In September 2009, our environmental champions in South Wales; Pam Chase (Admin Support, Bedwas) and Rachel Joseph (Business Manager, Utilities, Bedwas) met with Daniel Group Environmental Co-ordinator Jennifer Strong (Warrington) and Rhodri Thomas from Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales to discuss Daniel’s involvement in reaching sustainable development across Wales.

As a Sustainable Responsible Business we are committed to managing the economic, social and environmental impacts of our operations. Our ability to develop close working relationships with a number of organisations, like Sustain Wales, ensures we always look for new ways to protect the environment and support our local communities.

Alongside Sustain Wales it is our aim to increase awareness and positive action for sustainable development through the establishment of Network Partners, allowing us to share, learn and collaborate with other organisations to aid Best Management Practice.

Becoming a Network Partner highlights our commitment to sustainable development, ensuring we balance our company aims with responsible environmental considerations.

Sustain Wales is a sustainable development organisation funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. They work with communities, private organisations and public bodies as an awareness group trying to educate and bring together different parties with the aim of achieving sustainable development across Wales.

The Glenmavis project team, working hand in glove with an expert team from National Grid, achieved early completion of the 1.25km x 600mm diameter pipeline diversion across Drumshangie Moss near Glasgow after an intensive 12 week, 7 days a week accelerated programme.

The contract ‘Gas On’ date was bettered by 7 days whilst incorporating two weeks of additional civil engineering grouting works. These became necessary to improve the uncertain ground conditions following the discovery of previously unknown coal extraction activities over the past centuries.

Environmental safeguards included the protection of Great Crested Newts, provision of exclusion zones around otter sites and the fencing off of a SINC site. Environmental standards were high throughout and the Project was awarded National Grids “Rowan Tree Award” for the protection and translocation of newts during pond removal. The prize for winning the award is a donation to the local school. New Monkland Primary & Nursery in the village of Glenmavis received an L-shaped Planter with seating and a Bird Box with Web Cam, courtesy of NG and LMNJV.

Connection of the diversion to the existing main was carried out by the bifurcated stoppling process, a complex live stoppling procedure carried out under National Grid’s non routine operation system and much midnight oil was burnt in the process!

The LION process of Hazard Spotting and removal has been applied to great effect with over 450 hazards removed and 17 LION champions recognised to date

The renewable energy generator Blue-NG has chosen Land and Marine to build its first two renewable power stations. We start work shortly on the first site at Beckton in East London.

Commenting upon the decision to appoint Land and Marine, Blue-NG’s Chief Executive Andrew Mercer said: “This was a very competitive tender which attracted high quality applicants. I’m confident that Land and Marine’s worldwide experience in this sector will enable them to deliver this pioneering project on time. The signing of this contract means we can now get on with the task of helping London to meet its renewable generation and carbon dioxide reduction targets.”

The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant fuelled by sustainably grown and locally sourced liquid biomass (rapeseed oil) will provide electricity for some 50,000 homes and heat for district heating or local industry. Blue-NG has developed a new model of CHP called Combined Heat and intelligent Power (ChiP) which will be located on gas pressure reduction stations owned by National Grid and the Beckton plant will be the first of its kind in the world. Heat from the engine will be used in the gas pre-heating process, which is a necessary part of the pressure reduction process.

A planning application for the second ChiP plant at Southall in West London is currently being considered by Ealing Borough Council and the Greater London Authority. Subject to planning consent, Land and Marine would start construction at Southall later this summer, with both plants due to be operational by the end of 2011.

Mark Fairbairn, Executive Director of Gas Distribution at National Grid said: “Land and Marine have been trusted partners in many of our construction projects. I’m delighted that they will be helping Blue-NG to pioneer a new model of local energy generation and distribution from our gas pressure reduction stations.”

Adam Wynne Hughes, Managing Director of Land and Marine said:
“This award acknowledges the hard work of our Tendering and in-house Energy design teams and I am delighted to see Land & Marine working on such a prestigious project, contributing to the UK’s renewable energy targets.

