our retention,” he says. “So we’re losing fewer employees and our plants run better because there are fewer upset conditions. So it’s had a number of really phenomenal ripple effects that really goes to show that the term ‘safety pays’ is really true.” With a full-time staff of 40 people, as well as up to 35 contractors that assist with maintenance, this same safety-to-success sentiment can be found on site at Entwistle and demonstrates how the program has really helped the company grow. “If you define success by being safe then at the end of the day we can say ‘yes we are very successful’ and the rest will come,” says Marcus Ziesman, plant manager of the Entwistle facility. “If you establish that mindset and do it safely first it will automatically lead to performance improvements. “That’s exactly what we’ve seen happen, a moderate up curve over the last month and a half, really just ramping up very nicely,” Ziesman says. “At the end of the day people understand their place, the risks, and the hazards, but also know the exact systems in place and are trained and competent. That’s how we define success here.” Introduced in 2015, Owning Safety was the answer to a question that many pellet plants had surrounding occupational hazards. The internally created program forced Pinnacle to pinpoint its deficiencies and make the necessary changes to improve their safety record, but also their day-to-day operations. The benefit of this plan is perfectly demonstrated in 2018 alone with the company already seeing great success with its new production facility in Entwistle, as well as the redevelopment of a particleboard plant in Smithers, and initial public offering of its parent company, Pinnacle Renewable Holdings Inc., on the Toronto Stock Exchange. One of the world’s top pellet manufacturers, Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. produces roughly 1.5 million metric tonnes of product a year and has multiple long-term take-or-pay contracts with utilities in the U.K., Europe and Asia. In Canada, however, the company currently only sells to domestic consumers, as the industrial market is nowhere near as strong as it is throughout Europe and Asia. According to Bax, who says the Entwistle plant was designed to allow for future expansion, the company hopes that some of that future growth will be due to an upswing in the Canadian market. “We look forward to the day that a utility wants to reduce its carbon footprint, burn wood pellets and catch up with some of the other countries that are definitely more environmentally progressive,” he says. “The opportunities here would mean we don’t have to ship the product around the world to create that benefit that wood pellets can create from a power generation perspective.” “We try to be vocal in the provinces of Alberta, B.C., and across Canada on seeing pellets as part of that sustainable energy solution for society’s needs,” Bax says. Currently, it is estimated that Pinnacle’s product contributes more than one per cent of the total electricity produced in the U.K. • Shield your manufacturing process and people from dust explosions with CV Technology. Let CV Technology offer peace of mind to your company and employees. Global Leader In Explosion Protection With CV Technology products and care, you’ll be better protected from dust explosions. ÷6XSSUHVVLRQ ÷,VRODWLRQ ÷9HQWLQJ ÷)ODPHOHVV9HQWLQJ ÷'XVW7HVWLQJ ÷26+$$QG1)3$&RPSOLDQFH www.cvtechnology.com Talk to CV Technology today about how to shield your people and process from combustible dust. Call now 561.694.9588 or go to www.cvtechnology.com Canadian BIOMASS 19
Canadian Biomass September-October 2018: Page 19
