What is EcoScan?What is EcoScan?

EcoScan is a small environmental consultancy that is principally concerned with:

The development and implementation for its clients of environmental management systems complying with ISO 14001

Assessing and certifying management systems on behalf of BSI and Sira

Auditing environmental management systems

Providing environmental training

Providing an environmental legislation update service to its clients

ISO 14001ISO 14001ISO 14001 is a system to help its users

Identify their environmental effects and those which are most important

Provide control systems

Identify opportunities for performance improvement

Monitor progress through measurement and audit

Identify system improvements

ISO 14001 is proving to be popular with local authorities and larger companies as a way of confirming that their supply chain is environmentally responsible

ISO 14001 AssessmentsISO 14001 Assessments

External assessments by bodies like BSI and Sira provide the company and its stakeholders with confirmation that its management system meets all the requirements of the standard

The assessments are carried out by trained auditors with experience in the industrial sector concerned

The assessments are independent and, while they do not provide consultancy or guidance, nevertheless usually offer benefits associated with a “fresh pair of eyes”

Environmental AuditsEnvironmental AuditsEnvironmental audits establish how effectively an organisation is performing against a set of established rules or conditions. These rules or conditions could be:

Legislation (legal compliance audit)

A management system

Both types of audit are a requirements of ISO 14001.

All audits provide management information on the effectiveness of processes and controls and give a useful information platform for improvement

TrainingTraining

EcoScan provides environmental training to several of its clients on:

Environmental and management systems auditing

General environmental awareness

Waste management

Emergency spill response

Aspects of management system development

Legal UpdateLegal Update

EcoScan provides a quarterly legal update service for its clients

This consists of a set of briefing notes describing the environmental legislation introduced or amended in the last quarter

Information is also given where applicable of expected future legislation and its date of implementation

EcoScan holds the environmental legislation register for many of its clients on file and updates them each quarter as part of the service

The Duty of Care (1)The Duty of Care (1)The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 require the holder of an industrial or commercial waste to:

Store it securely

Dispose of it through a licensed carrier and disposal site

Document the transfer with a waste transfer note

Check occasionally that the waste is disposed of as intended

Surveys have concluded that up to 60% of small companies are unaware of the full significance of the Duty of Care

Duty of Care (2)Duty of Care (2)

Waste transfer notes must:

Show the waste holder and the carrier or disposal contractor

Contain a description of the waste including the relevant EWC code

Be signed by the consigner and consignee

Ideally should identify the destination site for the waste

WEEEWEEEA much misunderstood piece of legislation

Ten categories of equipment are classified as WEEE, of which the most common ones for industry are lighting units, computer and communications equipment and monitoring and measuring equipment

White goods and domestic items may also be encountered and are classified as WEEE

WEEE must be separated and disposed of to specialised recycling contractors

SWAMPsSWAMPs

Site Waste Management Plans are now required for all construction projects valued at over £300,000. They become more demanding for projects valued at over £500,000

SWAMPS involve

Identifying the project waste streams

Identifying the disposal options and routes

Identifying the arrangements for storage of waste

Measure the waste

Effluent ConsentsEffluent Consents

Trade effluents discharged to foul sewer require a Trade Effluent Consent from the water service company

Whilst these are usually granted without a lot of trouble, they can set significant conditions

Consents normally specify the volume flow of effluents that is permitted, tits temperature and a range of other conditions such as pH, suspended solids, etc.

Consents can be required for activities with low pollution potential such as vehicle washes

Failure to comply with the terms of a consent can result in prosecution

PlasterboardPlasterboard

Note that as from 1st April, it will no longer be acceptable to dispose of plasterboard into general waste skips, even if the amount involved is less than the previous 10% threshold

Sources of Legal InformationSources of Legal Information

Netregs

Croner and CEDREC and other PC or web-based systems

OPSI

Consultants

Lawyers