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Leading the way in safety and environmental management
The key values Nokian Tyres pursues in its operations are promoting safety, respect for the environment, fostering well-being and ensuring high quality. Responsibility translates into safe and environmentally friendly products, the most advanced production processes in the industry, and personnel safety and well-being. In line with the life cycle approach, environmental aspects are taken into consideration every step of the way, from raw material procurement to product design to the re-use of discarded tyres.

The EHSQ management system employed at Nokian Tyres covers environmental management, personnel and property protection and quality management. The objective of the system is to prevent accidents in all areas of operations and to ensure uninterrupted production. The development of operations relies on the best possible practices and advanced solutions, and takes account of human values in addition to financial considerations. Environmental protection efforts are based on the life cycle approach: The company bears the responsibility for the environmental impact of its products and operations throughout their life cycle.

Measures promoting safety include risk management, continuous process development and new investments. The plant in Nokia, Finland, is certified for compliance with the EU’s EMAS (EcoManagement and Audit Scheme) regulation. Furthermore, the plants in Nokia and in Vsevolozhsk, Russia are certified for compliance with the international ISO 14001 environmental standard and the ISO 9001 quality standard.

In 2009, safety and environmental management efforts focused on supervisory work and induction training. At the plant in Nokia, Finland, risk assessments were conducted in each department, involving a review of all potential risks and preventive measures at each work station. Absences due to illness and accident frequency decreased in both plants in 2009.

Positive development in environmental issues

Nokian Tyres fulfilled all terms and stipulations of environmental permits. Environmental surveys showed that no permitted values were exceeded and no significant nonconformities were detected. At the Nokia plant, the utilisation rate for all types of waste was more than 95%. Meanwhile, waste management development efforts at the Russian plant still continue. The local recycling operator has been consulted with the objective of exploring opportunities of increasing recycling and of re-using nonvulcanised scrap rubber.

During 2009, all Nokian Tyres’ contract manufacturers discontinued the use of higharomatic (HA) oils. In its own manufacturing, the company switched to purified lowaromatic oils in 2005.

The proportion of classified chemicals used at the Nokia plant has fallen and the production quantites have been reduced, which resulted in the Safety Technology Authority TUKES to relieve the environmental monitoring of the Nokia plant to “an establishment requiring a major accident prevention policy”. Risk assessment in accordance with the European Union’s REACH regulation on chemicals continued in co-operation with chemicals suppliers and manufacturers. The objective of the REACH regulation is to ensure maximum safety in the use of chemicals both from the environmental and the human perspective.

Forerunner today and tomorrow

Thanks to its sustained development efforts in safety and environmental issues, Nokian Tyres can be considered a forerunner in the tyre industry. The company was the first tyre manufacturer in the world to discontinue the use of high-aromatic oils in rubber compounds, and it does not use any chemicals classified in the European system as carcinogenic or toxic (T, T+) in its production. By setting an example, Nokian Tyres has promoted the use of purified low- aromatic oils in tyre manufacture in Europe. The import and sales of tyres containing HA oils is prohibited in the European Union as of the beginning of 2010.

The tyres manufactured by Nokian Tyres represent the cutting edge in terms of safety and environmental impacts during use, as proven in a number of independent comparison tests.

For Nokian Tyres, the official requirements represent a minimum standard. Nokian Tyres actively follows up on the developments in environmental and safety legislation in Finland, the European Union and Russia, and anticipates the impacts of regulations under preparation.

The Nokian Tyres environmental report 2009, to be published in spring 2010, extensively discusses the Group’s environmental and safety management policy as well as social responsibility issues. The environmental report is part of the Nokia plant’s EMAS certification.

Nokian Tyres is prepared and committed to responding to the challenges of the climate change. The company will make every effort in its product development and manufacture to fight climate change while not, however, compromising tyre safety.