November 2020 Lorry re-route is good news for Welsh Deputy Minister and Chief Whip Jane Hutt, and Vale of MP Alun Cairns, have welcomed our recent move to re-route some of our Tarmac lorries on their journey to and from and . on The upgrade of a section of the B4270 means that Tarmac lorries (like the one seen here) and contractor hauliers can now use this new route to reach the A48, avoiding the B4265 which runs through Wick and . in your local community Andy Watkins (left) and Hesh Ibsule (right) Plant Manager Stuart Escott says: “We are always (Picture taken prior to Covid-19 restrictions) looking for ways to reduce our impact on the surrounding communities. The road upgrade has First aider to the rescue! offered us a great opportunity to divert our lorries away from these villages, and it also provides a Hesh Ibsule, Maintenance Technician here at Aberthaw safer and more efficient route for our drivers.” Works is a true superhero! Late last year, Hesh saved the life of one of his site colleagues, Packing Plant Supervisor Andy Watkins, by performing the ‘Heimlich manoeuvre’ when he began choking. The incident could so easily have had a very different outcome had Hesh not been first aid trained. Commenting about the incident Hesh says: “I’ve never in 10 years of being a first aider had to use my training, but when Andy started to choke during lunch, I responded, remembering immediately the steps to take when a person is choking: back slaps followed by abdominal Working safely through thrusts. Luckily after five thrusts it worked. I’m proud that I was able to have helped Andy.” For advice on how to help someone who is Covid-19 challenges choking visit the St John Ambulance website: www.sja.org.uk/get-advice/first-aid-advice/choking

COMPETITION As the new Plant Manager at procedures to keep our team safe, I want to take this opportunity to Aberthaw Works, I am delighted to following strict public health and say thank you to everyone for their Would you like to win a Galaxy tablet? be sending this newsletter out to the Government guidance and adhering hard work during what has been an communities around our site. Despite to our new ‘Covid-19 Secure Safety unprecedented and testing time for Enter this competition for a chance to win a Galaxy tablet. Answer the questions below and the challenges we all continue to face Standard’. The changes made include us all. email your competition entry to [email protected] Deadline 1 December 2020. as a result of the pandemic, I’m very sanitation stations, signs to reinforce This issue of Focus On Aberthaw 1) What year did Plant Manager Stuart Escott start work at Aberthaw? pleased to be contacting you at a social distancing, staggered shift includes the opportunity to get to time when Aberthaw Works is fully, patterns to avoid congestion in 2) What is the name of the life-saving manoeuvre that stopped one of our staff from choking? know some more members of the and safely, operational and very busy. changing and mess rooms, and the team, find out about what we’re doing 3) Which college does our apprentice Zena attend? Back at the start of lockdown, as introduction of regular temperature to support the local bee population with many industries, construction testing. and learn about some of the ways projects reduced quickly and I’m very proud of the team for we’re improving energy efficiency significantly. While this initially enabling us to safely run the plant, and environmental performance. Do you have any comments on this newsletter or suggestions impacted our activity levels, it didn’t supporting local jobs and the local I hope you enjoy reading more about for what you would like to see in future issues? Do you have any take long for demand for bagged economy at a challenging time, as our site, our team and our operations questions about what we do at Tarmac Aberthaw? we welcome Blue Circle Cement to ramp up again, well as keeping our customers across and look forward to your feedback. in part due to the many people and the south west stocked We would be happy to hear from you – please email us at your feedback carrying out DIY projects which with cement. [email protected] and we will respond to you as seemed to be very popular in Wales! quickly as possible. By the end of May we were pleased Working as a team, we quickly to have our operations running Stuart Escott adapted our protocols and in as normal a way as possible. Aberthaw Plant Manager

