A dumper covered with tarpaulin sheets

Tata Steel has strengthened the greening of its supply chain during the past year. A few initiatives taken recently have aimed at ensuring that the company’s partners in business, those who form part of the supply chain, also pay due attention to environment management.

These measures include changes within the process of selecting suppliers, those which suppliers have to follow within the Steel Works and learnings that these partners implement at their premises.

Initiatives at the Steel Works

Every wagon of entire rakes is secured

These are increased involvement of Materials Management Group at design stage; covering of all vehicles carrying dry powdery material with tarpaulin inside Steel Works; maintaining leak proof bodies of the dumpers carrying wet material; washing of the tyres in the tyre washing facilities for all contractor vehicles operating in different areas; and PUC certificate for all vehicles entering Steel Works is mandatory.

Selecting "green" suppliers

With the rationalisation and reduction in the supplier’s base, increased partnership with suppliers and integrating EHS requirements with the purchase specifications, suppliers are motivated to build EHS considerations in their product design. The company hopes to make them more aware of their duty towards the environment as well as retain suppliers who follow Environment Management norms.

Sharing concern for the environment

Through increased exchange of information and ideas during dialogues and by sending out written communication, the company is encouraging its suppliers to seek ISO-14001 / OHSAS-18001 certification and at the same time learn more about environment management. Several training and awareness programmes on ISO-14001 / OHSAS-18001 requirements for suppliers and contractors and communication of the company’s EHS Policy and Code of Conduct have already been undertaken.

Future Strategies

The company plans to install cast house granulation facilities for A, B, C & E Blast Furnaces so as to ensure 100% slag utilisation by 2007. Due to the space limitations at these blast furnaces, discussions have already been initiated with SMS Demag and Paul Wurth to ascertain the feasibility of vertical granulation facilities.

Tata Steel is also promoting use of the LD Slag as a soil conditioner as well as exploring the possibility of using it in the Ceramic industry, in refractories and as a sweetener in cement plants. Within the Steel Works usage of flue dust briquettes is being promoted at LD#1 and LD#2.