Following planning and environmental permit approvals for construction project, controls to environmentally manage the construction programme need to be established.

In addition to specific mitigation measures, such as wheel washes, acoustic shielding and water run-off management, this often requires monitoring of noise, dust, effluent and surface water releases from construction activities and the effective management of waste.

During ground clearance works in the initial phases of construction, many sites also require an ecological clerk of works to ensure that bio-diversity impacts are minimised. A range of best practice guidance documents are available, including those produced by professional bodies that Phlorum or our staff are qualified members of.

Construction is also an energy intensive process contributing approximately 7% to the UK’s annual CO2 emissions. There are, therefore, increasing measures, guidance and legal requirements to environmentally manage these impacts during construction, including impact assessment and auditing and noise and vibrations.

In addition to providing the requisite construction environmental management and assessment input to the Environmental Impact Assessment process, Phlorum also routinely provides environmental services during active construction works.

This includes formulating Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMPs), site waste management plans, ecological watching briefs, monitoring air/dust/odour/noise/vibration emissions and completing Environmental Audits of construction sites.

Environmental Management Systems

The development of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) requires:

• Setting an environmental policy
• Reviewing the environmental law that applies to the given industry
• Assessing the environmental effects of the industry Developing environmental procedures
• Training staff in environmental awareness and in their responsibilities under the EMS Setting measurable objectives and targets
• Independent auditing of the performance of the EMS

We can assist with the development of Environmental Management Systems to either BS EN ISO 14001 or EMAS. Our process would normally involve the following:

• an initial gap style analysis to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a company
• development of all the necessary policies and procedures required, or assistance with their development.

We can also assist in the training of staff to implement and understand the changes often necessary to embed an EMS, and then provide periodic auditing to ensure that the policies and procedures implemented are followed.