping abreast of evolving relevant legislation is a critical challenge for our company. I have found that the TMS Register of Legislation and Compliance Tool provides me with a tailored and cost-effective means of meeting this need and gives me the assurance that we are up to date regarding our statutory safety and environmental obligations’
Owen Wilson, Manager Group Health, Safety and Environment, ESB
‘We use Antaris to help us comply with the vast regulations regarding health and safety in the workplace. In addition to this Antaris help us with different aspects of our management systems, including audits, inspections and procedures. The Pegasus on-line compliance tool is excellent and the people are very knowledgeable.’
Richard Meaney, Health & Safety Officer, Cara Partners
The Munster Regional Communications Centre (MRCC) is part of a national network of fire service mobilisation and communications centres. Handling over 30,000 emergency calls per year, the MRCC provides emergency call-taking and mobilisation services for 10 Local Authority Fire Services in the Munster Region and for Limerick Marine Search and Rescue.
MRCC’s top management decided to implement a recognised internal system for quality to address a variety of needs, including more formalised control of their operational activities to ensure consistency and transparency and proof of quality of their service and performance to external stakeholders.
ISO 9001, the international standard for quality management systems (QMS), was chosen by MRCC as the most appropriate standard to address these needs. After an extensive tender process, we were selected by Limerick City Council to provide guidance and consultancy to the MRCC in the implementation of a formal QMS based on the requirements of ISO 9001 and to lead the organisation on the path to certification.
Our consultants worked closely with the top management of MRCC and their project team throughout the project providing practical support and advice.
We analysed the existing systems in the MRCC and identified their gaps against the requirements of ISO 9001. Under our guidance, MRCC developed a Quality Policy and defined the strategic direction and goals of the new management programme. We also developed and delivered QMS awareness training for all staff, enabling their buy-in and participation throughout the project. All the mandatory ISO 9001 documentation was generated and the already existing system elements were integrated into the new QMS. We trained MRCC’s internal QMS audit team allowing them to continue the continual improvement of the system and supported the development of their main processes and a formal Quality Manual.
The MRCC system was awarded certification to the internationally recognised ISO 9001 quality standard by the National Standards Authority of Ireland in 2005. The Centre has successfully maintained this certification and continues to improve its QMS.
Our work has helped MRCC to continually improve their performance in managing emergency fire response and to demonstrate the quality of its service to customers and other stakeholders. The project has been particularly important for the organisation in giving credibility to their internal systems.
In 2006 the Centre’s quality management project was nominated for the European UDITE award for performance improvement (UDITE is a professional networking organisation for local government chief executives across Europe). Following an intensive national and European audit process the project finally finished in the top four UDITE European projects. The project was also presented at the LGMSB’s Excellence in Public Service conference in Dublin in 2006.
‘Antaris provided guidance and support during MRCC’s quest to achieve certification to the ISO 9001 quality standard in 2005. They played a critical part towards the implementation of the standard, training, correlation of documentation, policies and manuals and our continued success with subsequent certification.’
Alison Morris, Quality Management Representative, Munster Regional Communications Centre
Boliden Tara Mines Limited, part of the Boliden AB group, operates Europe’s largest zinc mine at Navan, County Meath, with approximately 690 employees. Mining offers unique challenges as the energy requirement for ore handling, water pumping and ventilation increases as deeper and more remote areas are mined. The company expends considerable energy operating the underground mine and surface processing plant and maintains a 25.5 megawatt / 110 Kv power supply network through its on-site sub-station.
In 2006, the company decided to tackle its energy efficiency and selected Antaris to assist it in implementing an energy management system standard.
Antaris carried out a comprehensive review of energy sources on-site, including electricity, oil and LPG, and undertook an assessment of the main energy uses, factors, equipment and costs both above and below ground for the previous three years. This formed the basis of a Review of Energy Aspects document (which considered past, present and predicted energy usage, opportunities for improvement and the key roles of Boliden Tara Mines personnel in energy management), to enable the company to effectively assess and manage its energy usage.
Antaris then evaluated Boliden Tara Mines’ legal obligations and other requirements relating to energy, and prepared an online Register of Energy Legislation using Antaris’ flagship software product Pegasus Legal Register (to complement the existing Pegasus Registers of Environment and Health & Safety legislation).
Based on the Review of Energy Aspects and these legal and other requirements, Antaris then prepared a Register of Opportunities for Improvement and assisted Boliden Tara Mines in setting energy objectives and measures (Energy Performance Indicators) to ensure improved energy efficiency at the relevant operating levels through a documented energy management programme.
Antaris then matched the roles and responsibilities of key personnel to energy management, reviewed operational procedures as they related to energy usage, procurement and design, and identified specific communication and training requirements for the programme in the light of Boliden Tara Mines’ existing Environmental Management System, ISO 14001 and Health & Safety Management System, OHSAS 18001.
Throughout the programme, Antaris sought to integrate existing environmental and health & safety management system requirements into the energy management system, including internal audits, non-conformance, corrective and preventive action and review.
As a result of our work in helping the company to implement its energy management system, Boliden Tara Mines achieved certification to IS 393, the Irish Energy Management Standard in 2008 and upgraded to EN 16001, the new European Energy Management Standard in 2010.
The company is now making significant energy savings, resulting in lower costs and a greater return on investment, thanks to an increased awareness throughout Boliden Tara Mines of its energy requirements and a better understanding and management of its systems and equipment efficiencies.
‘We have found Antaris to be a technically excellent and very cost-effective partner since 2006 and the relationship continues.’
Dónal Ó Murchú, Manager of Concentrates and Tailings, Boliden Tara Mines
Client: Hewlett Packard
Project Date: September 12. 2012
Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world’s largest IT company, has operated in Ireland at its Leixlip facility for approximately 20 years and has been consistently committed to a sustainable environment. For example, HP was one of the first manufacturers in Ireland to introduce PCs that can ‘power down’ when not in use, earning the company the respected Energy Star Label.
As part of its commitment to environmental improvement and sustainable development HP Ireland decided to implement a formal environmental management system (EMS) in order to achieve ISO 14001 certification, the international environmental management system. HP decided to engage Antaris to help implement this system.
We conducted an initial environmental review to assess the company’s existing EMS, identify any gaps against the requirements of the standard and provide a basis for the new documented system. We also assisted the company in identifying and evaluating (the identification and evaluation of) environmental aspects and helped it to understand its legal environmental obligations using Antaris’ software Pegasus Legal Register. Legal compliance requirements and obligations were linked to the company’s improvement programme.
We developed an Environmental management system manual and an Environmental procedures manual, including references to all documents and records required by the standard. The environmental management system was further documented based on existing materials where possible, including the Environmental policy, Corporate standards, Emergency plans and procedures.
Shortly after HP implemented the new environmental management system it received ISO 14001 certification. The system has now been operating for some years and continues to deliver environmental improvements to the company. Antaris continue to provide support when required, including, for example, periodic independent assessment of compliance with environmental legislation.
‘‘We have been using the services of Antaris for many years and have found them to be professional, competent and totally customer focused.’’
Ping Lee, EHS Program Manager, Hewlett-Packard
Founded in 1994, Antaris are leading experts in management systems implementation & training, and Environmental, Social & Governance.
