Excavation and Trenches

Environmental considerations at workplaces and on projects encompass many aspects of business activity.  Whether you have an accredited Environmental Management System satisfying the requirements of ISO 14001, or you are implementing specific measures, the following are common aspects that are often considered. 

Waste Management - Waste should not be allowed to accumulated on site and should be classified including that suitable for recycling, re-use and waste that is prescribed (unacceptable for disposal to general landfill).  Your Waste Management Plan describes how you manage each type of waste for your site.  Material that requires specific disposal is also identified, including car batteries, waste oil and paints, solvents and adhesives.  Certain waste requires specialists to remove and are subject to specific legislation, including asbestos and PCB’s.

Noise and Vibration - Operation of plant and equipment can create noise and vibration, and precautions should be followed to limit the impact.  Many avenues are available to control the impact of noise and vibration on your worksite or in your workplace.

Emissions to Air  - Dust and odour are common issues in certain types of industries and operations. 

Water Management - Water management requires the prevention of waste from entering the water system.  Common concerns included truck and equipment washing facilities (treatment systems required) and surface water runoff that carries contaminants from the site into adjacent waterways.

Land Management - Land Management encompasses many varied considerations.  These include Land Conservation, Protected Wildlife, Soil Conservation, Erosion Reduction, and Weed Management.

Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Materials - Many measures are required if your site stores or handles dangerous goods and/or hazardous materials, or any other material that may be considered a pollutant if a spill was to enter a waterway or the atmosphere.  These are also described in more detail under the Hazardous Substances / Dangerous Goods heading in Safety@Work.

Environmental Management Systems - Often a project will require an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) or a similar document to be prepared.  This document identifies how the issues identified above, and other that may be applicable to the project or site are managed in the conduct of the work.

An Environmental Policy Statement and an Aspects and Impacts Register would normally be associated with an EMP.  These documents are also a good first step in developing an Environmental Management System for your business.

Please refer to the Safety@Work documents for examples and additional information.