More room for safety and the environment

Modern distribution center for BYK in Wesel

Two years of building work have seen a new BYK distribution center emerge in Wesel. From the start, the company attached considerable value to environmental protection and safety. In the new center, roughly twice as many pallets can be dealt with today as in the past. Moreover, the bigger logistics center ensures that there is considerably less volume of traffic.

The capacity of the old BYK warehouse was no longer adequate, since the stock turnover was constantly increasing. As a result, the eventually cramped room conditions were producing dangerous situations. Where soil protection and fire prevention were concerned, there were also better options for the warehouse, which was built in 1986. Yet, for capacity reasons in particular, a warehouse that satisfied the high safety requirements had to be rented 90 kilometers away from Wesel. Around half the finished goods were transported there for interim storage and back again to be order picked.

The new distribution center consists of three buildings in all: warehouse, order-picking building and office with break rooms. The warehouse, a rectangular construction 100 meters long and 20 meters wide, accommodates, among other things, inflammable hazardous substances and water-endangering substances. That is why BYK has made huge efforts in terms of safety and environmental protection. To ensure the soil is safely protected, a thick layer of concrete and a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) film, which lies underneath the entire logistics area, guarantees that the soil is sealed off. In addition, all the surfaces on which products are stored and all the parking spots for trucks are designed as troughs with isolatable drainage. Consequently, no dangerous substances can get into the soil and ground water here either.

10,000 sprinkler heads in the event of a fire

Fire prevention too has been covered, for example, by a ventilation system and the elaborate enclosure of electric equipment in specific areas. To fight any fire, an automatic fire-extinguishing system has been installed.

The front of the warehouse in the basement houses the technology for a ground foam system. In an emergency, this will spray a water and foam mix from some of the 10,000 sprinkler heads located in the racks. This mixture forms a foam carpet on the ground. It is a sophisticated technology for fighting solvent fires in buildings of this size. We have thus given the fire-fighting process a head start before the fire service arrives, which is automatically alerted straight away. Because, as always, the principle is: the sooner the fire can be put out, the better. Time is a crucial factor when it comes to fighting fires. Moreover, no rescue workers are endangered as a result. A gas alarm and smoke extractor system complete the safety equipment.

It has been possible to considerably improve the safety of staff in the order-picking zone of the new warehouse. A large part of the material transport no longer takes place by means of forklift trucks, but rather an automated telpher system. Wherever forklifts are still used, this is clearly marked off from pedestrian traffic. In addition, the new order-picking technology has also caused a substantial increase in efficiency.

Living lawnmowers employed

Another improvement for the staff in the offices is the modern air conditioning. But the new warehouse also provides nearby residents with certain benefits. To better control noise emissions, BYK has had a noise barrier constructed, which is reminiscent of a dike. The grass on the embankment is not mowed by machine, but rather kept short by grazing sheep. BYK is not maintaining its own flock for the purpose, but instead has enlisted the service of a local shepherd.

Finally, the new BYK warehouse will lead to a reduction in truck traffic volume. While it is farther away from the production site than the old warehouse in Wesel, nevertheless ALTANA will save no small amount in costs, as the approx. 200,000 transport kilometers to the former interim storage facility will no longer apply. This will relieve the roads and reduce noise and CO2 emissions. And - especially important for the neighbors - as the goods are normally transported away by truck after being order picked, this traffic will now take place outside of the residential areas.