Lanes for Drains super depot achieves global environmental standard

Lanes for Drains’ newest depot – the hub for one of the largest wastewater network service operations in the UK – has achieved a globally-recognised standard for protecting the environment. The ‘super’ depot in Slough, Berkshire, has proved that it complies with the rigorous requirements of ISO 14001 which sets standards for energy use, waste management, recycling and pollution control. It is the second ISO 14001 accreditation achieved by the Lanes Group. The company’s rail division, based in Rainham, Essex, achieved the standard in 2010. John Glover, the Health, Safety, Environment & Quality Manager at Lanes Group, said: “We achieved ISO 14001 accreditation at Slough from a standing start in just three months. “This is a significant achievement, especially given the size of the new operation and the speed with which it has been mobilised. It reflects the robust environmental protection procedures Lanes already had in place.” Lanes for Drains, the UK’s largest independent drainage specialist, opened the new depot on Slough Trading Estate in 2012, after just four months of operational planning, to manage two major wastewater network service contracts for a large water utility company. It is the main hub for a range of services, including emergency blockage clearance, internal and external flooding response, pollution control, remedial drainage repairs – delivered by more than 300 engineers and a fleet of 235 vehicles from four depots. From the outset, Lanes for Drains has been determined that the Slough depot should set the highest standards in the drainage industry, and that has included environmental protection. ISO 14001 provides a core set of international standards that organisations like Lanes for Drains can use to design the most effective environment management systems. Lanes for Drains was able to demonstrate it met the ISO 14001 standard thanks to a range of specific measures, including: • Deployment of only the most modern, fuel efficient vehicles • Use of GPS tracking software so work is scheduled efficiently • Supply of spillage protection equipment to react quickly to pollution emergencies • Robust policies and procedures for ensuring environmental protection is considered in all activities John Glover said: “We took the decision to drive environmental performance by introducing an internationally recognised environmental standard as a platform upon which we could build. “ISO 14001 sets out a formal structure by which we must identify and evaluate in detail all potential and actual impacts our undertakings have on the environment. “We then have to prioritise the higher impacts and allocate actions to remove or reduce the impact to that of an acceptable level. Time frames are allocated where necessary. Only when this was done at Slough could we be registered. “Achieving the ISO 14001 standard at Slough gives clear assurance to our client, and its customers, that we take our responsibility to protect the environment seriously, and will always do so.”