Land and Marine continues to expand its capabilities within the renewable power plant market, complimenting the range of pioneering and innovative projects the business has undertaken within the UK and overseas during the past 50 years. This exciting and challenging project is a wonderful opportunity for all involved to build upon our past successes “

In August we donated £400 to Wyndham Boys and Girls Club to help fund a Community Fun day at Nantymoel RFC.
 
In a recent letter to our Consult Representatives, we found that Wyndham community had, in the past, struggled to keep Community events going and some Institutions, like the girls and boys club, had ceased to exist. Apart from providing help to young people in the community, the club is also a venue for many Birthday Parties and is even the local Polling station at election time, our donation has therefore not only allowed members of the community to participate in a fun day out but also helped raise additional funds which can be ploughed back into the community and keep the club running.

Despite classic British weather, the rain didn’t dampen the spirit of the people running the Fun Day or indeed those attending. Consult Representatives Keith Burridge and Gwilym Thomas went down to Nantymoel RFC to show their support and were greeted by Mr. Stan Norris M.B.E. and members of the clubs committee who thanked Daniel for the generous donation that enabled them to fund and pay for the event to take place.

The Fun Day included
five a side football competitions, stalls selling food and drink and a visit by the local fire brigade to educate the children and adults on the danger of fires and show how fire equipment is used.

Subterra is currently using its Rolldown PE pipe lining process to convert 3.5km of an old 12” cast iron sewage pumping main for supplying drinking water to the 2012 Olympic Village in East London.

Pipeway and Subterra are relatively new boys in the Daniel family of companies, with Pipeway having joined in November 2007 and Subterra in March 2008. Subterra’s home is in Sturminster Marshall, near Poole in Dorset, where it has its main office, workshop and specialist equipment yard. Subterra also operates a satellite facility close by in Dorchester where it manufactures its specialist pipelining resins. Pipeway’s operations are centred near Burgess Hill in Sussex where it has its main office and workshop facilities and equipment yard. Together, the Subterra/Pipeway team presently has a complement of 40, with 10 of these on site and 4 at the Dorchester resin production facility.

Both Subterra and Pipeway are nationally and internationally recognised specialists and innovators in the field of utility in-situ pipe lining technologies. Together, Subterra and Pipeway have an enviable record, experience and capability in the field of in-situ spray lining of pipelines. Subterra historically has developed and produced its own resins, at peak delivering over 500,000 litres each year to its own business and to other spray lining contractors. The two companies have also between them manufactured over 80 resin spray lining rigs, and have lined in excess of 5,000km of pipelines in the UK and overseas over the years.

The specialist nature of Subterra and Pipeway’s business offerings has meant that they have taken both direct contracts with utility and industrial clients, and also have worked as specialist subcontractors to main contractors. Between them, at one time or another, they have worked for all of the main gas and utility clients in the UK and their term contractors; for many leading industrial companies; and for a wide network of clients throughout the World. Current projects include resin spray lining works for Wessex Water in the South West of England, for Aguas de Barcelona in Spain, and for the BAM-Nelis company in Holland; a major close-fit PE lining contract for Thames Water in East London to supply the Olympic Village with drinking water; and ongoing meter installation and associated minor works for Portsmouth Water.

In July 2009, Daniel purchased 12 JCB 3CX models - but these are not your average backhoe loaders ... glistening in the yard like new blue pins, the traditional yellow JCB has been Daniel-ised!

The JCB 3CX was chosen due to its ergonomic layout and its ability to provide easy operation and high productivity. The addition of the JCB TorqueLock will also result in faster journey times and a saving of up to 25% in fuel, which in itself contributes to our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint.

The purchase of these vehicles is part of our fleet replacement to upgrade existing assets and highlights our commitment to investing in the future.

Delivering Differently
To support and assist our service offering and provide a 24 / 7 service, it is paramount to be able to rely on the availability of specialist equipment and vehicles as provided by our Plant and Transport department. We therefore own the specialist equipment needed to provide these various services as well as a large general plant and tool fleet numbering over 5000 assets.

Following administration of the existing contractor, Daniel were approached by the North Wales Trunk Road Agency (NWTRA) to undertake remaining works for the Penyclip tunnel and footbridges.

The scheme comprised the construction of two foot/cycle bridges running parallel to and crossing the A55 westbound carriageway at Penyclip, near Llanfairfechan. 

