Unit EMC2: Assessing environmental aspects and associated impacts

Declaration: By submitting this assessment for marking I declare that it is entirely my own work. I understand that falsely claiming that the work is my own is malpractice and
can lead to NEBOSH imposing severe penalties (see the NEBOSH Malpractice Policy for further information).

Important note: You must refer to the document Unit EMC2 guidance document while completing all parts of this assessment. Your Learning Partner should provide you
with a copy, but it can also be downloaded from the relevant resources section for this qualification on the NEBOSH website.

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 1. Part 1 - Introduction to the organisation and methodology used

You should aim to complete this section in 200 - 250 words.

Name of organisation* Demrock Construction

Site location (town / area) Georgetown, Guyana

Number of workers 300 employees throughout the company ranging from full time and part time employees

Demrock Construction is a large construction company in Guyana. It is situated in the province of Kitty. The
head office is based in a small town roughly 5km from their site offices. They specialize in civil construction
as well as plumbing. If any wood needs to be fabricated for use on site, this is done in the workshop. The
General description of the organisation
steel workshop is also used to make modifications and to do any work related to plumbing such as cutting
copper pipes for geysers. The working hours are from 7:00 to 16:00. There is also overtime when needed
and it is very rare that there is a nightshift, however it has happened a few times before.

There are two workshops at the head office where most of their steel products are fabricated before being
transported to their site office

.
The site office which is located roughly 5km away from the town, consists of one steel workshop and one
Description of the area or process to be included in
wood workshop. There are two large stores that keep all their products safe and organised. The site office
the assessment
is about 2km long x 2km wide. All the cement, concrete, sand and stones are stored on site. There is also a
storage tank on site that is used to refuel all the vehicles and machinery.

There are five skips on site that are used to dispose of wood, steel, copper, general waste and old and
contaminated PPE

All the environmental audits are done externally and the HSE department is responsible for full compliance
Any other relevant information
with regards to Environmental Management in the organisation.

* If you’re concerned about confidentiality, you can invent a false name and location for your organisation. All other information provided must be factual.

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
You should aim to complete this section in 100 - 200 words.
I visited the site and conducted a risk assessment of the organisation’s on-site office to assess the
environmental performance and to then provide recommendations for improvement based on the findings. I
felt that the overall performance was quite good, however, I did find a few key deviations.

I then consulted with the HSE Manager and Engineering Manager for more information. They gave me their
previous external EIA’s (Environmental Risk Assessments) to review. I also made use of the
Environmental policy to gather relevant information with regards to their processes and procedures. After I
reviewed all the documents, I went to their past meeting minutes and noticed that there is no mention of
How the aspect and impact assessment was carried
environmental management for the past year.
out, including:
- sources of information consulted;
After my initial observations I looked at a few internal documents for more information on the controls which
- who you spoke to; and
are currently in place:
- how existing controls were identified
NPD Environmental policy (this applies across the whole company and is available on the public website);
waste management procedures, equipment inspection records, and monitoring records (requested from
facilities management team); and procurement policy / supplier approval process (received from the HSE
manager).

I managed to identify existing controls by making use of their current environmental risk assessment. I then
went on to test the effectiveness of these controls by physically inspecting the workplace with the HSE and
Engineering manager. We then identified some gaps in the process.
Note: this section can be completed after you have competed your full assessment.

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 2. Part 2 - Identifying environmental aspects, associated impacts, and existing controls

