Construction Confederation

AN INTRODUCTION TO
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT

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 Contents

1 An Introduction to Environmental Management

1.1 What is Environmental Management? 1-3
1.2 Identifying the Requirements for Environmental Protection 1-3
1.3 Planning for environmental protection 1-4
1.4 Implementing the control measures 1-4
1.5 Reviewing the measures, identifying and Implementing Improvements 1-5
1.6 Formal Environmental Management Systems 1-5
1.7 EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) 1-6

Appendix 1 - Guide on writing an Environmental Policy 1-7

Further Sources of Information 1-9

Published by Construction Industry Publications Limited,

for the Construction Confederation 55 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QL

1-2 April 2009

1 AN INTRODUCTION TO
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
1.1 What is Environmental
Management?
Essentially, Environmental Management is
concerned with assessing activities in terms of the
potential risks they pose to the environment and
subsequently taking the action necessary to control
those risks and to minimise impact. The risks and
impacts may be directly on the environment, such as
the risk of spilling fuel whilst refuelling plant or the
creation of dust from cutting concrete, or indirect
impacts, such as the consumption of natural
resources or the atmospheric emissions generated
during the manufacture of construction products.
Environmental Management can be carried out
as and when required on a project by project basis
but is much more effective when implemented right
across an organisation covering all aspects of its
work.
Given the wide variety in the size of
organisations and the range of activities undertaken
within the construction and demolition industry, it is
not feasible to have a single method or system for
managing environmental issues that will work for
everyone.
The discipline of environmental management can
be divided into 4 key stages, which are applicable
to every organisation, project or activity. These 4
key stages are:
1. Identifying requirements for environmental
protection
2. Planning operations and controls to ensure the
requirements are met
3. Implementing the controls during the project
4. Reviewing the measures, identifying and
implementing improvements
If all of these stages are addressed in a manner
that is sufficient to help the organisation meet its
needs, then the process of environmental
management can easily become part of the normal
method of work.
1.2 Identifying the Requirements for
Environmental Protection
The impact of environmental concerns on an
organisation will depend on the size and nature of
the organisation and its customers and clients. The
requirement for environmental protection will come
from a number of sources:
• Legal requirements
• The principles, ethics and policies of the
organisation
• Demand from the organisation’s customers and
clients to meet their own environmental
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principles, ethics and policies.
Legal Requirements
The legal obligations related to a range of
environmental issues are summarised within the later
sections of this manual. To ensure good
environmental management on site, every
organisation, from single person operations to
multinational businesses must identify the legal
obligations it faces and assess the impact of those
obligations on the way they operate.
Failure to identify and meet legal obligations can
lead to action by the regulatory authority which
enforces them. Causing pollution often leaves
organisations facing clean up costs, punishments
and fines imposed by the courts and loss of business
reputation amongst various other hidden costs.
The principles, ethics and policies of the
organisation
Many organisations, small and large, recognise that
responsible management policies and practices give
many benefits to their business. These benefits
include a more efficient business, improved
reputation with customers and reduced risk of
causing incidents that may lead to enforcement
action or prosecution. One area where the benefits
of responsible management are particularly evident
is in environmental management and every
organisation should at least have an Environmental
Policy in which they set down their approach to the
environment. This can be just a simple document
and guidance to writing an Environmental Policy is
given in the Appendix to this section.
Whether an organisation has a written
Environmental Policy Statement or not, the first step
to good environmental management is to achieve
the commitment of the organisation’s top
management. Once this commitment is obtained, it
will provide the driver for environmental
management to take its place within the
organisation and should eventually lead to the
adoption and implementation of an internal
Environmental Management System (EMS).
Whatever form the management commitment or
management system takes, it should help to identify
the key areas of environmental performance where
action is needed, whether for the whole
organisation or on an individual project.
Demand from Customers and Clients
Customers and clients of the construction industry
are now more than ever recognising the potential
impact on the environment created by the
designing, construction and operation of buildings,
infrastructure and facilities. As a result they are
increasingly demanding that their chosen
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contractors and supply chains manage their
operations in a way which successfully manages the
risk of environmental harm and meets their own
environmental principles and policies. Failure to
meet customer requirements often means that the
offending organisation is not considered for future
