A firm to be reckoned with

All our efforts to cut waste have paid off with a prestigious certificate to render Yorkshire Laser and Fabrication an environmentally sound company.
After six months of rigorous preparation spearheaded by YLF Quality Manager Ivor Goodenough, we have been awarded the highly regarded ISO 14,001 environmental accreditation.
It goes hand in hand with our long standing ISO 9,001 certification which is the industry standard quality seal of approval.
We at YLF have always been professional but such accreditations help to give us an edge. Furthermore, as one of the UK’s leading sheet metal fabrication and laser cutting companies serving industries in the lighting, pharmaceutical, and telecommunication industries, we have to show customers we are environmentally sound and have the governmental certificate to prove it.
To achieve the 14,001 we had to analyse our existing processes for ways to cut waste, including the use of raw materials such as gas, air, water and electricity and disposal methods.
One such change we have made is in the disposal of the bi-products of compressed air.
We used to get a chemical company to take away drums full of contaminated watery oil but now we have invested £1,500 in the right equipment to do it ourselves.
Yorkshire Water has tested the water and given us a certificate to say the watery oil is now clean enough to be automatically pumped into our own foul drain through a carbon filter.
Disposing of it on our own premises cuts down on the expense and environmental impact of a company coming out and doing it.
We also looked at hazards such as oil or fluid spills both in and outside the factory that were at risk of contaminating drains.
To prevent that happening we installed a bund (large container) into which any leaks go instead of the drains.
This has saved us the cost of an expensive clean-up as well as the risk of contamination.
In addition, we have also put spill kits over the top of drains in the event of delivery lorries spilling oil when goods to our works.
As far as packaging is concerned we are trying to use more pallet wrap and banding in place of heat shrink which we need a lot of. We have also been considering reclaimed cardboard, although it is expensive.
We carry out laser profiling so we use a lot of electricity but we are instilling it in our workforce to be mindful of switching off machines when they’re not being used.
Our new fabrication workshop is environmentally cutting edge and employs low watt and emergency lighting. Thankfully our use of chemicals is minimal and we don’t store any on our premises.
I’d like to thank Ivor for all his hard work and commitment during such a demanding time which paid off greatly.
Our staff are also on board with the changes and realise the impact simple processes such as segregating recyclables and non-recyclables can have.