Topic guide 35.2 Impact of work activities on the environment

Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
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35 2
Impact of work
activities on the
environment
Across the globe, manufacturing industries have been identified as one of the
main factors contributing to environmental damage. There is a relationship
between the environment and almost all of the activities within the
manufacturing industry, from product definition, to product design, material
type, production process, shipment, product use and recycling. There can be a
risk of damage to air, water and soil – with consequences ranging from noise
pollution, acid rain, oil spills, risks to human health or endangerment of other
species, and contamination from radioactive materials. We need to identify the
environmental risks associated with our manufacturing activities, and evaluate
and manage these risks by developing appropriate solutions.
Links
Unit 1: Ensure compliance with
legal, regulatory, ethical and social
requirements.
HNC in Manufacturing Engineering:
Unit 6 Health, safety and risk
assessment in engineering, learning
outcome 3, assessment criterion 3.1
This topic guide will cover:
•• environmental impacts and risks of work activities
•• assessing the impact of work activities and resources on the environment
•• minimising the environmental impact of work activities and resources
•• identification of hazardous materials and products
•• procedures for the handling and disposal of hazardous substances
•• organisational methods for dealing with recyclable products
•• specialist advice on managing the environmental impact of work activities.
1
Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
Before you start
Based on your current knowledge, answer the following questions.
•• What is the environmental impact of your job? How is this impact assessed and how could it be
minimised?
•• Do you deal with any hazardous materials and substances in your current job role? What are
these materials and how are they identified?
•• Explain your organisation’s procedures for handling hazardous materials.
•• Explain your organisation’s procedures with regard to recyclable products.
•• How do you obtain specialist advice when managing the environmental impact of
work activities?
1 Impacting the environment
There are several reasons why manufacturing companies should be concerned
about the impact of their production on the environment.
•• Environmental problems are not easy and quick to fix, therefore prevention of
any damage to the environment is the best approach.
•• The consequences of harm to the environment can be very severe.
•• The environment also belongs to future generations.
•• In some cases environmental impacts are against the law and legislation.
•• There can be very serious financial consequences for pollution, alongside
damage to a company’s reputation (a good example is the claim brought
forward for the oil spillage in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010).
Key terms
Recycling – the process of separating
any type of waste which is reusable
and converting this waste into new
products.
Design for the Environment (DfE) –
a methodology developed to ensure
that the environmental impact of
products is considered during the
early design stage of the product,
so a product is designed, produced,
operated and disposed of with
minimal impact on the environment.
Because of the above, along with tighter standards relating to the environment,
rapidly growing public interest and growing product liability, the impact of work
activities on the environment must be looked at in detail.
When considering this impact it is extremely important that the complete life
cycle of the product is explored – not just the manufacturing and production
stage. For example, the manufacture of a new car might have some impact on
the environment in terms of its use of raw materials – which can be minimised
by using recyclable materials – but the car itself will have a greater impact on
the environment during its lifetime because of the fuel it will consume and the
pollution it will create. Towards the end of a car’s life cycle, when the car is no
longer roadworthy and needs to be scrapped, the use of recycling can help to
reduce its environmental impact.
Design for environment
Design for Environment (DfE) was introduced in the 1990s and it has been
adopted by some manufacturing companies, including Airbus and Dell. The
concept has been developed based on the understanding that it is much
easier and less expensive to consider the environmental impact of a product
during its design stage because, at this point, things can be changed or altered
easily. The main objective of DfE is to ensure that a product is designed, and
its manufacturing process is selected, in such a way to minimise its negative
environmental impact.
35.2: Impact of work activities on the environment
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
2 Assessing the impact of work activities and
resources on the environment
Key term
Sustainable – types of materials that
are potentially available for a much
longer period of time compared
to other materials, based on their
resources and recyclability.
Having anticipated the impact of work activities on the environment, the next
step is to assess this impact. The process of predicting and evaluating the
impact of different engineering activities and projects on the environment
is sometimes referred to as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As
previously mentioned, the assessment should consider the impact of the life cycle
of the product at local as well as at wider levels. The local impact can relate to air
pollution, water pollution, noise and smell, and wider range impacts include issues
such as the destruction of the ozone layer and global warming.
For example, if you look at the life cycle of products made from plastic materials,
you can see that they are mainly produced by petrochemical companies
using fossil fuels that are not sustainable, and therefore have an impact on
the environment.
Figure 35.2.1: Plastic seats in a stadium
may have been produced using nonsustainable fossil fuels.
Production normally involves a heating-up process that consumes considerable
energy and leads to various emissions into water, air and soil, thus creating
another impact on the environment. Sulfur oxides, dust and chlorofluorocarbons
are examples of these emissions during the production stage. If not recycled
properly or disposed of correctly, plastics can seriously harm the environment
after their use. Manufacturers of plastic materials should therefore be aware
of the life cycle impact of their products and act responsibly to conserve
the environment.
