Discovery II
GENERAL INFORMATION
03-4
Spill kits
Special materials are available to absorb a number of
different substances. They can be in granular form,
ready to use and bought in convenient containers for
storage. Disposal of used spill-absorbing material is
dealt with in 'Waste Management' section.
Land contamination
Oils, fuels and solvents etc. can contaminate any soil
that they are allowed to contact. Such materials
should never be disposed of by pouring onto soil and
every precaution must be taken to prevent spillage
reaching soil. Waste materials stored on open
ground could also leak, or have polluting substances
washed off them that would contaminate the land.
Always store these materials in suitable skips or
other similarly robust containers.
Checklist
Always adhere to the following.
l
Don't pour or spill anything onto the soil or bare
ground;
l
don't store waste materials on bare ground, see
'Spillage prevention' list.
Legal compliance
Some sites may have a discharge consent for
effluent discharge to the foul drain for a car wash etc.
It is important to know what materials are allowed in
the drain and to check the results of any monitoring
carried out by the Water Company.
Where paint-spraying operations are carried out it
may be necessary to apply to the Local Authority for
an air emissions licence to operate the plant. If such
a licence is in operation, additional precautions will
be necessary to comply with the requirements, and
the results of any air quality monitoring must be
checked regularly.
Checklist
Always adhere to the following.
l
Know what legal consents and licences apply to
the operations;
l
check that the emissions and discharges
comply with legal requirements.
Local issues
A number of environmental issues will be of
particular concern to residents and other neighbours
close to the site. The sensitivity of these issues will
depend on the proximity of the site and the layout
and amount of activity carried on at the site.
Noise is a major concern and therefore
consideration should be given to the time spent
carrying out noisy activities and the location of those
activities that can cause excessive noise.
Car alarm testing, panel beating, hammering and
other such noisy activities should, whenever
possible, be carried out indoors with doors and
windows shut or as far away from houses as
possible.
Running vehicle engines may be an outside activity
which could cause nuisance to neighbours because
of both noise and smell.
Be sensitive to the time of day when these activities
are carried out and minimise the time of the noisy
operation, particularly in the early morning and late
evening.
Another local concern will be the smell from the
various materials used. Using less solvent, paint
and petrol could help prevent this annoyance.
Local residents and other business users will also be
concerned about traffic congestion, noise and
exhaust fumes, be sensitive to these concerns and
try to minimise inconvenience from deliveries,
customers and servicing operations.
Checklist
Always adhere to the following.
l
Identify where the neighbours who are likely to
be affected are situated;
l
minimise noise, smells and traffic nuisance;
l
prevent litter by putting waste in the correct
containers;
l
have waste skips emptied regularly.
Use of resource
Another environmental concern is the waste of
materials and energy that can occur in day to day
activities.
Electricity for heating, lighting and compressed air
uses resources and releases pollution during its
generation.
Fuel used for heating, running cars or vans and
mobile plant is another limited resource which
consumes large amounts of energy during its
extraction and refining processes.
Water has to be cleaned, piped to site and disposed
of; all of which creates more potential pollution.
Oil, spares, paint etc., have all produced pollution in
the process of manufacture and they become a
waste disposal problem if discarded.
