County Commercial Bulletin: Manufacturing

Here’s why the industry needs to ‘Go Green’: Top environmental tips

While your manufacturing business may not consider going green as a top concern, recent research revealed that environmental risk has become increasingly prevalent within the industry.

In fact, the manufacturing sector has the second-highest amount of environmental impairment liability (EIL) events out of all sectors. EIL events—which take place when your organisation’s pollution conditions lead to bodily harm, property damage or natural resource destruction—can occur to almost any manufacturing business that produces some degree of by-product from their facility operations. Whether your organisation works with hazardous chemicals or burns waste, consider the following pollution best practices to avoid EIL events:

• Measure your emissions—The first step in ensuring pollution control is to assess the amount of emissions your business releases. Consider any procedures, materials or equipment that could cause pollution.
• Control your risk—After identifying your pollution levels, take steps to reduce potential risks. This includes complying with all necessary regulations, ensuring proper facility ventilation, training staff on environmental precautions, implementing eco-friendly procedures and safely storing hazardous substances on-site.
• Review and reassess—Be sure to include pollution in routine risk assessments to continue controlling new or changing facility emissions. Consider environmental impacts when implementing new procedures or equipment at your facility.

Manufacturers Predict 2019 Risks

With the new year in full swing, now is the time to ensure your business is prepared for the industry’s top risks in 2019. Manufacturers revealed in a recent EEF survey that their greatest concerns include:

• Brexit—2019 is the year of Brexit, and manufacturers are less than excited. Over 70 per cent of respondents agreed that Brexit is the biggest source of business uncertainty in 2019, listing risks such as upward pressure on input costs, delays at customs and significant movements in exchange rates.
• Cyber-security—While 2018 was the year of the GDPR, cyber-security continues to reign as a major concern for over 60 per cent of manufacturers. In response, 25 per cent of organisations plan to take action or increase their efforts against cyber-threats in 2019, while 60 per cent already have initiatives in place.