An environmental consultant is a necessary person to avoid costly citations with the EPA, or in trying to buy Brownfields properties, and also when planning a community. If you work for or own a manufacturing company, then you have probably had an environmental audit to determine what types of permits might be needed to stay compliant with EPA regulations. Perhaps there is a piece of land that would be the perfect place to build condos, but unfortunately there is factory remnants or the property once was used for some type of industrial purpose.
An environmental consultant is a necessary person to avoid costly citations with the EPA, or in trying to buy Brownfields properties, and also when planning a community. If you work for or own a manufacturing company, then you have probably had an environmental audit to determine what types of permits might be needed to stay compliant with EPA regulations. Perhaps there is a piece of land that would be the perfect place to build condos, but unfortunately there is factory remnants or the property once was used for some type of industrial purpose. Before the property can be re-zoned to be residential an environmental team must decide if the land can be cleaned so that it is not harmful to live on.
Often people are concerned with making sure that everything is up to OSHA standards, but they sometimes forget about the EPA. The Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) is there to ensure that as people continue to use landfills and produce potentially harmful waste that there is still protection to our earth. We must not abuse the earth but instead find ways to co-exist.
An environmental consultant can help ensure that in every aspect of owning and running a manufacturing company that all permits required by the EPA are acquired. There are air permits, waste water permits, and several operating permits. All of these permits are centered around trying to minimize the harmful effects of industry on our planet.
While it is part of our responsibility to be mindful of how we treat the earth, the EPA isn’t a watchdog for individuals and its main concern isn’t the earth as a whole, but instead it is more about how industry affects the earth and as a result effects the population. For instance, if a manufacturing company stores certain items outside in the open elements, and then one day it rains. And as it rains on these stored items it washes certain chemicals off the items and into a nearby run off stream. Now those chemicals have contaminated that run off stream that contaminated stream leads into a larger water supply area, which also leads into the city’s main water source. Now the city’s water source is contaminated.
Yes that is a very simple example of how a manufacturer could contaminate a water source, and while typically that does not happen, it is always best to have an environmental consultant audit the plant to ensure that all the necessary permits and protocols are in place. If you need the have an environmental audit performed on your company click here.
Occupational Health Overcomes Everyday Hazards
Many workers face different types of hazards on a daily basis. Each company has a responsibility to proactively protect their employees from hazards encountered in the workplace. Accidents or injuries can bring production to a halt, reduce the workforce while the employee is recovering and lead to costly worker compensation claims. A Certified Industrial Hygienist can help your company improve the Occupational Health present at your facility.The Risk from Asbestos
Asbestos poses a major health risk in many office buildings and homes due to the wide adoption and usage of asbestos as an insulator in the construction process. Asbestos can be found in the glue beneath vinyl flooring or in material applied to concrete to regulate the temperature between floors in an office building. These buildings and homes are being remodeled and modernized as an update to the space, but the demolition process can be hazardous if asbestos is present. Test for asbestos prior to starting your next remodeling project to ensure workers are safe.Communicating the Dangers with HazCom
Hazard Communication focuses on explaining the dangers present at the workplace. The employees have a right to understand the hazards present and how to remain safe on the jobsite. A Certified Industrial Hygienist can work with your company to fulfill the HazCom requirement set forth by OSHA.