Notes on Environmental Hazard and Management

Environmental Hazard and Management

Management Definition

  • Management involves the practice of Planning, Organizing, Leading, Informing, Controlling, and Executing (POLICE) activities and operations within organizations.

  • Environmental Management is specifically the application of these processes to address environmental issues, balancing financial constraints with environmental performance and societal needs.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

  • Motivation for EMS:

    • Tightening legislation imposes additional responsibilities on industries to reduce environmental impacts.

    • Compliance with legislative demands is necessary.

    • Pressure from environmental groups and the public encourages better practices.

    • Cost savings through reduced waste and efficient energy use.

  • Objectives of EMS:

    • Primary objective is to manage and achieve an organisation’s environmental policy/goals.

    • A systematic approach which provides a structured framework.

    • Set of mechanisms and processes - Links the different processes and business units.

    • Describes WHAT to be accomplished, HOW and by WHOM.

  • General Principles of EMS:

    • Initiated at the top hierarchy of the organization.

    • Focuses on processes rather than one-time events.

    • About the people & their actions, not just the words & aspirations.

    • Involves continuous improvement and effective participation from personnel.

EMS Cycle and Phases of Continual Improvement

  • Phases of EMS:

    1. Leadership & Commitment: Essential for initiating all stages of the EMS.

    2. Environmental Policy/Goals: Defines organizational intentions regarding environmental protection.

    3. Planning: Organize the requirements of EMS, identify impacts, and set objectives.

    4. Implementation/Do: Executing plans through defined responsibilities and communication.

    5. Checking/Corrective Action: Performance monitoring, audits, and corrective actions.

    6. Review/Act: Ensuring the EMS remains suitable, adequate, and effective.

Benefits of EMS

  • Improved compliance with regulations

  • Increase marketability & competitiveness

  • Reduce liability / risk

  • Gain regulatory incentives

  • Promote pollution prevention & waste minimisation

  • Increased profit by less cost of compensation

  • Improved internal management system

  • Community goodwill by enhance environment

International Standards (ISO)

  • ISO 14000 Family: A framework for managing environmental impact, focusing on the specification of EMS and guidelines for its implementation and maintenance.

  • ISO 14001: EMS – Specification with guidance for use

  • ISO 14004: EMS – General guidelines on principles, systems & supporting techniques

Occupational Safety & Health Management Systems (OSHMS)

  • The OSHMS should contain the main elements of (just as in an EMS): policy, organization, planning and implementation, evaluation and action for improvement.

  • OSHMS integrates occupational health and safety hazards into business processes to meet performance expectations.

  • Compliance with standards like OHSAS 18001 & ILO-OSH.

  • Use the PDCA cycle “Plan-Do-Check-Act“

Essential Elements of OSHMS

  1. Make senior management visible and active.

  2. Involve employees and provide incentive.

  3. Establish clear emergency procedures.

  4. Maintain good record-keeping practices.

  5. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

  6. Periodically assess Possible risks

  7. LISTEN to your employees.

  8. Provide individual feedback to employees

  9. Provide all necessary safety tools to employees

  10. Keep up-to-date on training requirements.

Benefits of OSHMS

Improve the attitudes of personnel about their working environment  Increase the amount of participation in safety and health activities  Reduce the lost time injuries and accidents and the cost associated with lost time/accidents  Increase productivity

Pollution: Definitions

“Pollution” (legal) means any direct or indirect alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical or biological properties of any part of the environment.

“Pollution” (ecological) is an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of our air, land and water.

“Pollution” (environmental engineering) is an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of our air, water or land that can harmfully affect the health, survival or activities of humans or other living organisms.

Types of Pollution

  • Water Pollution:

    • Categories: Surface water (lakes, rivers) and groundwater (infiltrates the ground, accumulates above clay), polluted water (impurities).

    • Sources include landfill leaching, agricultural runoff, and sewage treatment plants.

    • Physical Parameters: Turbidity - Total Suspended Solids (TSS) ―Colour ―Odour.

    • Biological Parameters: ―Bacteria, virus, protozoa (E. coli, Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum)

    • Chemical Parameters: ―pH ―Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) ―BOD, COD ―Phosphorus, Nitrogen

    • Toxic Parameters: ―Arsenic (As) ―Lead (Pb)

    • Effects: Human health:  Infectious agents (bacteria, virus etc. )  Organic chemicals (TCE, PCE etc.)  Inorganic chemicals (heavy metals etc.)  Radioactive materials

    • Effects: Disruption to the ecosystem:  Sediments (TSS)  Oxygen-demanding wastes (BOD, COD)  Thermal  Eutrophication (P, N)

  • Soil Pollution:

    • Land farming – e.g. fertilizers/pesticides, sludge disposal etc.
      Leaks – e.g. from landfills, storage containers, distribution pipelines etc.
      Spills – e.g. from transportation tanks etc.

    • Impacts include Harmful contaminants – groundwater contamination, negative effects on human health.
      Harmful to the environment – renders the soil unsuitable for agriculture etc.
      Litter - reduction in aesthetic value.

    • Bioremediation: A treatment process that uses micro-organisms (yeast, fungi, or bacteria) to break down, or degrade, hazardous substances into less toxic or non-toxic substances (carbon dioxide and water).

  • Air Pollution:

    • Types: Outdoor and indoor pollution.

    • Major pollutants include particulate matter, VOCs, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides.

      -Suspended particulate matter (e.g. PM10) -Impair respiratory functions
      -Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e.g. gasoline, paint solvents) -Formation of ozone, photochemical oxidants (highly reactive compounds)
      -Carbon monoxide (CO) - Blocks delivery of oxygen to organs and tissues
      -Nitrogen oxides (NOx ) Lung irritant - acute respiratory disease in children
      -Sulfur oxides (SOx ) - Acid deposition (acid rain)
      -Lead and other heavy metal - Accumulates in the body and impairs many tissues and organs, eventually death
      -Ozone and other photochemical oxidants - Highly toxic to both plants and animals, damage lung tissues

    • Effects of air pollution on human health can be distinguished in three categories. -Chronic, Acute, Carcinogenic
      Plants are more sensitive than humans. Example: Dying vegetation in large urban areas, damage crops, orchards, and forests downwind of urban areas.
      Effects on materials and aesthetics. Example: Blackened materials, corroded structures, monuments, statues.

    • Air pollution control (venturi scrubber, cyclone dust collector) : Not to produce the pollutants e.g. Lead emission from automobiles.  Pollution control equipment.  Planned dispersion e.g. centralized power generation plant.

  • Water Pollution: ABATEMENT
    Zero Discharge  change process technology, product design, market drive etc.
    Reduction  quality optimization, material selectivity and consumption etc.
    Reuse  for other needs e.g. treated effluent for irrigation, nonhuman contact household uses etc.
    Recycle  retreat treated effluent until suitable for process consumption.
    Rehabilitation  expensive and difficult, if not impossible.

Pollution Prevention Techniques

  • Common methods include:

    •  Process modification (alkaline bath)

    •  Product reformulation (Solvent and water-based paints)

    •  Feed substitution (cleaning circuit, chemical to water solvent)

    •  Equipment redesign

    •  Improve housekeeping

    •  Segregation of incompatible toxic wastes

Waste Management Priorities

  1. Eliminate generation.

  2. Reduce generation

  3. Recycle and reuse (Waste inks)

  4. Recovery (recover silver from rinse water)

  5. Treatment

  6. Residual disposal

Conclusion

  • Emphasis on defining pollution, distinguishing types, and prioritizing waste management through pollution prevention programs (3Ps).

  • Overall goal of improved environmental practices and sustainability in organizations.