Safegrid, our main runner, has recently earned an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its sustainable quantities. An EPD transparently reports verified and objective data on a products or services’ environmental impact. The accreditation also recognises companies who continuously act to reduce their carbon footprints. Safegrid has the lowest embodied carbon than any other EPD steel grating available on the market.
But how did we achieve this?
Approximately 80% of a product embodied carbon footprint is locked in the design phase. The process of reviewing and changing the manufacturing the product is called ‘Eco-design’ which aims to reduce the environmental impact of products.
When reviewing our Safegrid range, we saw an opportunity to reduce the amount of steel used with each panel while remaining compliant. Our Safegrid comes in either 20BP or 35BP which meets British Standards of ball proof compliance. Both British and European Standards state, “Floorings of working platforms or walkways shall only have such maximum openings that a ball with a diameter of 35mm cannot fall through. Floorings above a place where people are working, as opposed to occasional passage, shall have such maximum openings that a ball with a diameter of 20mm cannot fall through.”
While remaining compliant to both 20BP, 35BP and Utility, we were able to introduce the least amount of steel possible. This was done by redesigning the load bar centres to the most efficient and optimal ball proofness, therefore no excess material is used. Overall, largely reducing the amount of embedded carbon within our Safegrid range.
Life Cycle Assessment
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the foundation of any EPD. A LCA can evaluate the products environmental performance over its entire life cycle. This can start from the raw materials used, the extraction of the raw materials, the manufacturing of the product, its usage to its end-of-life removal or disposal.
Not only does this consider the manufacturing of the product, but the environmental impacts surrounding it which is how Lionweld Kennedy were able to reduce the embedded carbon within our Safegrid range.
Lionweld Kennedy have continued to make improvements across our site, from transforming our fleet into fully electric forklifts, switching to HVO fuel to heat our factory, installing solar panels across our Middlesbrough site and many more carbon saving initiatives. Through reducing our overall carbon emissions down by 76% from 2021 to 2022 results in lower embodied carbon within our Safegrid range.
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
A value considered in our EPD is the ‘Global Warming Potential’ for the galvanised product. GWP is the most critical value identified by an EPD which relates to the direct impact to atmospheric warming a product has compared to carbon dioxide. The lower amount the better. When looking at our EPD for steel grating in contrast to others, the comparison can be seen in the lower GWP value.
Various efforts have been made across both the site and the manufacturing process to ensure that our Safegrid range embodies the lowest amount of carbon possible to make it a sustainable choice within many industries supply chain.
By securing the Environmental Product Declaration the business is committed to providing customers and suppliers with credible information on the environmental performance if its products.
If you would like to access our EPD, please click here.