WAITAKERE CITY COUNCIL'S CLEANER PRODUCTION HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES PROJECT
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
WAITAKERE CITY COUNCIL’S
CLEANER PRODUCTION
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES PROJECT
Creating Safer Workplaces
and a Healthier Environment
Kelly Taylor
Cleaner Production
Waitakere City Council
Private Bag 93109, Henderson
Waitakere City
Ph: 839-0400
Email: kelly.taylor@waitakere.govt.nz
September 2005
Written for Presentation at the Seventeenth Annual Conference of the
Waste Management Institute of New Zealand Inc.1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Waitakere City Council’s Cleaner Production Hazardous Substances project is an ongoing
project working with businesses and stakeholders to create safer workplaces and a healthier
environment. The project was planned to be undertaken in three stages, the first stage being a
survey of hazardous substances in the city, the second stage being the identification and
action of educational opportunities that arise from the results of the survey, and the third stage
being research into opportunities for substituting to safer alternatives.
2. THE ISSUES
The use of chemicals in the workplace has significant implications for worker health and
safety. This is often found to be one of the main drivers in businesses who participate in
Cleaner Production programmes, and it is generally found that what is good for the
environment is also good for health and safety and vice versa. In particular the impact on
indoor air quality from chemicals such as solvents is a concern which is at the forefront of this
project.
The use and storage of hazardous substances is a pollution risk. Stormwater protection and
pollution prevention is an important part of the rational for storage practices of chemicals and
therefore the education around stormwater and pollution prevention is an integral part of the
project.
The by-products created through the use of chemicals and hazardous waste is also addressed
through this project. Education is based on the waste hierarchy in that businesses are
encouraged to look at purchasing practices to see if there is a less toxic alternative available or
if they can purchase smaller quantities and therefore have less waste. Businesses are then
encouraged to look at their business practices to ensure safe storage, identify if there are ways
they can reduce hazardous waste, and finally to ensure that the residual waste is recycled or
disposed of appropriately.
3. THE SURVEY
In early 2000, Waitakere City Council’s dangerous goods inspector had estimated that there
were potentially 800-1000 commercial, industrial and rural sites that could be storing or using
hazardous substances in Waitakere City (Cleaner Production Waitakere City Council, January
2003). Approximately 474 of these sites were identified through Waitakere City Council’s
dangerous good database, which identified sites that held dangerous goods licences at that
time.
2The primary objectives of the survey were to:
• Identify the nature and quantity of hazardous substances used by businesses.
• Gain information on company practices in regards to the storage, recycling and disposal of
hazardous substances.
• Identify potential environmental issues arising from company practices.
• Gain information to develop targeted education for stage 2 of the project.
Cleaner Production Waitakere City Council, January 2003.
The survey was undertaken in two target areas; New Lynn and Henderson. These locations
were chosen due to the high concentrations of businesses and because both areas are
industrialised and therefore the likelihood of hazardous substance storage and use was high.
187 businesses were surveyed on site using a specifically designed survey questionnaire that
included questions on business details, environmental practices and policies, hazardous
substance use, storage and disposal/recycling, and observations. It also included the gathering
of a hazardous substance inventory for each site.
Some key results of the survey included;
• Only 4.3% of sites had an environmental policy, an environmental management system
and included environmental aspects in staff education.
• Overall 54% of hazardous substances were used in production and 24% in cleaning.
• The most abundant hazardous substances (by number of sites) were oxygen, acetylene,
paints, thinners, oil, kerosene, waste oil, adhesives, LPG and fuels.
• 77% of sites visited had a separate hazardous goods storage area.
• Although 49% of those surveyed had a spill kit on site, only 11% had a spill response plan.
• Recycling was most common for waste oil and solvents.
• 16% of businesses surveyed were noted as being a high priority for follow up.
4. EDUCATION STRATEGY
An education strategy was completed in 2004 to identify the key actions to be undertaken
based on the results of the survey. This strategy outlined key aims and objectives including
educating Waitakere City industries in the principles of cleaner production, encouraging safer
workplaces with regards to hazardous substances, encouraging a higher level of
environmental protection, reducing the quantity of hazardous substances and wastes stored in
Waitakere City and reducing the quantity of contaminated hazardous waste in Waitakere City
(Cleaner Production Waitakere City Council, 2004). The key methodologies identified in the
education strategy were cross-project opportunities, internet, targeted media, educational
resource dissemination, site visitation, consultant liaison, monitoring and industry assessment.
3As part of the education strategy a list was compiled of all the relevant educational resources
available so that these could be used to assist businesses and also to identify potential for the
creation of new resources. Three key substances are also identified in the strategy; oil, paints
and fuels, due to the high proportion of sites that stored these substances and the relatively
large quantities.
5. EDUCATION INITIATIVES
Waitakere City Councils occasional newsletter to businesses ‘Wise Resource Use’ was
identified as a medium for providing information and education to Waitakere City businesses
on hazardous substances. The April 2004 newsletter included a short article promoting the
recycling of waste oil and a feature article on an automotive company that had installed ‘do-it-
yourself’ bunding around their used oil store.
The next educational initiative was a mail-out undertaken in June 2004 to all the medium and
high priority businesses identified in the survey. The mail-out offered on site support to these
businesses under the Hazardous Substances project including educational material for
managers/owner and staff, advice on improving storage of hazardous substances, setting up a
hazardous substance inventory, setting up a spill response plan, a waste audit and a waste
reduction plan. The response rate to this mail-out was 8.2%. The businesses that responded
were assisted initially with an on site visit, advice based on a walk-through and follow-up
with educational material drawn from the list generated in the Education Strategy. These
businesses were then contacted again six months later to see if any additional assistance could
be provided.