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FOR ALL THE LATEST INFORMATION VISIT WWW.TARMAC.COM/ABERTHAW-PLANT FOR ALL THE LATEST INFORMATION VISIT WWW.TARMAC.COM/ABERTHAW-PLANT Looking to the future Meet some of the team Improving efficiency and At the beginning of the pandemic “Having worked here for many years environmental performance former site boss, Graeme Bride with a short break to work at a site moved to Scotland to take over in Nigeria, I am delighted to have Members of the project team next to the new kiln hood We are continually looking for ways to manage our fan – Left - Dafydd Hewitt; right - Luke Williams running Tarmac’s Dunbar cement the opportunity to lead the fantastic environmental impact and improve performance. In early plant. Aberthaw team. 2020 we completed a major engineering project, with the Since then, the operation of “Working with the challenges of installation of a ‘clinker cooler hood’. Aberthaw Works has been passed Covid-19, we continue our focus on on to the site’s new Plant Manager the safe and sustainable operation The clinker cooler is located at the end of the kiln, the heart of the Stuart Escott who was previously of the site and our hugely important cement-making process. Cement clinker (or nodules of cement) Maintenance Manager for five years. links with the community.” is cooled from 1400°C as it leaves the kiln to around 150°C in the clinker cooler, before being stored and then ground to the more It is fair to say that Stuart knows the born and raised, Stuart is familiar powder. site like the back of his hand having a Cardiff City season ticket holder Stuart Escott started as a 16-year-old apprentice and lives in the city with his partner, The installation of the new clinker hood means there is now a physical Plant Manager here back in 1986. daughter and stepdaughter. barrier between the dust produced by the kiln and the atmosphere. This is particularly important during start up and shut down when the dust can be more difficult to manage. Clinker cooler hood being lifted into place Georgina Taubman experience of working in, and with, Health, Safety and Environmental heavy industry so appreciate the Business Partner importance of maintaining excellent Covid-19 - a personal view Earlier this year our site appointed Environmental Monitoring and a new Health, Safety and Management. Ultimately, our goal Throughout the challenges of the pandemic, Phil Morgan, Environmental Business Partner. is to be a responsible neighbour Filling and Loading Operator has been busy helping to Georgina Taubman has come to us and to take all practicable steps to keep our very popular packed products on the shelves of from the Ffos-y-fran open cast coal achieve this. the DIY stores. site up in Merthyr Tydfil where she “I have already met a few of our Phil gives his view of how the virus has affected his home was their Environmental Liaison closest neighbours but very much and work life: Officer. look forward to meeting other “From a personal point of view, early on in the pandemic, “I’m really excited to take on members of the community to share my wife showed all the symptoms of the virus. This meant my new role with Tarmac,” says information about site activities and I had to self-isolate for two weeks; fortunately, she has Georgina. “I have over 20 years of to get their views and ideas.” fully recovered and shows no signs of any ill effects. The Fraser family tending their hives at Aberthaw Works “Concerning work, it has been a question of getting used to the new regime and increasing our efforts to keep safe at work. This has included additional risk assessments, Aberthaw busy bees work in the industry and enrolled Electrical Apprentice position within social distancing, and hand sanitising whilst trying to Back in 2015, our site became host to 10 beehives, each of on an Electrical and Electronic Tarmac. meet unprecedented customer demand. which are managed and cared for by Barry based family Engineering course at Bridgend “I had almost no knowledge of “My colleagues and I have changed our working patterns the Frasers. As part of the Tarmac’s efforts to enhance College. heavy industry but was excited by three times during this period and have never been busier. biodiversity around our site, the arrival of the hives has Zena says: “Although I had a keen the challenge. Working at Tarmac In the last three months, we have managed to break our been a great asset. Each summer, the bees work hard interest in engineering, I wasn’t sure while continuing to further my monthly production records twice!” pollinating the many plants and wildflowers growing in where to pursue a career. At college education is amazing. I have learnt the area, and reward us with beautiful honey every year. I completed my Level 3 NVQ and a lot so far in my apprenticeship. Stuart Escott, Plant Manager says: “It’s great that we at the same time learned about the I work closely with the former are able to provide a safe and undisturbed location for different types of engineering. I electrical apprentices and my co- these beehives. We particularly enjoy the delicious honey became interested in the skills and workers in the electrical department that the Fraser Family share with us each year, made all knowledge I could learn through an and they are constantly sharing their the sweeter for knowing it’s been produced with pollen apprenticeship.” tips of the trade. collected from flowers growing around us.” While progressing onto a Higher “As a female in this field my advice Stuart Fraser who set up the hives adds: “With bees Zena Rogers Education course, Zena learned to those looking to go into an generally experiencing a decline in numbers in the UK Apprentice Electrician about the Tarmac apprenticeship industry, where women make up we want to do everything we can to help our bees thrive. Meet our newest Apprentice, scheme. After going through the a small percentage of the staff, is It’s so hard to find a location where our bees can live 22-year-old Zena Rogers from recruitment process including an to go for it! If it is what you love to undisturbed but that also offers a good supply of plants Bridgend. Zena, who joined us assessment day and an interview, do, nothing can hold you back and and flowers on which they can gather pollen. Tarmac’s in 2019, developed an interest in she was excited to learn that she you can always find a way to move Phil Morgan in the busy packed product warehouse. Aberthaw site has proved to be an ideal location.” engineering through her dad’s had been successful at gaining an forward.”

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