Consider the batteries we use to power portable devices. Inside these batteries,
heavy metals such as lead react with certain chemicals to produce power. These
heavy metals, when processed as the raw material for batteries, can significantly
contaminate the environment. There are also potential health risks to employees
and the environment during the manufacturing phase, as these materials are
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
classified as hazardous. There is the potential for further environmental harm if
these batteries are not disposed of according to legal guidelines. Manufacturers
of batteries should therefore assess the environmental impact of their products
during their life cycle and take measures to minimise their impact.
Some of the areas to consider when assessing the environmental impact of work
activities are outlined below.
•• Energy conservation, ways to reduce the energy used during production and
the risk of global warming – electricity is mainly used as the energy source for
manufacturing activities, and the production of electricity is associated with
burning huge amounts of coal, which leads to the release of carbon dioxide.
This creates a blanket of gas around the earth, leading to the greenhouse
effect or global warming.
•• When applicable, products should be designed that use less energy during
their manufacturing and usage (for example, a car with higher fuel efficiency,
a low energy consumption lamp or an electrical appliance that uses less
energy to operate).
•• The impact of the raw material used – where possible, environmentally
friendly, recyclable and fewer materials in general should be used to save
resources. For example:
a design engineer can look at the solid parts produced by casting to see if
they can be made hollow to save materials
a material engineer can look into replacing the non-recyclable plastics
with ones that are easy to recycle where possible
a manufacturing engineer can investigate the possibility of using
manufacturing processes that use less material (such as rapid prototyping
methods) compared to the traditional metal cutting processes.
•• Use materials and parts that are easy to recycle or reuse at the end of their life
cycle. For example, paper carrier bags are much easier to recycle compared to
plastic bags.
3Minimising the environmental impact of
work activities and resources
Once the environmental impact of a product or manufacturing activity is known,
it is important to try to reduce any negative impact as much as possible. For
example, if the amount of energy used during production is of concern, think
about using more sustainable sources of energy, such as solar energy; if dust
emission into the air is having a major impact, consider using industrial filters to
reduce it.
Always remember that it is better to minimise the environmental impact during
the design phase, and therefore the use of DfE is strongly recommended. If DfE is
not implemented, look at each individual source of impact and try to reduce it. The
method used, and the process and activities that could be employed to reduce the
impact of work activities on the environment and resources, depend very much
on the nature of the product and the manufacturing organisation. However, some
guidelines are presented here.
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
Reducing energy consumption
This can bring financial savings to the company and has an impact on global
warming. Reducing energy consumption is achieved by various activities, such as:
•• the use of cogeneration systems and by-products; for example, the heat
generated during the production of electricity in a power plant can be used to
heat the buildings during the winter time
•• reducing the energy consumption of a factory outside working hours and
during holidays
•• using machinery and equipment with low energy consumption
•• adjusting the operational conditions of the factory (working hours and
temperature). Daylight saving is a clear example of changing the working
hours to use daylight, hence reducing energy use and environmental impact.
As an estimate, reducing the temperature in an office by 1 degree Celsius can
lead to savings of up to 8 per cent in energy consumption.
Reducing waste
All companies should have a waste management system that is well
communicated and understood by the staff, and enforced in the organisation. The
top priority and the best-case scenario is for an organisation to not produce any
waste, and the least preferred option is waste disposal. There are other options
that fall between these two extremes, including:
•• reducing the produced waste
•• reusing the waste as much as possible
•• reprocessing or treating the waste, so it can be used in another application.
For example, sometimes tyres can be rethreaded and used again. If a tyre cannot
be rethreaded for safety reasons, it can be crushed and processed for use in road
surfaces. Another example is the surplus food in a canteen which can be used to
feed people or animals, or be reprocessed and used as compost.
Reducing water use and re-treating water
Pollution of water and excessive water usage can have an impact on the
environment as a result of some manufacturing activities. The supply of fresh
water is limited and we all have a duty to conserve water as much as possible.
The UK Environment Agency has published some simple guidelines that can help
companies to conserve water and reduce their water bills by half. Making sure the
water taps are turned off when not in use, less frequent washing of windows and
cars, and insulation of pipes from frost are examples of these guidelines.
Take it further
Go to http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140328084622/http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/business/topics/water/32070.aspx and look into other ways that water could
be saved.
Water should be saved as much as possible during industrial and non-industrial
use within an organisation, and water treatment facilities should be installed
where possible to reuse water.
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
Prevention of air pollution
Air pollution can have different sources. In most cases there is a direct relationship
between the energy used and air pollution. In 2013 it was estimated that about
63 per cent of electricity generated in power plants involved the use of coal and
gas. Plans are underway to reduce this to about 50 per cent by 2020. However, not
all air pollution comes from the fuel consumed and the gases that are released into
the air; for example, dust can be a source of air pollution and therefore reduction
of dust and prevention of dust entering the air are considered effective methods
of reducing the impact of work activities.
