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| PET GAZETTE | TRADE TALK
WORK UNDERWAY AT PET FOOD MANUFACTURER
FOLLOWING ODOUR COMPLAINTS
The Real Petfood Company agreed to install a new chimney at its factory after local residents complained about an ‘overpowering’ odour
The Real Petfood Company (TRPC) has
commenced the construction of a chimney
along with the installation of odour
abatement equipment at its Kinmel Park
factory in Bodelwyddan.
Construction comes after local residents
complained about an “overpowering”
odour at the factory in July last year. TRPC
says the new chimney will “ensure the
rapid dispersal of any odours associated
with the manufacture of its range of pet
food products”.
Although planning approval for the
chimney was granted last November,
agreement had still to be reached
with Denbighshire County Council over
landscaping and visual aspects such as
the positioning of the odour abatement
equipment and associated duct work.
Managing director James Lawson
confirmed the pre-conditions had all been
agreed and the equipment was being
located within the factory while the duct
work would be behind the chimney to
minimise any visual impact.
Lawson said: “Some time ago we
took the decision to press ahead with
manufacturing the actual chimney which
will speed things up and I’m delighted that
we can now commence construction work.
Once operational, the dilution process
will mix 65,000m3 of air with 10,000m3
of bakery oven air every hour and propel
them at speed up the chimney to ensure
full dispersal.”
HALF OF UK VETERINARY PRACTICES ‘DON’T
RECOGNISE WELLNESS’
The research, carried out on behalf of the organisers of VET Festival 2019, explored the views of 524 veterinary professionals on veterinary
wellness and actions taken by their practice to promote it
A new study of veterinary professionals
shows that while 84% believe that veterinary
wellness is “very important” to the success
of their practice, more than 75% have no
plans to introduce a wellness programme
and only 30% have a wellness programme
in place or a wellness champion.
Furthermore, 50% of practices said they
didn’t recognise veterinary wellness as an
issue.
The survey showed that many
respondents are now focusing on ‘self-
care’ with 57% saying they have started
an exercise regime, 54% saying they have
taken up other hobbies outside work and
44% saying they are talking more openly
to colleagues to share problems and offer
support.
When questioned as to the obstacles to
improving wellness in their practice, “staff
not having the time to focus on it” was
cited by 76% as the key barrier. Some 52%
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claimed it was not recognised as an issue at
their practice while a further 49% said that
the lack of trained personnel to champion
wellness was the biggest problem.
Of the quarter of practices which had
initiated a wellness programme, 83% said
that it had made a positive difference.
Wellness initiatives included the provision
of a counselling service cited by 38% of
respondents and of online resources
cited by 32%. Additionally, 30% said that
their practice had appointed a wellness
champion as part of their wellness
programme.
When asked what “one thing” their
practice could do to enhance veterinary
wellness, the two most popular suggestions
were: improved communication and
support with more openness and empathy
and improved team working with more
breaks and a quiet area for staff.
Nicole Cooper, managing director, events
division, Fitz All Media said: “What we find
startling about these results is that, despite
a growing appreciation of the importance of
veterinary wellness, almost half of the UK’s
practices still don’t recognise it as an issue.
“The good news from this survey is
that many veterinary professionals are
starting to take responsibility for their own
mental health, whether through taking
up outside interests or sharing problems
and experiences more openly at work. We
urge more practice leaders to prioritise the
wellness and wellbeing of their teams.”
June 2019