Who are involved?
Humans are part of the environment. We are created by God to rule over and give dominion to His creation. Yet the duty is in our hands to protect the creation. I have written a blog post about construction health and safety plan which could also be related in our construction environmental management plan. Although we have to secure our individual health and safety when on the job, we must also consider the things that we do which could affect the environment, especially if we are in the construction site.  Nobody is excluded in this endeavor, but all who are involved in the construction industry, may it be from the top rank, to the lowest. Everyone must contribute and participate. Hence, the making of the construction environmental management plan exist.

Awareness and Responsibility
Consequent and effective execution of the construction management plan will guarantee that environmental concerns are fully dealt with and that environmental legislative requirements are met, if not gone beyond, during the job. In doing all construction projects, environmental legislation must be considered including also the environmental concepts and policies. Important factors in the construction site that could probably damage the environment must be controlled and mitigated where all the possible and favorable outcomes will be encouraged. The environmental plan must cover the construction activities showing how best environmental management is put into practice. It is anticipated to be functional and is supposed to show how they are going to lessen undesirable results to the surroundings, environment and the construction community.  Consequently, it is most important also to show the enhancing beneficial impacts towards the environment. The contractor is also supposed to incorporate in this plan a statement of commitment pertaining to the environmental concerns and issues.  The construction environmental management plan should also provide an outline of the environmental management controls that will be engaged at some point in the construction. Furthermore, because everyone is included in the scope of this plan, everyone is responsible of his/her action in the construction site. Hence, environmental responsibility must be practiced and initiated in the site. The construction environmental management plan shall cover all the aspects relating to the relationship between the construction workers and the environment.

One of the most important things for anyone involved in the Australian construction industry is Construction Environmental Compliance. You certainly do not want to get on the wrong side of the law when it comes to complying with environmental legislation in Australia. A couple of months back, I wrote a blog post about environmental legislation which I think you will find useful reading (if you haven’t yet done so).

There is certainly nothing funny in adequately and properly managing the environment when doing construction projects. At the end of the day, we are the ones that are going to suffer the consequences of mismanaging the environment. And if it’s not us, it will most certainly be our children or our grandchildren. I’m quite certain that’s not a legacy that most people want to leave to future generations.

As someone who has been involved in the construction industry for a considerable amount of time, it’s always tempting to find ways (or loopholes) around Construction Environmental Compliance mainly for the objective of reducing costs and/or minimising hassle. Unfortunately, minimising hassle today only prepares society for more environmental problems in the future. It’s time we all take a stand when it comes to this issue.

How To Comply Today

If you want to successfully comply with current environmental legislation and fulfill your obligation in doing your best to manage the environment, then your best option is to create a construction environmental management plan for your project. You can do this yourself, get someone else to do it, or find a good template to use.

It doesn’t matter how you choose to create one, as long as create one to play your role in Construction Environmental Compliance.

How To Create A Sense of Responsibility

Perhaps a sense of Environmental Responsibility already exists at your worksite. Perhaps it doesn’t. Whether it does or doesn’t is irrelevant. What is relevant is being able to create and maintain a strong spirit of responsibility that is permanent and has far reaching positive consequences. This can be created on 3 levels.

The first level is with regards to individuals and is about becoming environmentally conscious of the impact of human activities on the surrounding environment. The reason why it is beneficial to know the impact is so that you can start thinking about ways how to minimise the impact or even eliminate it. This leads to brand new ideas that can be shared on the worksite or elsewhere.

The second level is with regards to the company managing the worksite. The best way for a company to create a sense of responsibility for the natural environment is by educating its workers through videos or other materials about this important issue.

The third and final level is the government which enacts legislation whose objective to instill a sense of responsibility in its people. Environmental compliance becomes important for companies and/or contractors if they wish to avoid harsh penalties.

What You Can Do

One of the best ways to not just create a strong and lasting sense of responsibility among the people on a work project is through a construction environmental management plan. In addition, it’s worth knowing that having such a plan is now compulsory thanks to environmental legislation. It’s also like killing two birds with one stone.

At the end of the day, Environmental Responsibility is not something to be taken lightly if you hope to do your bit to protect the environment.

As you may or may not know, the most important legislation in the land regarding environmental management is what is called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which was passed ten years ago in 1999. As part of this legislation, anyone wanting to proceed with a construction project needs to adequately comply with certain environmental guidelines. This involves creating a construction environmental management plan from scratch.

Construction Environmental Planning is not something to be taken lightly. While there exists a moral obligation to the natural environment, there are also some penalties that can be imposed if you are found not to be in compliance with current legislation. The softest one of these is a financial penalty, which can actually be harsh if losing thousands of dollars can be painful for you. On the other hand, there is a more serious penalty which is facing prosecution. You certainly do not want to face that possibility.

You may also be interested in choosing environmental planning as a career in the construction industry. There are plenty of environmental planning jobs out there if you are prepared to look in the right places and have the right qualifications.

For some, the whole idea of Construction Environmental Planning may be daunting and challenging, however, there is little point resisting such an importance practice.

Due to this, the emphasis has been placed on sustainable development and both the need and responsibility of citizens and companies alike to do their utmost to reduce or minimise the impact human activities can have on the surrounding environment. The Australian government has made an effort to oblige those in the construction industry to take into account Sustainable Development In Construction by enacting specific environmental legislation. It’s still too early to measure the success of the legislation, however, most agree that more can and should be done.