Activity, Aspect Operating Associated impacts Existing controls Significance Justification for each
product, or condition(s) rating Significance rating
service
1. General use of site Offices – Yard
Vehicles – In • Refuelling Normal • Environmental pollution – • Only refuel at designated 2 (Minor) “Effect and probability
use • Poor maintenance on operation ground • Environmental pollution area of impact is low”
vehicles – water • Fire • Follow maintenance
schedule to avoid
unnecessary oil leaks
• Keep valid fire extinguisher
close
Diesel usage Normal • Carbon emissions • Minimise unnecessary use 3 (significant “Multiple instances of
• Depletion of natural resources of vehicles same issue / large
• Global warming • Use one vehicle when volumes involved”
• Fire driving to the same location
• Do not leave engine to idle
• Keep valid fire extinguisher
close
Disposing • Textile waste generated Abnormal • Environmental pollution – • Waste skips 2 (Minor)
branded PPE – ground • Environmental pollution • Competent waste carriers “No potential for breach
Overalls, gloves - water to clean bins three times a of legislation or other
etc. week compliance obligation”
• Colour coded recycle bins:
- Red (Used PPE) - Black “Effect and probability
(Hazardous materials) of impact is low”
• Green (General waste)
Issuing branded • Use of raw materials Abnormal • Depletion of natural resources 3 (Significant)
PPE – Overalls, • Dye / processing • Deforestation “Multiple instances of
• Use suppliers with
gloves etc • Branding • Changes in land use leading to same issue / large
environmental compliance
• Fuel used for deliver biodiversity loss volumes involved”
• Global warming
2. Cleaning of site offices

Waste disposal Waste generation Normal • Environmental pollution –water • Dispose of all waste 3 (significant) “Aspect is not fully
• Environmental pollution - materials controlled under normal

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 Activity, Aspect Operating Associated impacts Existing controls Significance Justification for each
product, or condition(s) rating Significance rating
service
(Mixture of recyclable and ground • Depletion of natural • Discard waste in allocated
non-recyclable materials) resources bins
• Deforestation • Re-use products where
conditions”
possible
• Make use of recyclable
materials
Cleaning Spillage Normal • Environmental pollution – • Clean spill with spill kit 3 (significant)
surfaces with ground • Environmental pollution • Competent waste carriers
cleaning - water to discard of chemical “Aspect is not fully
chemicals substances controlled under normal
• Ensure MSDS is available conditions”
and valid
• Store all chemicals in the “Multiple instances of
chemical store same issue / large
• All chemicals to be stored volumes involved”
upright and in secure
position
Washing dirty Grey water pooling and Normal • Environmental pollution – water • Washing machines on site. 3 (Significant)
PPE & using run-off from oily PPE • Environmental pollution – • On site showers.
showers ground • Grey water from showers/
• Loss of biodiversity laundry are channelled into
• Altered chemical composition municipal drainage system.
of soil • All domestic liquid waste
“Multiple instances of
from bathrooms, washing
same issue / large
machines and kitchens
volumes involved”
facilities is channelled to the
on-site septic tanks.
• Contract in place with
external service provider for
regular emptying of septic
tanks
3. Hot work activities on site

Welding & No disposal of used Normal • Environmental pollution – water There are no controls in 2 (Minor) “Effect and probability
Grinding materials and offcuts • Environmental pollution – place of impact is low”
ground
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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 Activity, Aspect Operating Associated impacts Existing controls Significance Justification for each
product, or condition(s) rating Significance rating
service
.Naked flames- potential for fire if
wielding is being done on any
flammable materials, some
aspect of air pollution
Using generator to Normal • Carbon emissions • Hazardous • Minimise unnecessary use 3 “Multiple instances of
power tools chemical spills of generators (significant) same issue / large
• Depletion of natural resources • Switch off generator when volumes involved”
• Global warming not in use
• Adverse health effects • Use in well ventilated areas
• Noise pollution • Everyone working close to
• Fire the generator where noise
exceeds 85db should wear
at least one form of hearing
protection
• Use a drip tray when
refuelling
• Keep valid fire extinguisher
close
Using gas to power Abnormal • Carbon emissions  Gas equipment are 2 (minor) “Multiple instances of
tools • Gas leaks into the atmosphere used only when it is same issue / large
• Depletion of natural resources necessary volumes involved”
• Global warming  Gas supply valves
• Adverse health effects are closed when not
• Fire in use
 Gas bottles are “Abnormal condition
placed in an upright impacts are likely to
position to minimize occur and / or unlikely
any leakages to be detected”
 Gas bottles and
pipes are frequently
inspected for leaks,
cracks or any visible
damage or corrosion
 Pressure testing is
done before use

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 Activity, Aspect Operating Associated impacts Existing controls Significance Justification for each
product, or condition(s) rating Significance rating
service
4. Using and mixing cement / concrete on site

Disposal of Waste generation Normal • Environmental pollution – water • Dispose of all waste paper 2 (Minor) “Aspect controlled
waste paper • Environmental pollution -ground • Discard waste in allocated under normal
bins conditions”