work.
1.3 Planning for environmental
protection
With an awareness of all the requirements for
environmental management placed on an
organisation, the activities to be undertaken must be
planned to ensure that these requirements are met.
This planning may require a combination of
methods and approaches.
Firstly, each of the normal activities must be
carefully considered, stage by stage to determine
how it can interact with the environment. The
possible interaction is normally considered
separately for land, air and water. These possible
interactions are known as the environmental
‘aspects’ of the activity. Any change to the
environment, whether adverse or beneficial wholly
or partially resulting from an interaction (aspect) is
known as an environmental ‘impact’. Some aspects
and impacts are more serious than others and the
term ‘significant environmental aspect’ is used, quite
obviously, for an environmental aspect that has or
can have a significant environmental impact.
Abnormal, unplanned or ‘emergency’ events,
such as spillages and equipment failure must also be
considered for their potential for impact on the
environment. These ‘emergency’ events are often
when the most significant environmental harm can
occur.
Once these aspects and impacts have been
identified, it is necessary to consider the control
measures required by developing a site specific risk
assessment.
Where the risks are significant, it may even be
necessary to find an alternative method of working
or different materials to use in the works.
Once the risks and control measures have been
identified, they should be recorded in a Method
Statement, a risk assessment document or other
suitable format. It should also be signed and dated
by the person who has carried out the assessment.
1.4 Implementing the control measures
This is arguably the most important stage of
environmental management. The best planning and
environmental risk assessment will come to nothing
if the activities on site do not follow the identified
method. To ensure that these are implemented,
there are three further essential activities, namely
training, provision and use of correct equipment
and supervision.
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Training
Training can take many forms, it can include face-to-
face discussions and demonstrations and may be
done as a group or on a one-to-one basis and does
not necessarily mean going away on a ‘course’.
Whatever form the training takes, the important
thing is that it is appropriate to the people receiving
it, it is delivered in a way they can understand and
it is of appropriate duration.
The simplest form of training can often be the
most effective. Method Statement Briefings, Toolbox
Talks and short, workplace demonstrations are often
the most effective way of delivering training to the
people carrying out the tasks which may present an
environmental risk. Remember though that more in-
depth training may be required for more complex
issues.
The Site Induction also plays a key role in the
training process, particularly with environmental
issues. Every site and its surrounding environment is
different and the Site Induction is the opportunity to
communicate the particular issues for that site.
Topics to cover in the induction process will vary, but
consider the need to include the following
environmental issues; drainage, arrangements for
disposal of solid and liquid wastes, controls
required for dust and noise, transport and parking,
local neighbourhood issues, environmentally
sensitive parts of the site. This may involve working
with others involved in the project including clients,
the principal contractor and principal CDM Co-
ordinator.
Wherever training is carried out, it is important
to record who has attended, the date and location.
This will provide to clients and other interested
parties evidence of the employment of a competent
workforce.
Through a combination of practical, job-specific
training, internal and ‘specialist’ training, the
organisation should be able to ensure that sufficient
knowledge and skills are available to the people
carrying out the activities to help them perform their
tasks in a way which reduces the risk of harm to the
environment.
Provision and use of correct equipment
In addition to having the basic knowledge and
skills, it is important that the correct tools for
environmental protection are in place when
carrying out the works. The tools may include plant
and equipment for use in the works - such as dust
control equipment, or equipment to minimise the
environmental impacts if an incident occurs, an
example being the emergency spill response kit.
Wherever environmental protection equipment
and tools are provided, it is vital that there are
individuals who are trained in their correct use and
that the equipment and tools are adequately
maintained.
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Supervision
With the correct plans, training and equipment in
place for the works, effective supervision is needed
to ensure that the other elements are implemented
correctly.
The supervision arrangements will vary
depending on the control measure and the risks the
activity poses. It may be necessary to make
frequent checks, or it may only be necessary to
check each day, week or even only once during the
project.
It may also be necessary to record the works as
they take place, whether this is by the use of
inspection records, photographs or other methods.
This will provide useful information for future use
such as confirmation to clients, regulatory
authorities, etc of the measures implemented to
minimise environmental risks. Photographs can also
be very useful for including in Method Statements
and training materials. As the old saying goes, a
picture paints a thousand words.
1.5 Reviewing the measures, identifying
