Energy

90 per cent of our site energy is derived from electricity and natural gas, with the remainder from heating oil, kerosene and LPG. In absolute terms, our use of energy in 2003 decreased by 28 per cent compared with 2002 due to the sale of our polymer and other businesses.

When normalised against turnover, our energy use decreased by 12 per cent per £million sales over this period. The decrease is due to the sale of our polymer and other businesses and also to improvements at site level including more efficient factory lighting, better heating controls and timers, new plant and systems, process changes, improved staff awareness and successful switch-off campaigns. For example, Dowty Propellers, near Gloucester in the UK (Aerospace) has reduced the thermal cycle times by up to 50% for curing of its composite propellers, without any adverse effect on product quality. Flexible Technologies in Pico Rivera, California, USA (Specialty Engineering) reduced their process energy consumption by switching from conventional electric ovens to more efficient infrared heat for the manufacture of flexible tubing.

We continue to seek opportunities for energy conservation. Our targets for reduced energy use are ‘rolled up’ in the Group target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Water Consumption

Target:

To reduce water use by 10% per £million sales, against a 2001 baseline of 544m3/£million sales, by 2006.

Achievement:

Performance in 2003 was 605m3/£million sales. The Group EHS Committee is reviewing the future relevance of this target

Meeting our water use reduction target has proved particularly challenging but the accuracy of our data has improved this year as a result of better monitoring.

We have found that previous years’ figures for water use were significantly understated and we have restated the totals for 2001 and 2002 here. Two businesses – Titeflex in the Specialty Engineering division and Electronic Systems – Dayton in the Aerospace division – under-reported water use by a total of 303,000m3 in 2001 and by 309,000m3 in 2002; the errors were identified following the introduction of new metering equipment.

These changes to our water data have prompted the Group EHS Committee to review the suitability of the current target given the changes in the composition of the Group and recent improvements in data quality.

Smiths Medical-Keene Receives Governor’s Pollution
Prevention Award

Smiths Medical received the New Hampshire Governor’s award for pollution prevention in 2003. The business developed new preventative maintenance techniques to enhance the efficiency of steam condensate sinks, reducing water consumption by 1.6 million US gallons (6000m3) per year. Other improvements included the elimination of ethylene dichloride as a bonding agent, the introduction of re-usable containers for raw material deliveries, reducing paper use by storing company records on CD and energy conservation projects.

Smiths Group Waste Minimisation Club Project

This project involved five businesses from our Aerospace and Medical divisions working together through a common programme of training and regular meetings to share experiences and reduce environmental impacts through the more efficient use of energy and water, and disposal of less waste. During the two year life of the project, the participants identified 75 individual opportunities for reducing electricity, natural gas, water, materials and waste, with estimated annual savings of £200,000, of which some £65,000 has been achieved so far from 28 opportunities. The majority of these savings were achieved through reductions in site energy use. The formal stages of the project were completed in early 2003, and work continues on a site-by-site basis to implement the additional waste minimisation opportunities identified.