The works included; Reinforced concrete barrier works, fencing and pedestrian barriers, surfacing, bridge jacking and baseplate grouping, footway construction, kerbing and minor drainage work.

Apart from taking responsibility for the Clients nominated Sub-Contractors, we also engaged our own supply chain partners to undertake specialist finishing and concrete remedial works as part of the original remit.

Our Head of Civils North Wales, Geoff Daw, commented “Successful completion of the project was secured on time through commitment, collaboration and a partnering approach adopted by the Daniel Project Delivery Team and the client.”

UVDB Verify is a standard SHEQ assessment scheme run by Achilles on behalf of subscribing utilities (i.e. United Utilities) and suppliers (i.e. Daniel).

Focussed primarily on contracts with a high emphasis on SHEQ, the scheme provides an opportunity for suppliers to demonstrate their SHEQ capability and in turn provides utility companies with the opportunity to benchmark potential suppliers before awarding contracts of work.

Following a recent audit by our Achilles Verify Assessor at our Rhiwgoch Water Treatment Works project, we are pleased to announce improvements on our 2008 site scores. Scores for 2009 were as follows; 

Area	2009 Scores
Health and Safety	98.6
Environment	97.8
Quality	100

Our improved scores demonstrate to industry and clients alike our commitment to improving and developing our SHEQ systems and procedures.

Congratulations to the Team involved in preparing and hosting the assessment; Ioan Roberts (Project Manager – Rhiwgoch), Judith Jones (QA Advisor), Jennifer Strong (Environmental Co-ordinator), Sye Channer (SHE Manager) and Nicola Spencer (SHE Manager & Analyst).

We are pleased to announce that we have now recruited the skills of selected supervisors  within various areas of the business to assist in the assessment of candidates attending the forthcoming internal NVQ level 2 programmes for; Network Construction Operations Water and Street works.

In order to qualify, the assessors had to attend a demanding fast track A1 assessor accreditation course sponsored by City and Guilds

Our Head of Term Partnerships, Steve McElveen, in conjunction with Samantha Anthony and Jan Best from Ystrad-Mynach College were delighted to present the candidates with their “Licence to Assess”.

The Metering Teams on the NMC contract celebrate zero GSS payments during May 2009.  

Guaranteed Standards of Service, or GSS, are agreed with the Water Regulator and paid automatically to customers when appointments aren’t kept or when complaints aren’t answered in time. 

During May, the Metering Teams on the NMC Contract fitted over 2500 meters within the 90 day target period with zero GSS payments due. Congratulations to all the staff involved that have worked towards this achievement.

Our Metering Manager, South Wales, Lucy Mason commented “This is a great achievement and reflects the continual improvements being made by Daniel staff to ensure that customer meters are fitted on time every time.”

On the 1st May we received a call from Glastonbury Festival organisers who were in the process of building a new potable water reservoir on the Festival site at Worthy Farm. The organisers explained that if the reservoir wasn’t in service by 1st June, then this year’s festival would be cancelled due to a failure to meet the criteria set to obtain the required Planning Permission from the Local Authority.

Our Private Works South West team were recommended to festival organisers by Bristol Water, so the call for help was made and we didn’t disappoint. After an impromptu initial site meeting, a two man team of Geoff and Jamie King were dispatched to the site to start work.

By the end of the week, over 100m of inlet and outlet main had been laid and pressure tested ready for Cordon Sanitaire to chlorinate. Geoff and Jamie were also called upon for their invaluable experience to assist the festival site manager with the tricky pipe work in and around the pump station.

The end result being that the new reservoir could be filled for a watertight test ahead of schedule and in time for the festival.

Phill Miller, Glastonbury Festival Infrastructure Manager commented “A big thank you must go to Daniel Contractors for their speedy and expert response, which went a long way in helping to ensure this years Festival goes ahead.”

As part of our framework contract in North Wales, Daniel have been requested by United Utilities Operational Services (UUOS) to upgrade the existing Raw Water Inlet Main to the Water Treatment works at Rhiwgoch that Daniel are also in the process of upgrading.

