Evaluating and controlling environmental aspects and hazards

The key to an effective environmental management system is make sure there are processes in place to evaluate environmental hazards and aspects so those that pose a significant concern can be controlled.  People at the site must be able to prioritise their efforts so the work being done is focused and will deliver the best results.   

There are two things that must be considered when identifying significant environmental aspects and hazards.  These are the potential severity of the loss and the probability that this loss will actually occur.  A site must develop criteria which define low, moderate and high losses and what low, moderate and high frequencies of occurrence are as well.

There are many techniques used to control environmental hazards.  It is not the intent of this module to explain in detail each technique; but rather, to present practical methods to make proper decisions for implementing control measures which best suit a company’s needs.  

Based on what exists in the environmental hazard control literature, there is a need to facilitate a change in the traditional paradigms of environmentalism.  This change requires a move away from depending solely on a command and control engineering approach and a move toward integrated processes which achieve results by being compatible with other systems working within the organisation.  

To understand this paradigm change, consider the 10 control strategies of Dr. William Haddon.  Dr. Haddon’s control strategies are also discussed in Module 012, Introduction to Industrial Hygiene Management, as applied to employee health and hygiene issues.

Dr. Haddon’s premise is, incidents result from contacts with energy or substances above the threshold limits of the body, structure or environmental media involved, e.g., air, water, soil, plants, animals, and people.  Several of his strategies, either used alone or in combination with others, will control harm to the environment.

Here are Dr. Haddon’s strategies (these strategies have been edited slightly to reflect environmental issues):

1. To prevent the creation of the hazards in the first place.
2. To reduce the amount of the hazard created.
3. To prevent the release of the hazard already existing. 
4. To modify the rate or spatial distribution of release of the hazards and the media being harmed.
5. To separate in space or time the hazard and environmental media that could be harmed.
6. To interpose a protective barrier between the hazard and the environment.
7. To modify the basic qualities of the hazard so as to limit the amount of harm caused.
8. To strengthen the media or object affected by the hazard.
9. To detect incidents early and begin to counter the harm already done so its effects are minimised.
10. To stabilise, repair and rehabilitate the environment in the best possible manner.

There are many ways to apply the control methods outlined; however, for an environmental protection programme to be effective it must be integrated into a site’s routine working processes.  Environmental hazards can and must be controlled through effective preventive programmes, not simply through the engineering processes mentioned.  

Here are a few practical work activities that are common to successful safety and health programmes.

• Task analysis and procedures should exist for all aspects of the site’s work that could have an impact on the environment. This simply means formally considering potential environmental incidents when identifying tasks that need procedures and practices established.  This not only applies to operations work, but to maintenance, warehousing and distribution services, emergency activities and technical environmental activities such as monitoring, sampling and testing.
• Engineering and change management processes should identify potential environmental impacts and develop appropriate controls to prevent them from taking place.
• Purchasing systems should ensure that chemicals and process equipment meet operational SHEQ requirements.
• Effective preventive maintenance systems should exist for environmental and operating equipment to make sure they function in the most efficient manner possible.
• Routine planned inspections should be used to detect and correct hazards before they lead to environmental incidents.