and Implementing Improvements
Whatever the activity or project, it is important to
review the control measures which have been
selected to see if they are effective.
Where significant changes are made due to an
incident or a change in good practice, these should
be recorded, for example in procedures or method
statements. It may also be necessary to carry out
further training on the new measures to ensure that
they are implemented.
If the 4 steps of environmental management
described above are implemented, then effective
environmental management should be taking place.
Depending on the requirements of the organisation,
these measures can be implemented across all of the
projects undertaken. If this is the case, it may be
worth seriously investigating the need to devise and
implement a more formal Environmental
Management System, or EMS.
1.6 Formal Environmental Management
Systems
A formal Environmental Management System (EMS)
is a structured system which sets out how the
organisation carries out environmental
management. It need not necessarily involve a long
series of written procedures and should be
appropriate to the size of the organisation. They
can often be very simple and involve very little
paperwork.
If the introduction of a formal EMS is being
considered, it is advisable to design the system to
one of the recognised standards and then ultimately
to seek external verification that the system meets
June 2007
those requirements. This has the benefits of
providing recognition of the system to clients,
customers and regulatory authorities and showing a
responsible attitude to managing an organisation’s
environmental performance.
There are currently 3 principle standards in the
UK applicable to Environmental Management
Systems in an organisation and fortunately it is
possible to progress from one to another.
ISO 14001
ISO 14001: Environmental management systems --
Requirements with guidance for use
This is the widely recognised international
standard for environmental management systems
and is used across a broad range of industries
around the world.
ISO 14001 is adopted in Europe and the UK; in
Europe it is known as EN 14001 and in the UK it is
published as a British Standard by BSi; with the
current edition being BS EN ISO 14001 : 2004
Environmental management systems. Requirements
with guidance for use.
An organisation can have its Environmental
Management System independently audited by an
accredited body (accredited in the UK by UKAS)
and subject to a finding of compliance with the
standard can have its System so Certified.
Continuing certification is subject to successful
periodic audit.
The ISO 14001 standard is specifically designed
to share common elements with a Quality
Management System designed to the ISO9000
standards.
These common elements mean that an
organisation currently operating a quality
management system to ISO9000 standard can
simply develop their existing system to include
environmental management issues. It avoids the
need to devise an entirely new system of
management.
BS 8555
BS8555:2003 Environmental management systems.
Guide to the phased implementation of an
environmental management system including the use
of environmental performance evaluation
The process of developing and implementing an
EMS to full ISO 14001 standard has been
perceived as daunting by many smaller
organisations. To remedy this, the British Standards
Institution introduced the BS8555 standard to allow
these smaller organisations to progressively develop
an environmental management system in stages
over a period of time. The standard provides a step-
by-step approach to achieving full certification to
ISO 14001, with key milestones along the route for
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the achievement of each stage.
The key advantage that following BS8555 has
for the smaller organisation is that as each milestone
is reached, the organisation is able to obtain
certification to that stage of the process. This allows
formal recognition both within the organisation and
among its customers of environmental credentials
and progress.
1.7 EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit
Scheme)
The EMAS scheme was introduced by the European
Union as a management tool for companies and
other organisations to evaluate, report and improve
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their environmental performance. Originally
registration was restricted to the industrial sector, but
since 2001 it has been open to all. The
requirements for registration go much further than
the other schemes. Briefly, to achieve registration
an organisation must not only maintain its
certification to ISO 14001 but must also set down
specific responsibilities and objectives for
improvement within a set timescale after which it
must conduct an audit of achievement against those
objectives and publish an annual Environmental
Statement on the organisation’s performance. The
additional requirements made by the EMAS scheme
make it difficult for smaller organisations to achieve
the standard with their limited resources.
June 2007
June 2007 1-7
1-8 June 2007
 Further Sources of Information

Websites
EMAS
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm

Publications
Construction Industry Publications Ltd.
www.cip-books.com
Construction and the Environment – DVD or CD-ROM
Produced by the Construction Confederation Environmental Forum.

Guide to writing an Environmental Policy

Produced by the Construction Confederation.

British Standards
www.bsi-global.com
BS EN ISO 14001 : 2004 Environmental management systems. Requirements with guidance for use.
BS 8555 : 2003 Environmental management systems. Guide to the phased implementation of an
environmental management system including the use of environmental performance evaluation.

September 2008 1-9

1 - 10 September 2008