The existing Raw Water Inlet Main (laid in 1961) supplies raw water from Llyn Eiddew Mawr to the existing treatment works at Rhiwgoch; we are upsizing this main to supply a larger flow of raw water to the upgraded treatment works.

UUOS / Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water have been granted permitted development rights to replace and upgrade the existing pipe which is laid within Snowdonia National Park. The terrain of the pipeline has numerous Archaeological features and passes so, as part of the permitted development approval, Snowdonia National Park insisted that the method of working minimises any damage to the existing landscape.
           
As such, Daniel are in the process of converting pipe bursting and pipe carrying equipment to run on tracks by modifying 6T tracked dumpers, the use of which will minimise any disturbance to the existing landscape in this terrain.

A considered approach to environmental, social and visual aspects of the works is critically important to reduce the impact of the works on the environment.

Daniel received an emergency phone call on a recent Saturday afternoon from United Utilities/ Scottish Catchment informing us that they had experienced a burst on an existing 900mm Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pumping main.

The pipeline that had burst was on the beach at Douglas Terrace, Dundee and subject to tidal conditions. Our North West Civil Engineering Team, who have extensive experience in this type of work, mobilized over the weekend and by Tuesday of the next week (just 3 days later) they were constructing a temporary cofferdam to ascertain the leak. It was soon established that the problem was due to corroded coupling and previously poorly installed materials – not by Daniel!

Ground conditions and working the two tides per day proved tricky but the team was successful and the repairs were completed within 10 days.

During the de-mobilisation a second leak was discovered approximately 20m from the first leak. As all the equipment was still on site, we completed the second repair within 7 days to the satisfaction of our clients who appreciated our fast response and the quality of workmanship undertaken.

Our Head of Civil Engineering, Northern Region, Martin Oakes commented “I would like to congratulate the Team, led by Lee Miller, for their hard work and commitment to complete this repair under difficult conditions. Their efforts highlight the reasons why our clients have the confidence to call us at short notice to deliver Works to the highest standard.”

Daniel awarded Safety Shield and Safety Certificate for an outstanding safety plan and performance.

Daniel has recently been recognised by the Swansea & West Wales Occupational Safety Group with two Safety awards. All entries go through a rigorous selection process with the judging panel chaired by a member of the Health and Safety Executive.

The award ceremony took place on the 03 April 2009 at the Manor Park Country House, Clydach, Swansea with awards being presented by representatives of the Health and Safety Executive.

The first award received was the Safety Certificate based on Accident Statistics during 2008. The certificate is a reward for achieving excellent health and safety statistics with an accident record below the industry average. The second award was the prestigious ‘Safety Shield’ based on our safety programme.

Our Southern Region Health and Safety Manager, Seamus Doyle commented “We are very proud to have been recognised for our dedication to implementing and maintaining robust health and safety objectives which not only encourage continual improvement but ensure the safety and well-being of all our employees, customers and stakeholders. We are very proud of all our employees who are the true champions of health and safety. The two awards are recognition for their support and dedication.

We are pleased to announce that, following an audit by Lloyds Register, Daniel has achieved ‘Partial’ Accreditation to the Gas Industry Registration Scheme (GIRS).

Our documentation has now been formally recognised as complying with the stringent technical, quality and safety requirements of the GIRS Guidance Document (GIG2) and demonstrates to clients and industry alike our competence in this field.

This achievement further enhances our competence in the marketplace and demonstrates our genuine commitment to becoming a formally recognised Multi Utilities Service Provider.

The Thirlmere Aqueduct, constructed over 100 years ago, is a major supplier of water from the Lake District to Manchester.

For the third consecutive year, the Northern Civils Team successfully completed work on the general maintenance and refurbishment of the Thirlmere Aqueduct.

To undertake construction work over the 135km length, 105 employees (including subcontractors) were trained to the highest standard of confined space working.

A big congratulations to Dave Johnson (Project Manager), Glenn Mallinson (Deputy Project Manager), Dave Townley, Lee Miller, Ian Crowe, Jeff Adams (General Foreman), David Butterworth (Design Manager), Tom Walsh, Roger Pledger (Design Support) and the safety team of Jerry Mather, Mike Readman and John Moffat, who continued the works through an intensive 4 week period of 12 hour days and weekend working.