Page 7 - KZN Business Sense Vol.3 No.1
P. 7

KZN



              KwaZulu-Natal
              Business Chambers Council


          SLG IS USHERING IN THE DAWN OF SOUTH AFRICA'S

          NATURAL GAS AGE


                                       gas/MRG. About 40% of SLG MRG  estimated 83% fall in particulate  the cost of environmental impact
                           Nkosinathi
                           Solomon-    sales are to customers that   matter (PM) emissions between  and the imminent carbon tax
                           Group CEO   previously used coal as their  1989 and 2015 owing to the shift  legislation, which will levy R120
                           of SLG      primary fuel source. These gas  from coal to gas.           per ton of CO2 equivalent on
                                       consumers are in proximity to                               emissions. Therefore, the
                                       residential areas, therefore were  Currently, natural gas constitutes  conversion of combustion
                          S   LG       under community pressure to   only 3% of South Africa's energy  equipment to natural gas is often
                                       reduce their greenhouse gas and
                                                                     mix compared to the global norm
                              markets
                                                                                                   economically feasible if not a
                              natural
                                                                                                   carbon footprint. SLG facilitates
                          gas and      particulate matter emissions.  of 25%. Lack of supply, inadequate  strategically astute move to reduce
                                       Another 49% abandoned coal to
                                                                     infrastructure, and abundance of
                          Methane-     comply with stricter environmental  cheaper coal are throttling South  this transition to
                          Rich-Gas     legislation imposed on their  Africa's gas demand growth. The  natural gas by
                          (MRG) in     operations.  About 5% of SLG  recent discovery of up to 100  connecting
                          Gauteng and  customers were previously     trillion cubic feet of natural gas in  customers to the gas
                          KwaZulu-     consuming HFO and its         neighbouring Mozambique is the  pipeline network for
          Natal respectively, to commercial  derivatives.  Therefore, SLG is  game changer the natural gas  those in proximity
          and industrial customers. Natural  making a significant contribution  industry needed.  A gas pipeline or  to the gas pipeline
          gas and MRG have similar chemical  to the global challenge to alleviate  Liquefied Natural Gas shipping  grid. Clients, who
          properties albeit with slight  the impact of greenhouse gas  tankers will bring this Mozambique  are not located near
          differences in methane content and  emissions on the earth's climate.  gas to the South African market.  the gas pipeline
          calorific value. SLG customers use                         The RSA government's recently  system but are less
          gas in a variety of industrial  According to the International  announced 3000 MW gas to power  than 150 kilometres
          applications. Approximately 38%  Gas Union (www.igu.org),  Independent Power Producer    from it, can have gas
          of SLG's customers burn gas to  switching from coal to gas-fired  Programme(IPPP) is expected to  delivered to them by
          produce steam, 26% use gas to  power generation is often the fastest  provide the anchor demand for this  our Compressed
          generate electric power, 30%  and most cost-effective way to  gas.  SLG anticipates that a large-  Natural Gas trucks.
          convert gas to thermal heating, and  improve air quality and reduce  scale gas to power project such as  The natural gas age
          the remainder utilises gas as a  greenhouse gas emissions. Gas-  the government's IPPP will  has finally arrived in
          chemical feedstock.          fired electricity generation emits  stimulate the growth of the  South Africa.
                                       less than 50% greenhouse gas  industrial and consumer gas
           SLG has played a leading role in  emissions when compared to coal-  markets.              Potential
          enabling customers to comply with  fired power stations.  The IGU                        customers can visit
          stricter environmental standards  notes that Germany's policy to shift  Natural gas/MRG is 35% cheaper  our website on
          on greenhouse gas emissions and  from coal to gas in electricity and  than Liquefied Petroleum Gas  www.slgas.co.za to
          air quality. Often investing its  heat generation played a crucial  (LPG), 66% cheaper than  find a natural gas
          capital, SLG has assisted customers  role in Berlin's air quality  illuminating paraffin, and 165%  solution for their
          to convert their combustion  improvements. According to the  cheaper than diesel on an energy  needs.
          equipment from utilising dirtier  IGU, Berlin experienced a 95%  per unit basis. Only coal is cheaper
          fuels such as coal, heavy fuel oil  drop in sulphur oxide (SOx)  than natural gas/MRG. However,  T: 031 812 0555
          (HFO), diesel and illuminating  emissions, 76% decline in nitrous  the former fuel's price has to be  info@slgas.co.za
                                                                                                   www.slgas.co.za
          paraffin to much cleaner natural  oxide (NOx) emissions and an  upwardly adjusted to account for

