In September 2009 the Gladstone Industry Leadership Group (GILG) collectively launched an employee engagement initiative called the Clean and Healthy Air Management Program (CHAMP). CHAMP puts additional focus on industry environmental performance by building upon the improvement processes used for industry’s other priorities, safety and process efficiency.

As an example of its success, more than 150 easy to implement CHAMP ideas or quick wins have been suggested by GILG employees and shared between all GILG sites.

Before CHAMP, much work had already been done to improve industry environmental performance in Gladstone. One such idea involved the use of the furnace bottom ash produced from burning coal in Gladstone Power Stations’ boilers to make concrete “besser” blocks for the building industry.

The idea was to replace the sand used to make the concrete for these blocks with furnace ash. This approach not only uses a waste product to replace a natural resource but makes a block which is lighter and therefore easier to transport and lay. Additionally, these blocks also have better thermal insulating and fire rating characteristics than traditional concrete blocks.

Trials were conducted in late 2009 and should lead to GPS furnace ash being used by a third party to produce light weight concrete blocks for the Queensland market.

Another idea came from Cement Australia where a number of dirt roads, apron areas around buildings and the staff car park have been sealed with “spray seal” bitumen. “Spray seal” was chosen as it is much less expensive to lay than either asphalt or concrete so more dirt roads could be sealed and thus the most benefit gained from the $80,000 allocated for this project.

The sealing of 2.5 kilometres of dirt roads and other high traffic areas has not only significantly reduced the dust created by site traffic but has made a huge difference to the appearance of the site.

Over coming weeks I will highlight other CHAMP ideas that have been implemented at GILG member sites.

If you have any questions on CHAMP, please go to our forum topic at www.gilg.com.au. Please click here to see photos of the roads and other areas sealed on the Cement Australia site.

If you would like to have your say and don't know how, please click on this link which shows you how to register and make a comment, anonymously if you wish

I look forward to hearing from you soon, cheers, Kurt.

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