Socio-economic development

Each Bidfreight company has its own policy and CSI programmes to address the specific needs of the communities engaged by the company. Island View Storage, for example, is closely involved with the Bluff Community Forum. Operations that may affect the community are discussed. The business also contributes to the development of local schools. While most Bidfreight companies contribute in some form to education initiatives, they are also active in various additional programmes, ranging from soup kitchens and street shelters to funding drives to assist cancer sufferers.

Enterprise development

• an investment in an empowerment organisation
• an owner-driver scheme in place at Bidfreight Intermodal
• establishment of canteen services for various suppliers on some of our sites
• business set-up and assistance to meet overheads; and
• grants and loans advanced for business set-up

Opportunities have been identified to empower qualifying enterprises with resources and knowledge so entrepreneurs can better manage their businesses. A supportive approach to payment terms is part of the package.

Environment

Most operations now monitor and measure key indicators of our environmental impact, and have increased environmental awareness among staff. Some initiatives are:

Bulk Connections

A long heritage in bulk handling and lessons learnt in the past are helping the company to achieve its mission to be the most sustainable bulk terminal in southern Africa. Progress has been made in many areas, resulting in long-term benefits. Successes include bestowal of the rail safety permit, the planting of 240 trees and the provision of dust-suppression systems and settling ponds.

• an additional settling pond has been constructed. The terminal now has three settling ponds to catch water runoff and reduce waste running into the sea. Water from these settling ponds is being recycled and is mainly used to douse dusty products to reduce dust levels. Water sprinklers have been installed throughout the plant to further reduce dust
• dust-emissions monitoring is carried out every three months 
• recycling of waste products is monitored and procedures established for recycling paper, fluorescent tubes, ink cartridges, plastic, etc. 
• boreholes to monitor soil contamination are now complete
• all hazardous waste is removed by approved waste removal companies and taken to approved waste sites. Volumes are recorded and certificates provided for load removed  
• concrete walls have been put up between products to reduce contamination.  Procedures have been introduced for oil-spill management, including training in the control of oil spills and the handling of hazardous products
• non-conformance, corrective and preventative action plans have been implemented and applied to all actual and potential problems that affect health, safety and the environment.  All staff have been trained to identify and report environmental non-conformance

Bidfreight Port Operations

Among initiatives to protect the environment are comprehensive systems to prevent lead (handled at Saldanha Bay) from contaminating the bay and affecting the health of staff. A project to instal energy-efficient lighting in our warehouses is nearing completion. Over the last two years, most of the company’s heavier commercial vehicles have been replaced by lighter vehicles and all drivers have been taught how to drive economically. 

Island View Storage

A full-time nursing sister is employed at the on-site clinic. Biological monitoring of staff exposed to hazardous chemicals is conducted regularly. The company has initiated a ship-shore officer function to ensure that dealings with ships are at an international standard for safety purposes (ISGOTT standards).

• reduce / reuse / recycle of waste materials with the goal of zero waste to landfills. Procedural changes to minimise waste generation through slopping of material / line cleaning. Jet mixer installations have been completed to ensure minimal sediment in tanks, thereby minimising waste disposal
• tank integrity testing to ensure safe primary containment of products in tanks
• bund integrity testing and sealing to ensure safe secondary containment of product in the event of any spills
• ground water monitoring (where required)
• tank overfill protection systems installed to avoid spills
• reduction of fuel usage in heating of product, including proper planning of heating, heat exchangers and tank insulation
• change of tank designs to enable products to be stored at higher pressure than normal, thereby reducing evaporation and emissions to the atmosphere. Vapour return lines have been installed for certain products to create a closed system that eliminates emissions
• better utilisation of rail systems by increasing rail siding capacity to allow handling of larger trains, with a favourable impact on road infrastructure
• ‘FOB project’ in Richards Bay to take some products away from road transport in Durban to rail transport in Richards Bay, again with favourable impact on road infrastructure
• use of larger nitrogen storage facilities, enabling energy savings

Manica

• South Africa - new ways of improving energy efficiency are being explored; i.e. the use of battery-operated forklifts rather than diesel-powered forklifts
• Manica (Malawi) Limited has embarked on a project to educate staff about the serious impact of de-forestation and the resultant erosion and silting up of rivers

Rennies Distribution Services

• electricity consumption: warehouse lighting has been replaced with energy-efficient lighting at the Super Terminal and the Paarden Eiland facility. From an operational control perspective, employees are aware of the requirement to reduce consumption, for example, by switching off lights when rooms are unoccupied
• waste generation: a waste separation project and recycling initiatives have been implemented at many facilities. E-waste (old computer equipment) is recycled by a specialist recycler
• fuel consumption: the transport division has implemented many successful measures to reduce diesel consumption, and hence CO2 emissions. Fleet management systems ensure that vehicles and trailers are maintained in a manner that cuts fuel consumption to levels lower than those specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Further fuel reductions were achieved by changing the fleet’s tyre brand. The vehicles have been configured in an innovative way so higher payloads can be transported without detriment to the roads. Higher payloads mean fewer trips, fewer emissions, less noise and lower wear and tear while improving client service. Daily management of the drivers ensures that they drive the vehicles safely and efficiently. Incentives are based on performance against a number of measures, including fuel consumption.

Safcor Panalpina

• energy-saving light bulbs issued to all staff in Gauteng region and head office
• the ‘green tree’ initiative and launch of a campaign to promote general staff awareness of the need to conserve our environment
• power management – lighting and air-conditioning stickers are up at all sites

South African Bulk Terminals

Awareness of the importance of the environment is raised by the company’s ‘Go Green’ campaign, supported through the use of notices, competitions and incentives. Some current initiatives are:

• participation of the DBS terminal in a study to monitor the groundwater at Island View Storage
• refurbishment of our locomotives to ensure optimal energy efficiency. In addition, audiometric screening tests were conducted to ascertain where noise is concentrated and measure noise reduction after the refurbishment
• re-commissioning and where required refurbishment of dust-extraction systems
• construction of an additional oil trap to reduce the risk of oil contaminating storm-water
• thermo-graphic scanning of both terminals, using thermal-imaging technology to identify high risk areas and improve operator safety. Scanning is also a preventative measure to limit possible environmental damage in the event of fire or explosion
• daily deployment of a mechanical sweeper to maintain the Maydon Road area around the RBT terminal. Refuse and road truck spillage are disposed of correctly
• continued replacement of asbestos roof sheeting at our terminals
• replacement of two company vehicles with fuel-efficient vehicles fitted with ABS and airbags
• modifications to our DBS compressed-air system to reduce compressor cycle times and energy consumption
• provision of 100 low-energy globes to major customers for distribution to their staff – part of the extended ‘Go Green’ initiative. This awareness-raising initiative was well received by customers and their staff

Conclusion

Bidfreight will continue to show its commitment to sustainability and engage in initiatives that make a meaningful contribution to our business, our people and communities, and the environment we operate in.