The next educational initiative that was undertaken was again to address the storage and
recycling of used oil. It was found that 31% of the businesses surveyed held oil on site,
however only 22% of these businesses recycled their used oil. It was also found that 77% of
businesses that held used oil onsite lacked a spill response plan. 50% of these businesses that
held oil on site held more than 400 litres, and it was suggested in the survey comments that
this related to the irregularity of the collection service requested and/or provided.
Although the issue of used oil had been tackled previously, for example with the Ministry for
the Environments ‘Guidelines for the Management and Handling of Used Oil’ (Ministry for
the Environment, 2000) document, the timing seemed appropriate to reiterate the key
messages with practical examples. And, given that a large proportion of the businesses in
Waitakere City that hold oil on site are very small automotive businesses, there was seen to be
a need to provide information that was complementary to the Ministry for the Environments
document but presented in a simple, practical way that was appropriate for these very small
companies. Waitakere City Council contracted a previous dangerous goods inspector and
HSNO test certifier to help produce a practical educational resource on managing used oil in
the automotive industry with examples from local businesses. Auckland Regional Council’s
Pollution Prevention team undertook a peer review of the draft resource to ensure that
consistent messaging was being used to address related issues.
4The resulting resource is a four page (A4 size) set of guidelines including basic checklist style
information on storage, recycling and emergency management, with practical storage and
collection examples from local businesses. Inserted into the guidelines is an A3 poster called
‘Better Used Oil Storage’ which depicts graphically an automotive set-up showing good
practice. The resources were produced without Waitakere City Council branding to allow the
resource to be used by other organisations.
The dissemination of the Used Oil resource was undertaken in two stages, firstly Waitakere
City Council worked in partnership with the Motor Trade Association (MTA) to distribute the
resource to all MTA members in the Waitakere City area with a joint covering letter, then the
resource was sent by mail-out to all businesses that were part of the original survey that held
oil on site and were not MTA members. A total of 219 Waitakere businesses received the
Used Oil resource over the period November 2004 to May 2005.
Subsequently the Auckland Regional Council has also purchased copies of the Used Oil
resource and distributed in partnership with the MTA for the rest of the Auckland region.
6. RESEARCH INTO SUBSTITUTION TO SAFER ALTERNATIVES
In keeping with the Cleaner Production ethos it was necessary to look up the chain, not just at
storage and disposal issues but back to the purchasing hazardous substances. Work to begin
research into substitution opportunities for hazardous substances commenced in November
2004. Firstly, the survey results were analysed and a list of ten key substances was generated
to be researched. Research found that “there are few businesses in New Zealand that supply
more environmentally friendly chemicals on an industrial scale” (GHD, 24 March 2005), but
rather that the more ‘environmentally friendly’ products available were supplied by smaller
businesses to fill niche markets. Additional research was undertaken by consulting with nine
businesses in the automotive, plastics, adhesives, boat building and printing industries. Some
key conclusions from this research included;
• A general enthusiasm of businesses to find safer alternatives.
• In many cases the businesses were already using the least hazardous chemical available for
the job.
• Most of the businesses consulted were happy to pay up to 20% more for a less hazardous
alternative product.
• In some cases staff’s resistance to change hinders substitution and more education is
needed.
• The opportunity exists for organisations such as councils to work with chemical suppliers
to encourage the manufacture or import of less hazardous alternatives to traditional
chemicals.
57. FUTURE GOALS OF THE PROJECT
Essentially stages two and three of the Cleaner Production Hazardous Substances project are
continuing concurrently.
Early work is being undertaken on a campaign to improve practices relating to paints and
paint wastes. This has included consultation with stakeholder organisations and the
compilation of existing resources. The education strategy “revealed that paint was stored on
40% of the sites surveyed.” And that 70% of those businesses held more the 100 litres of
paints and thinners (Cleaner Production Waitakere City Council, 2004).
Following on from the substitution research undertaken with the automotive, plastics,
adhesives, boat building and printing industries an educational campaign will be carried out to
promote the best practice initiatives identified by the businesses who participated in the
research to disseminate the ideas to other businesses in those industries. Also following on
from the substitution research another goal of the project is to determine the possibility of
working with suppliers to manufacture/import safer alternatives.
Hazardous substances and hazardous waste is a huge environmental issue to tackle and it is
anticipated that both the educational and research aspects of this project will continue for at
least two more years. Although a lot of time and effort has already been put towards this
project in essence we have really only scratched the surface.
6REFERENCES
Cleaner Production Waitakere City Council, January 2003.
“Cleaner Production Hazardous Substances Project – A Survey of the Use, Storage,
Recycling and Disposal of Hazardous Substances by New Lynn and Henderson Commercial
and Industrial Businesses.”
Cleaner Production Waitakere City Council, 2004.
“Cleaner Production Programme Hazardous Substances Project Education Strategy – An
education programme for the handling and use of Hazardous Substances in Waitakere City.”
GHD Limited, 24 March 2005.
“Waitakere City Council Hazardous Substances Substitution Outcomes of Research”
Waitakere City Council Contract RM 03503B.
GHD Limited, July 2005.
“Waitakere City Council – Hazardous Substance Substitution Opportunities in Business
Report” Waitakere City Council Contract RM 03503C.
Ministry for the Environment, 2000.
“Guidelines for the Management and Handling of Used Oil”
7You can also read