Many companies have embraced the increased emphasis on sustainable development in their construction activities. One of the most common ways to do this is through the creation and implementation of a construction environmental policy. If you don’t know what this is, it is simply a statement where the company (or contractor) declares its commitment to do whatever is in their power to reduce their impact on the environment. Such a commitment is considered to be advantageous in today’s business climate where being green and environmentally friendly is favourable in many people’s eyes.

Sustainable Development In Construction is not some type of fad which will go away as quickly as it came into prominence. It is here to stay and we have no choice but to embrace it with open arms.

Nowadays, more often than not, you will come across companies which have a Construction Environmental Policy. As the general population becomes more aware and sensitive around environmental issues, companies, especially those in the construction industry, want to present a ‘greener’ image to the general public. Green has become the new thing when it comes to public relations and being successful in business.

This article hopes to shed some light on what an environmental policy is and how it can be effectively used by construction companies around Australia.

More Than Just A Policy

When people think of policies, people typically think of a bunch of words and sentences put together that is no bigger than an A4 page. However, a Construction Environmental Policy is much more than the fine print. Some describe it as a declaration of a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The word ‘commitment’ is a big, powerful word that doesn’t simply refer to complying with Australian environmental legislation. Compliance itself is a bare minimum.

More so, it states that the company in question is prepared to take the initiative and do more than what the law states when it comes to being an environmentally responsible company. The thing is, when you do make such a bold commitment, people will be holding you accountable and will react even more negatively if you are seen to be not following through with your commitment.

A good example of a construction company that has an environmental policy is Gavin Construction. You can find their policy on the Gavin company website. You may want to base your policy on this one, especially if your company does not currently have one.

At the end of the day, image and perception play a big role in the success of your business and having a Construction Environmental Policy can only improve that image.

As a result, the Australian government has responded to these concerns through environmental legislation. This effectively means that before any work can begin on a site, the contractor (or company) in charge must produce an adequate Construction Environmental Management Plan. However, given the general lack of knowledge about the legislation among construction workers, many are still unaware about how to go about environmental management.

One of the most important tasks that you will be required to do regarding environmental management is undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment. This refers to researching and thoroughly analysing the potential impact of project activities on the surrounding environment. In addition, you must outline what measures you plan to implement in order to reduce or at least minimise the impact.

There is much more to Construction Environmental Management than meets the eye. Yet it cannot be ignored, because that can only lead to incompliance with the law and to consequences such as financial penalties or even prosecution.

If you are contractor and feel that you are not knowledgeable enough about the topic, then by all means, consult someone or a company who may be able to assist you. Sometimes it’s better use of your time and strengths not to learn about such things, and just find someone who already knows and get them to do such tasks.

So, the message here is to continue playing to your strengths without completely ignoring the importance of Construction Environmental Management, which can only land you in trouble.

It’s quite likely that before commencing a new building project that you will need to carry out a Construction Environmental Evaluation. You may be wondering what I’m referring to by using such a phrase. This refers to thoroughly analysing and detailing the potential impact of all construction activities that are to take place. Current environmental legislation in Australia stipulates that the main contractor and/or company must perform such an evaluation before commencing work. Otherwise, financial penalties can apply which could be detrimental to those in charge.

Another commonly used name to describe this evaluation is an Environmental Impact Assessment or EIS. In fact, it’s likely that you’re familiar with this term more than Construction Environmental Evaluation. It’s important that you do not get confused because they both essentially refer to the same thing.

Evaluation Example

If you are not sure about how to come up with an evaluation, it would be a good idea to have a look at an example of one. Many people learn better by using examples than by going through the technical aspects of an evaluation one by one. Furthermore, it gives them a model which they can base their own one on.

This example refers to the Forests NSW Riverina project where they proposed to harvest timber for some road projects. Compared to the evaluation that you will most likely come up with, this is a very extensive one made up of 5 volumes. Nevertheless, it is still a prime example which anyone can use and learn from successfully.

The next time you plan a construction project, don’t forget to perform a Construction Environmental Evaluation before commencing.

Sometimes you might hear the term Environmental Standard or standards. Don’t get confused by this as this is pretty much the equivalent of EPA Guidelines in Australia. It must not be forgotten that such environmental guidelines exist in all developed nations and now a large number of developing nations throughout the world.

Guidelines Example

The South Australian EPA website is a good example of a government site that provides information about EPA Guidelines in an easy-to-follow manner.

On their main page, all guidelines are provided in PDF format so that anyone can download them for their own convenience. In addition, they are all listed in alphabetical order making it relatively easy to find the one you want. Some of the topics covered that are likely to affect construction sites include:

• Spill management
• Construction noise
• Hazardous waste
• Site contamination
• The Environment Protection Noise Policy

Refer to the website for more topics that could impact on environmental safety. Keep on the lookout for Environmental Guidelines For Major Construction Sites if it applies to your situation. The bottom line is that such guidelines must be complied with if you wish to avoid paying large financial penalties or face prosecution.

EPA Guidelines leave absolutely no room for laziness or negligence when it comes to construction environmental management.