One of the findings of the report is that contractors are ticking boxes in line with guidance, but are failing to engage with the wider subject of spills and prevention.
The report has been compiled from a series of interviews, debates and detailed white papers and gives the Environment Agency’s outline on guidelines, support and future actions to encourage environmental management.
Contributors to the report include key safety and environmental staff from Wilmott Dixon, Bouygues UK, Sir Robert McAlpine, Bovis Homes, Lend Lease and Mace Group.
Topics debated amongst the panelists included ‘developing a spill training plan: knowing the basics to put in place today’ and ‘how to ensure the disposal of hazard waste and liquids both during and post-construction phase’.
“Sustainable growth is absolutely possible with construction and demolition alongside it,” said Environment Agency chairman Lord Smith of Finsbury. “Ensuring that construction work happens in the right way is something that is very important. Of course there are major potential impacts from construction work with close to 77 million tonnes of waste generated in England in 2010 and 1 million tonnes of hazardous waste as part of that. The potential for negative incidents to occur is considerable and making sure that everyone is clear about how best to minimise the impact of construction and its waste on the surrounding environment is what this joint work between ourselves and the construction industry is all about.”
In the report, asbestos is named as the key hazardous waste in solid form that most contractors have to manage on site, in line with strict legislation. From an excavation perspective, contaminated grounds from fuels or oils is a key issue on site.
A lack of knowledge and experience associated with water management and an absence of suitable on-site practices are the biggest causes of pollution spills, with releases of oil and silt to watercourses, the most common.
The report stresses that contractors must look down their supply chains to stop accepting non-specification-compliant materials, such as soil, onto sites through a lack of knowledge.
Key frustrations on construction sites relates to left over hazardous waste from previous contractors – pre-site checks have to be done and guidelines are essential, says the report.
The report urges the Environment Agency urged to take a harder line with the construction industry and everyone in general, in terms of prosecutions.
It also says that the waste industry would benefit from a better understanding of what can happen to plasterboard, where it can be recycled and how to deal with it economically.
Spill response training is widespread but prevention plans need to be adapted at different sites, by identifying risk early on.
The report is available from the BSIF website at http://www.bsif.co.uk/pdf/construction-spill-prevention-matters
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