How prepared are you?
The dangers of spills on construction sites can have drastic consequences to people and the environment. A clean-up operation can cost hundreds of thousands of Euro – and that’s before any potential fines. That’s why it’s so important to have effective spill control procedures – to swiftly and effectively deal with a spill, should you need to.
Typical Incident
We all know the incidents that make the headlines but our typical incident starts with a panicky call from a client – a fuel truck comes in to fuel up onsite plant machinery, the fuel hose jams, driver releases and fuel spills everywhere. Operator rings us to get help as a large spillage happened on their site which has caused ground contamination to water sources and soil.
Impact from Incident
Impact: site shut down immediately, all traffic in and out has to stop. Large cost, cost of dealing with a major cleanup and delays in project. Possible PR issues not to mind management time tied up. Council infrastructure may be impacted so clean up extends way beyond the site. Government bodies notified.
So, what is the best approach to avoid this case happening on your site?
- Risk assessment
Identify and evaluate the potential hazards and consequences of a spill. You should also consider the environmental and social factors, such as the location, climate, terrain, biodiversity, population, and stakeholder interests, that may affect or be affected by a spill.
Performing an environmental assessment of the current conditions while considering the potential impacts and completing periodic reviews to assess any changes is good practice. This provides opportunities to mitigate potential risks along the way to minimize any risks at the onset should they arise.
- Prevention and mitigation
Implement measures to prevent or reduce the likelihood and impact of a spill. You should also establish standards, procedures, training, and audits to ensure compliance and performance. Additionally, you should engage with the relevant authorities, communities, and other stakeholders to communicate your goals, expectations, and responsibilities.
- Emergency response
Develop and execute an emergency response plan (ERP) that can quickly and safely contain, control, and clean up a spill. You should define the roles, responsibilities, and resources of your emergency response team (ERT), as well as the communication and coordination protocols with the external agencies and parties. You should also conduct drills, exercises, and reviews to test and improve your ERP.
- Recovery and restoration
You should monitor and evaluate the environmental and social impacts of the spill, such as the contamination, degradation, or disruption of the soil, water, air, flora, fauna, or human activities. You should also implement remediation and restoration actions, such as the removal, treatment, or disposal of the spilled material, the rehabilitation of the affected areas, or the compensation of the harmed parties.
Every facility should have an effective spill response plan to prevent accidents from becoming disasters.
For more information on how CD Environmental can assist with all your Spill Response needs please contact info@cdenviro.ie