          BEHAVIOUR BASED SAFETY A FOREIGN CONCEPT


                                         Do you adhere to safety     culture of workplace safety.  it, otherwise it will become a tick
                           Bryan van den
                           Heever -    requirements? Do you report near  Establish clear goals, measurement  box exercise. Management has to
                           Operations  misses? Do you wear the required  tactics, enforcement procedures,  be involved to make this a success.
                           Manager     personal protective equipment  and feedback systems. Build a  If everybody acts safely we will  T: 087 941 7180
                                                                                                                                 bryan@hesscon.co.za
                                       (PPE)? These questions should not  timeline for organisational change  mitigate our risk.  www.hesscon.co.za
                                       be asked daily or on every shift. If  and set benchmarks for short-term
                                       we have a behaviour based safety  wins and long-term milestones.  Hesscon (Pty) Ltd was established  recently expanded our service level
                           B           culture, the entire business will act  Celebrate positive behaviours and  in 2008 in Durban with  agreements to other training
                                       safe. This will lead to less near
                                                                     achievements.
                                                                                                    occupational health and safety
                                                                                                                                 services like, ISO 9001, 14001 and
                                BS or
                           behaviour   misses and or potential incidents  Step 3: Plan for Implementation  (OHS) consulting as the core focus  18001, Soft skills (computer) and
                                       that will bring down the accident
                                                                                                                                 wellness training to provide a
                                                                                                    of the business.
                           based safety  ratio. A simple system to   Introduce workplace safety as the                           more holistic training portfolio.
                           is definitely  implement but resistance to change  new culture and “lifestyle” of the  We have since expanded our
                           not a       will make it hard.            organisation. The way we do it  portfolio to offer three core  Our Management team has over
                           concept                                   at … Administer a brief safety  services namely, Health and Safety  25 years' experience in training,
          South African businesses use.  Through implementing BBS,   attitude questionnaire to obtain  consulting services, the British  the corporate environment and
          Occupational health and safety is  organisations can:      baseline information of employees'  Safety Council international  ten  years' experience in
          already seen as a grudge spend.  • Improve employee health and   existing knowledge, future needs,  practitioner training and the  Occupational Health and Safety
          This principle is widely used and  welfare                 and preferred training or learning  various seta accredited training  consulting and Occupational
          implemented in Europe and the  • Increase job satisfaction  style. Provide general BBS training  products that relate directly to our  Safety Implementation.
          USA. In short, your behaviour  • Improve employee retention   to all staff with an explanation of  consulting services. We have also
          determines your safety. Let's test it.  rates              the general principles and goals.
                                       • Lower or eliminate cost of   Encourage employees to consider
          • When you get into your car do   worker's compensation claims  and share outside-the-box ideas to
           you put the safety belt on   • Reduce costs related to employee  improve job efficiency, safety and
           immediately or do you wait for   medical leave and absenteeism  promote routine feedback.
           the car to remind you via an
           alarm?                        The following steps are required:  Step 4: Put Energy into
                                                                     Implementation and
          • Do you speed in your car?  Step 1: Establish a Need for  Sustainability
                                       Change                          Launch the new programme with
          • Do you drive and text or take   Recognise that a current system  a spirited kick-off event promoting
           calls when driving?         that relies on systematic     positivity and overall commitment.
                                       preventative measures and     Regular communication, consistent
           If you answered yes to the first  controls, and reactive training and  support, and ongoing feedback at
          and no to the rest your behaviour  behaviour correction is not  all levels of the organisation are
          will determine your safety. Apart  successful at increasing long term  critical for the success of the
          from the other drivers, you have  workplace safety.        programme.
          acted safely to that point. You can't
          answer sometimes. It's yes or no.  Step 2: Create a Plan of Action  Once you have the system in
          So let's take this concept to work.   Define the elements of a new  place remember to keep on driving







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