Contamination in Construction Sites - Essay Example

As the world grows and evolves in a massive rate, so does the pace of the construction of many building of all shapes, sizes and types, some of whichare highly complicated and require much time, effort and resources to build. Due to the fact that so many materials are invested in the building process, some are bound to be thrown aside as waste. This and other factors cause construction sites to become contaminated. A contaminated site is "a site in with one or more substances present above background levels and where there may be a risk to human health or the environment", as contamination means "the condition of land or water where any chemical substance or waste has been added at above background level an represents, or potentially represents, an adverse health or environmental impact" (Industry Standard Contaminated Construction Sites 2005). There are different types of contaminations, depending on several factors, one of which is which contaminants were used. The contamination can be in the land, in the water, in the air and even underground. Since construction is done mostly on land, it is more common for contamination caused by constructing buildings to exist on the land or underneath it. However, there are cases where the contamination makes its way to the water or the air. The contaminants found on construction sites can be a result of: industrial processes which once took place in the site, materials stored or dumped on the site, agricultural processes, chemicals mixed for application, contaminants in imported fill or demolition waste (Contaminated construction sites n.d; Geology, soils, contamination and landfill n.d) .Contaminants found in construction sites can either be common contaminants, which are found in every construction site, or be in the site because they were previously used in the location. There are many different kinds of contaminants, including metals (such as lead), inorganic compounds (such as cyanide compounds), pesticide, oils and tars, other organic compounds (such as benzene or toluene), fibers, combustible substances, toxic or explosive gases and radioactive waste (Industry Standard Contaminated Construction Sites 2005). These contaminants can affect peoples short term health as well as their long term one. The people who are liable to be hurt from them arent only the workers staying on the site and working in it, but also other people living, working or even passing by! (Hazardous waste sites 2003). Exposure to contamination in soil, water or fumes in the air can "cause harm quickly (acute effects) or cause illness long after exposure (chronic effects)". The exposure may cause different health problems, for instance: headaches and nausea, breathing difficulties, skin rashes, liver or kidney problems and even some types of cancer in the long run. If it alone will not cause it, it will certainly be an important factor in the creation of the disease. In order to avoid this, one must be careful while in a possibly contaminated site refrain from exposure to the contamination, which can be caused by a number of reasons. It is important to evade direct contact of the contaminated materials with the skin and the eyes; breathing in particles, dust, fibers, fumes and vapors; swallowing contaminated soil or water. But of course, trying not to be too exposed to the contaminants is hardly enough! Thats why plans to protect worker health are being developed and launched, whether it is done in order to truly prevent the employee for suffering illness, avoid legal liability or even not polluting and damaging the environment. In order to develop an effective plan, it would be wise to have an audit, which will help develop risk assessments and also help making decisions in regards to which control measures are needed. If an examination of the site concludes that there are contaminants present, it is highly important to assess the possible risks. This is called risk assessment and should include the following questions: what types of contaminants are present, what are the working conditions and tasks carried out by workers, what are the routes of exposure (ways in which the substances can get into the body), and what is the level of exposure (the number of hours they workers are present). The assessment of all these factors together is important since the same level of contaminants can pose different risk levels, depending on the contaminants present and jobs done in the site. The sites assessment needed for the plan usually necessitate advice from an expert, meaning an experienced environment consultant or occupational hygienist. They will provide an accurate picture of the situation, noting the contaminants spread across the site and the potential of workers exposure to them. Also, there are new management practices and training programs for construction workers, which including many topics like the importance of dealing safely with chemical hazards (for example: handling contaminated soil, inhaling hazardous vapors and so on). More topics discussed and learned are physical hazards including traffic, heavy equipment, underground utilities and deep excavations (Training leads to safer construction sites 2005; Best management practices for construction sites 2002). There is yet another kind of programs starting to surface lately- programs on how to deal with the contamination. It is perhaps a bit shocking to learn that investors and owners not only spend money on these programs to protect the workers lives, but also because finding contamination on a construction site means big delays and cost overruns. This is proven in research showing significant differences and costs and building time (Hazardous waste management plan for contaminated construction sites 2000). In some countries, laws are even passed to prevent contamination of sites or general places, to protect the quality of the nearby water for example. The water contamination is most important since it has the capability to affect a very large population, if the contaminants reach lakes, rivers or seas. They can cause many health problems, and given the fact that it could be to a large number of people, the severity of the case is well understood (Water pollution 2007; Clean water 2006; construction storm water pollution prevention plan 2000). In conclusion, contamination in construction sites (and in any other place, for that matter) is extremely dangerous. There is a large a number of contaminants which can hurt people health for the short run as well as the long run, and this negative impact on health occurs not only to people who are constantly exposed to the contaminants, but even to those who just pass by, or are staying nearby for a short while. The ways of being exposed to contaminants arent few, and apply to contamination from the air, the soil and the water. Overall, since it is very dangerous, many plans in different formats and concepts behind them are being developed and launched in order to protect workers health, the environment, or the money invested in the building being built. The latter could be in jeopardy if contamination is found in the construction site, because that causes delays in the time schedule and overspending money on it. No matter what the reason for these are, it is vital that more and more places are introduced with these systems, plans and practices which are in favor of everyone involved, especially and most importantly- the health of the people around the construction site, and the environment as a whole. References Best management practices for construction sites 2002. Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://www.greenyes.grrn.org/2002/03/msg00459.html Clean water 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2007 from http://wispirg.org/WI.asp?id2=28886 Construction storm water pollution prevention plan 2000. Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/stormwater/pdfs/construction.pdf Contaminated construction sites n.d. Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/WorkSafe/Home/Safety+and+Prevention/Your+Industry/Construction+and+Utilities/Contaminated+Construction+Sites?&a=Construction%20and%20Utilities&p=popular Geology, soils, contamination and landfill n.d. Retrieved February 9, 2007 from http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ACCI/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=1134&sID=489 Hazardous waste management plan for contaminated construction sites 2000. Retrieved February 14, 2007 from http://gem1.cive.uh.edu/content/cigmina98/poster03.html Hazardous waste sites 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2007 from http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/land_contam.htm Industry standard contaminated construction sites 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2007 from http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:g0NuDjEOES8J:www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/resources/file/ebcf21435e1174d/construction_contaminated_standard.pdf+contaminated+construction+sites&hl=iw&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=il Training leads to safer construction sites 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2007 from http://www.golder.com/archive/TechSpeak/TS_57/04.html Read More