Construction Health, Safety & the Environment - Assignment Example

Environmental ment – Houses for Rent Introduction This report is an environmental ment for the proposed construction and development of houses for rent. An environmental statement is aimed at identifying and analyzing the potential impacts of the project on the environment (Stubbs & Dering, 2002). It also proposes the various measures that will be taken to minimize or eliminate the impact on the environment. This provides information about the project to the decision makers about the soundness and sustainability of the project from an environmental perspective (Glasson et al, 2005). Project and Site Description The proposed project is a development of the site with the purpose of housing for rent. The complete details of the site plan can be found in appendix I. The site was a former maintenance depot and garage for a bus company. In order to make the site suitable for the project, the garage was demolished and foundations and remains were converted into hardcore by crushing. The top soil which was contaminated was removed. The garage inspection pits which are at the centre of the site could not be removed and hence were filled with stable hardcore. The entire site is covered with fresh topsoil. Sewers, surface water drains and other main services are installed under Englemere Drive. There is a high steel post (900mm) and wire fencing to the north site boundary which acts as a barrier between the Scholl playing fields and the site. The site has been examined by an engineer but the examination has been limited only to a one bore hole and a desk study. One bore hole sample consisted of a split spoon disturbed sample and rotary core drilled sample. The chemical analysis of the samples has not detected any significant residual contamination. Load bearing characteristics of the soil has not been determined. The water table was recorded at 1.0m below the surface of the soil. The site has a history of coal mining activity which dates back to 19th century. There are no accurate records of the actual working even though there is recording that says that the workings were pillar and stall. The environmental statement is based on this examination but as the results are not conclusive, there needs to be a detailed examination of the site. Potential Environmental Impacts The project can have the following potential impacts on the environment. The impacts have been identified based on the available details of the project. Due to the lack of quantitative data, a qualitative assessment of the environment has been made. Air Pollution: Air pollution is one of the major concerns when considering environmental impact of construction. There will be generation of dust that will enter the site and surrounding atmosphere. Various construction activities that contribute to the emission of dust are the movement, loading and unloading of various materials required for construction, construction site leveling, vehicle movement in and around the site, earthwork, storing and disposing of soil materials, etc. Apart from this various pollutants are released to the atmosphere as a result of the construction, for example emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses by the combustion of fuel in construction machinery and trucks. Also air pollutants are emitted from various materials that are used in the construction such as paints, other solvents and materials. As a result of this, the air quality not only of the site but also the surrounding environment is affected. Visibility in the region is affected due to the emission of dust; pollutants might lead to various infections and health hazards. Water Pollution: The main source of water pollution from the construction site is the disposal of waste water. The cleaning of construction equipment and machinery, maintenance of construction material, spillage of fuel and oil, etc are the main contributors to water pollution. Both surface water and ground water are affected by construction. Also there can be a decrease in the water table due to harder surface which results in lesser water penetration. Hence there will be a reduction in the recharge of the ground water. The disposal sewage during construction (from labor camps) and after construction (from the houses) will lead to contamination of water. The water that is left in the excavated areas in the site is also a threat to the ground water. Noise Pollution: The operation of various construction machines and vehicles will lead to increase in noise pollution in the region. Also various other construction activities and the workforce at the construction site can contribute to the noise pollution. This will not be limited to the construction site but also will affect the surrounding areas. This has to be considered seriously as there is a school adjacent to the construction site. Noise is just not a concern of nuisance but also can have various substantial impacts when the noise level is very high. For example it can impact the children in the school. Also it has been seen that very high level of noise can make a negative impact on the recovery time of the patients in hospitals. Soil and Landscape Degradation: The soil and the land at the construction site are also negatively impacted as a result of construction. Soil erosion due to excavation and cutting of trees is a major negative impact of construction. Also there is a lot of waste that is added are dumped in the construction. Spilling oil and other chemicals used in during the construction contaminate the soil. One of the other great concerns is the ground borne vibration which is a result of various construction activities. During construction the vibrations are produced which is produced are transferred to nearby structures and in extreme cases result in structural damage of the nearby buildings. Also these vibrations can have various geological impacts for which more quantitative test have to be conducted. Solid, Hazardous and Other Waste: There is going to be various solid waste and other hazardous waste materials which will be left out or produced as a result of construction. Domestic refuse, leftovers of various chemicals and solvents, waste oils and lubricants from the repair of equipments and machinery are the main contributors of waste. All these substances of not disposed properly will make severe impact on the environment. Batteries and tyres of construction equipment and vehicle are also which are very hazardous in nature. Traffic and Transport: Traffic and transport will be affected by the constructions. There will be heavy motor vehicles and other construction vehicles that will be moving in and out of the construction site. This will affect the traffic in the surrounding areas. Also there is a possibility of damage to the roads due to the movement of heavy load vehicles. Current users of the surrounding roads will experience delays due to the temporary diversion and closures. The transport system in the surrounding area will also be impacted after the construction of the houses. Proposed Measures to Eliminate or Reduce the Potential Impacts Air Pollution: Even though the emission of dust particles and air pollutants can not be completely eliminated there are various