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  • July 2023 Environmental Improvement Category Awards Runners Up

    Posted: December 2023

    Decontamination & Laundry Services (DALS) Supplier Relationship Management

    The DALS contract delivery is an example of how procurement led supplier relationship management can drive significant improvements. A core delivery team from Magnox and UniTech Services Group developed an action plan for delivering a series of improvements in the delivery of decontamination services throughout Magnox. Central to this was understanding where environmental improvements could be made.

    Through the procurement phase UniTech were challenged to provide innovative solutions to Magnox’s business challenges. These were then developed and prioritised during a value planning exercise. This process also helped to establish mutual trust and a robust working relationship. In the first year of delivery a number of these improvements have been implemented or developed to the point of implementation.

    These include:

    • Establishing a pool of new respirators and launching these around the sites. More effective management of our respirators has minimised waste, improved consistency and brought increased value for money.
    • Rationalisation of deliveries and collections. Working with the sites UniTech presented the opportunity to minimise the number of visits. Once fully implemented this will save 44,000 miles of HGV use with an environmental reduction of some 42,000 Kg of CO2. This opportunity will also present further environmental improvements. Each collection will result in the return of more launderable PPE allowing for efficiencies in the washing process at Unitech’s facility.
    • Plastic bag reduction. The introduction of launderable packaging is significantly reducing the use of single use plastics. When fully implemented this will prevent the use of thousands of plastic bags.
    • UniTech waste recycling target was increased to 75% with a delivery of 78% in the first year. This will be reviewed year on year to make sure that further improvements are made.
    • Contaminated scaffolding clearance. UniTech are supporting in the clearing and decontamination of over 1,000 tonnes of contaminated scaffolding at Chapelcross site with further support at other Magnox sites.
    • Review of PPE use and management. An optioneering exercise is being undertaken to determine the efficiency of Magnox’s coverall use and management. There is an opportunity to move to more efficient and effective coveralls managed through a pooling arrangement with UniTech.

    These opportunities and many others are possible because of the partnering relationship established between the two organisations. To allow this to happen the Magnox P&SC team, the Head of Radiological Protection and the project’s executive sponsor delivered a procurement sourcing strategy that allowed for a long-term contract. This was a substantial challenge and took several months to get NDA approval and to implement. The hard work in developing the contract, establishing the working relationships and pushing to implement innovations will offer environmental improvements that would have otherwise been lost.