“Effect and probability

of impact is low”
Pouring Excess rubble on Normal • Environmental pollution – water • Use plastic sheet when 3 (Significant “Aspect is not fully
cement / unplanned surfaces • Environmental pollution -ground moving wet cement / controlled under normal
concrete • Biodiversity loss concrete mixture conditions”
• Clean surface of all excess
rubble • Rehabilitate affected “Multiple instances of
areas same issue / large
volumes involved”
Mixing curing Spillage Normal • Environmental pollution – water • Clean spill with spill kit 3 “Aspect is not fully
compound to • Environmental pollution - • Only use chemical in (Significant) controlled under normal
cement / ground • Biodiversity loss planned working area conditions”
concrete • Altered chemical composition of • Ensure MSDS is available
soil and valid “Multiple instances of
• Store all chemicals in the same issue / large
chemical store volumes involved”
• All chemicals to be stored
upright and in secure
position • Rehabilitate
affected areas

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
3. Part 3 - Significant aspects, key issues, and recommended additional measures

You should aim to complete this section in 300 - 400 words for each aspect.
Significant aspect 1:

Explanation of significance: There are over 200 vehicles and equipment in the company, so our fleet is relatively big. This has a severe impact on the
atmosphere. It is impossible to eliminate the use of machines on site, however, we did find ways to minimise the use of
Including reference to: vehicles by making use of minibuses to transport employees to site. We also found that creating a maintenance schedule
for their vehicles and equipment will reduce carbon emissions released into the atmosphere and reduce oil and fuel spills.
- environmental receptors that may be Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, volatile organic compounds, and ground level ozone are all released
affected through associated impacts because of incomplete combustion. Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels frequently results in the release of harmful
pollutants into the environment, such as evaporated or unburned fuel.
- business concerns, relevant
compliance obligations, needs and Most of their fleet is diesel operated, however they do have petrol operated equipment. As we all know, this produces a lot
expectations of interested parties of carbon emissions which is harmful to our environment. We found that regular maintenance on all equipment resulted in
less breakdowns and since the parts are replaced on time, there is also less chance for spillages, which contributes to less
- the link to key environmental issues environmental pollution to the ground and water.

- the likelihood and severity of identified By sticking to their planned maintenance schedule, they can clearly see the difference in production and breakdown costs.
impacts (with current controls in place) With less breakdowns, the company not only saves money by not needing to make major repairs, but production can
continue as normal.

This will surely not eliminate breakdowns on equipment, so the possibility is still there, however much less than using
equipment that is not serviced regularly. With regular maintenance, the severity of the breakdown will also be a lot less.

Recommended additional measures Intended outcomes Timescale for implementation Resource requirement
Proper storage of equipment and vehicles To protect the equipment and vehicles from inclimate 1 week Manpower to ensure all
weather conditions that will also reduce the risk of equipment and vehicles are
breakdowns. stored correctly – daily
Manpower to clean the
With clean equipment and vehicles, it is easy to identify 1 Week equipment or vehicles they
Clean equipment and vehicles minimum defects and it will also minimise the chances of use, time, water, rags, soap
once a week overheating.

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 Cost of spill kits – This could
To clean any spillages up immediately to either eliminate 1 month be high at first since all the
Keep mini spill kits in all vehicles or reduce the severity of the spillage vehicles will need one,
however after the first
purchase the cost should go
down since it will only be
replaced once used

Use cleaner fuel such as bio diesel in To ensure more efficient combustion to reduce less Cost Time to source the best
machinery and vehicles greenhouse gasses. 6 months prices and to implement the
changes

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 Significant aspect 2:

Explanation of significance: There are lots of employees and they use a lot of paper as well as products in packaging daily. It is very important for their
organisation to maintain a proper recycling system since we generate large volumes of waste. We have recycling bins for
Including reference to: the offices areas as well as waste bins for steel off-cuts, wood, etc. This works really well, however the challenge is getting
the team involved in always using the correct bins for the correct purpose and from keeping paper waste from blowing out
- environmental receptors that may be of the large waste skips before they are transported to landfill sites.
affected through associated impacts
It has happened in the past that their waste blows away and ends up in nearby water facilities which leads to
- business concerns, relevant environmental pollution in water and ground to local and surrounding areas.
compliance obligations, needs and
expectations of interested parties
Being labelled as a source of pollution does not reflect good on any organisation and if something like this happens, it will
- the link to key environmental issues be clear as to who the source of pollution is, since they are the only company in this specific area generating this type of
waste (cement bags, curing compound containers, paint containers, etc.)
- the likelihood and severity of identified
impacts (with current controls in place)
The likelihood of the lighter waste products blowing away is quite high and it does happen often. Their employees also
tend to throw the wrong wate products into the wrong bins and this complicates the whole recycling process.

By having a recycling program is already a step in the right direction, however it still has a few gaps. I would say the effect
of the controls we have in place is quite good, however it could still be improved.

Recommended additional measures Intended outcomes Timescale for implementation Resource requirement

Add cargo nets on skips To prevent light waste materials from blowing away and 2 weeks Costs Employees to securely
polluting surrounding areas install cargo nets and
brackets

Run weekly or monthly recycling challenges To promote the correct use for recycling bins 1 month Time Cost – Small reward
for winning team

Re-use cardboard boxes as storage This will lessen the amount of carboard waste being 1 week Time
devices discarded

Make use of reusable bags in the offices By reusing bags, we can minimise the amount of plastic 1 month Time – to replace the bags
instead of disposable bags waste that the company generates Cost – to purchase the
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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 reusable bags

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 Significant aspect 3:

Explanation of significance: Their company comprises of a total of 470 employees. They all know that PPE is plays a very important role in their
industry daily, weather it is the wearing of overalls or the using of gloves, it is used daily by all our employees.
Including reference to:
Each employee receives 4 pairs of overalls each year, 2 pairs from January to June and the other 2 pairs from July to
- environmental receptors that may be December. This is a total of 1880 overalls and 470 hard hats per year. This is without adding defective PPE that gets
affected through associated impacts replaced. So, with this we can see that this will have quite a few impacts on the environment, including the following:
- Depletion of natural resources
- business concerns, relevant - Deforestation
compliance obligations, needs and - Changes in land use leading to biodiversity loss
expectations of interested parties - Global warming

- the link to key environmental issues They have certain pieces of PPE that needs to be replaced daily, such as uvex suits and/ or dust masks. Some of the PPE
is replaced weekly, this will include the likes of gloves and safety glasses, etc. This shows that our company disposes a lot
- the likelihood and severity of identified of PPES on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
impacts (with current controls in place)
By using environmentally compliant suppliers we have the peace of mind of knowing that they are obeying al of the laws
and we are not causing major harm to the environment, however like any other aspects, there is room for improvement,
since it is still likely to cause harm even with the current controls in place.

Recommended additional measures Intended outcomes Timescale for implementation Resource requirement

Put PPE in reusable bags or containers To minimise the effects, we have on the environment by 2 weeks Time – to find and implement
before discarding in skips ensuring that no PPE can fly away and contaminate the most practical and cost-
surrounding areas effective option Money – to
purchase the additional
products

Time – to contact different

Buy PPE from eco-friendly suppliers To minimise our environmental footprint 1 month suppliers for quotations

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 Where possible one could make use of alternatives such 1 month Time – to find and implement
Reduce the amount of single use products as respirators instead of dust masks, reusable uvex suits the most practical and cost-
as far as possible or even rain suits, if possible, etc. effective option
Money – to purchase the
additional products

To minimise our environmental footprint and to minimise 1 month Time – to contact different
Try to buy recyclable products the disposal of waste at landfill sites suppliers for quotations

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680
 4. Part 4 - Communication and review

You should aim to complete this section in 50 - 100 words.

Recommend a yearly assessment review because working methods are unlikely to change, and no
Timescale for review
modifications are planned

Who should review these recommendations and Arrange a short meeting with the HSE Manager and the Engineering Manager to discuss the findings and
how you will communicate to them recommendations. They can then transmit information and take appropriate steps within their departments.

Follow up quarterly to assess on the efficacy of the proposed short-term initiatives and to answer any
Follow-up procedure(s)
questions about the next steps.

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Name Darrin Anthony Noble Learner number 00649680