measures that will be adopted to reduce the impact that the proposed project. All machinery and vehicles used for the construction will be regularly serviced and maintained to ensure that their level of emission of air pollutants is below the level needed by the legislation. Drenching will be employed to prevent the generation of dust. Dust extraction units will be installed to all machineries whose activities result in the emission of dust. Tire wash stations will be used for all vehicles that enter and leave the site. Drop off areas, loading, unloading storage locations will be placed in areas that will minimize the emission of dust and air pollution (Morris, 2009). Regular air monitoring will be carried out to ensure that all the compliances are as needed. Around the construction site a wall of 2.5 meters or above will built. Enclosed spaces will be used for on site mixing of various constructions materials such as cement, limestone, etc and they will all be stored in tightly covered boxes. All materials that have the potential of entering the atmosphere and pollute air will be sprinkled or closed. Transportation vehicles where ever possible will be enclosed and transportation routes will be such that they do not pass through environment sensitive and residential areas. Hence, all the above motioned measures will help in reducing the emission of duct particles and pollutants to air and hence, will reduce the negative impact of the project (Derrick & Alberico, n.d.). Water Pollution: There are various measures that will be taken to reduce the pollution of water in and around the site. All the effluent from different sources from the construction site will be treated before they are discharged. As it is a fact that the water in the construction site contains suspended impurities. In order to separate the impurities a settling tank will be built. Any water that will be collected in the excavated areas will be pumped out and carefully disposed. Care will be taken to ensure that there is no accidental spillage of oil and fuel. The labor camp will be equipped with all the necessary requirements to ensure proper functioning during the construction phase (Hosetti, 1998).. Noise Pollution: Following are the various measures that will be taken to reduce the noise pollution due to the construction. Noise barriers will be installed wherever possible and necessary to protect and screen the noise sensitive areas. The school adjacent to the construction site will be give primary importance while implementing all the measures to reduce noise impact. All construction activities that are noise intensive will be scheduled only during the least noise sensitive time. All vehicles and construction equipments will be installed with working mufflers and other noise screening equipment. Noise intensive construction activities will be carried out away from noise sensitive locations in and around the construction site. That is the distance between all the noisy equipment will be distanced from noise sensitive areas. Soil and Landscape Degradation: Measures like sprinkling water over the site and planting of trees will; be taken to prevent soil erosion. Any hazardous material that can cause damage to the soil will be prevented or their use will be minimized. Waste materials will not just be disposed but recycled and reused wherever possible. At various locations in the sire refueling stations will be constructed in order to ensure that there is no leakage or spillage oil, fuel and other solvents and chemicals. Solid waste and other disposals will; be collected and disposed. In order to take necessary steps to reduce or eliminate the impact on ground borne vibrations, first various tests will be conducted. Vibration levels of the construction activities and the vibration characteristics of the soil will be assessed. Surrounding areas will be surveyed to tudy the structural damage and existing cracks. Those processes and equipment that are sensitive to vibration will be isolated and if necessary and possible any vibration sensitive equipments or any other substances in the surroundings will be relocated. All construction activities will be monitored for vibration levels during the construction. Modern techniques of construction that are not vibration intensive will be implemented. Waste Management: As mentioned earlier, wherever possible the use of such materials will be prevented, minimized, recycled or reused. Any chemical and hazardous waste will be delivered to companies which are specialized and approved by the respective government bodies for the disposal and management of waste materials. Used oils will be regenerated and old batteries will be recycled. Tyres will be collected and stored for recycling in the future or will be disposed to sanitary landfill. Traffic and Transport: All major transport of goods and materials from to and to the construction site will be scheduled during the night. Heavy transport vehicles will only be used during the night. All measures will be taken to ensure that the local transport system is not affected due to the construction. Parking of vehicles will be made inside the construction site itself. The traffic issue during the construction and after the construction will be discussed with the local authority and the necessary measures will be taken to ensure that the traffic system is not impacted negatively. General Measures: Care will be taken to ensure that the native vegetation and the trees will not be damaged. Even though cutting of trees is inevitable, the number of trees that are cut will be reduced. This is because trees and native vegetation have numerous positive effects. The unused land will be utilized by growing a temporary plant cover. Non toxic natural raw materials will be used wherever possible during the construction as this will lead to lesser overall pollution and negative impact of the project. Modern innovative technologies will be implemented wherever possible which will lead to effective consumption and usage of raw materials. Conclusion The above report has successfully identified and analyzed the various environmental impacts of the proposed construction project. In order to do so, it first explains the project and the site in detail. Even though negative impact of the construction project can not be completely eliminated, it can be reduced. The report has put forward various measures that will be implemented to reduce and wherever possible eliminate the environmental impact of the project. Also the above report is a qualitative analysis and hence, there is a need to conduct a more in depth quantitative analysis of the various impacts. References Derrick, K. & Alberico, J. (n.d.). Reducing environmental impacts due to construction activities. Online. Available at: http://www.rwdi.com/cms/publications/50/t31.pdf Accessed on 15th Dec, 2010. Glasson, J., Therivel, R. & Chadwick, A. (2005). Introduction to environmental impact assessment. NY: Routledge. Hosetti, B.B. (1998). Environmental impact assessment and management. New Delhi: Daya Books, Morris, P. (2009). Methods of environmental impact assessment. NY: Routledge. Stubbs, A. & Dering, C. (2002). Environmental law for the construction industry. London: Thomas Telford Publishing Ltd. Read More