Managing chemical substances
The chemical substances used in some manufacturing facilities can have a
detrimental effect on the environment. It is extremely important that the use of
these chemicals is limited and restricted as far as possible, and that alternative
materials are sought. The use of these chemicals should be managed effectively,
and health and safety, as well as environmental policies and guidelines, should
be closely followed. Table 35.2.1 shows examples of hazardous materials in
manufacturing and summarises the control measures.
Table 35.2.1: Hazardous materials used in manufacturing and control measures when working with them. (Source: ‘Working with substances
hazardous to health: a brief guide to COSHH’, published by HSE.)
Substance, process
Control equipment
Way of working
Managing
•• Cleaning with solvent on rag
•• Use a rag holder.
•• Provide a small bin with a lid for
used rags.
•• Avoid skin contact.
•• Reduce solvent vapour from used
rags.
•• Check controls are used.
•• Safe disposal.
•• Dust and sparks from
abrasive wheel
•• Put an enclosure around the wheel
and extract the air to a safe place.
•• Check the airflow indicator.
•• Make sure the extraction works.
•• Maintain controls.
•• Test controls as required by law.
•• Fume from cutting
demolition scrap
•• Ventilated welding helmet, gloves.
•• Washing facilities.
•• Work outdoors upwind of the
fume wherever possible.
•• Allow the fume to clear before
removing helmet.
•• Check if there is any lead paint
on the scrap being cut.
•• Carry out health checks.
•• Cutting-fluid mist from a
lathe
•• Swarf
•• Put an enclosure around the lathe
and extract the air to a safe place.
•• Protective gloves.
•• Use skin-care products.
•• Make sure the extraction works.
•• Allow time for the mist to clear
from the enclosure before
opening it.
•• Train workers.
•• Check and maintain fluid
quality.
•• Test controls as required by law.
•• Carry out health checks.
•• Dust from disc cutter on
stone worktop
•• Use an enclosure to extract air to a
safe place.
•• High-efficiency vacuum cleaner.
•• Cut and polish worktops inside an
enclosure.
•• Vacuum up dust.
•• Test and maintain controls.
•• Carry out health checks.
When it comes to more dangerous substances, daily inspection of the handling
facilities is recommended. Examples of dangerous goods are explosives,
flammable liquids and solids, toxic substances and radioactive materials.
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
Procurement
If possible, a system should be put in place to give priority to suppliers who
are more conscious of the environment. This is especially possible for larger
manufacturing companies who enjoy considerable buying power. Some
companies have set very high standards and require their suppliers to have an
environmental management system such as ISO 14001 in place.
Portfolio activity (2.1–2.3)
Consider your work environment and responsibilities and explain the possible impact of your work
activities on the environment. Take into account air, water, and noise pollution, and hazardous materials.
Having identified the impact of your work activities and areas of responsibility on the
environment, explain how these impacts can be assessed and minimised.
4 Hazardous materials and products
Key terms
CHIP – Chemicals (Hazard
Information and Packaging for
Supply) Regulations, most recently
updated in 2009. CHIP is being
replaced by the CLP Regulation,
which will come into force on
1 June 2015.
CLP – Classification, Labelling
and Packaging of Substances and
Mixtures Regulation.
Each year, thousands of people have their health affected by exposure to
hazardous substances. Lung diseases due to dusty working conditions, skin
irritation and occupational asthma are examples of the consequences of workers
being subjected to hazardous materials. By law, all employers should clearly mark
all dangerous substances.
The current legislation relating to the packaging and labelling of hazardous
materials is CHIP. CHIP will be replaced by the European CLP Regulation in 2015.
By following CHIP procedures and guidelines, people handling hazardous
materials, as well as the environment, are protected to a great degree. According
to CHIP, all suppliers are required to inform their customers about the hazards
of chemicals. These chemicals must be clearly labelled, identified and safely
packaged. The signs shown in Figure 35.2.2 are used by CHIP to identify
hazardous materials.
Figure 35.2.2: CHIP hazard symbols.
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
From 1 June 2015, the CLP Regulation states that a new, similar, set of hazard
symbols need to be used, as shown in Figure 35.2.3.
Figure 35.2.3: Hazard symbols under the
CLP Regulation.
Portfolio activity (2.4)
1 What types of hazardous materials are used in your organisation? Why are these materials
classified as hazardous?
2 How do you recognise and distinguish between these materials?
5Procedures for handling and disposal of
hazardous substances
Organisations have a duty of care to make sure that any hazardous material or
waste they are dealing with or produce does not cause harm to humans or the
environment. This duty of care is in place until these materials are given to another
authorised business. Therefore it is important for any organisation dealing with
these materials to have a relevant policy and procedures in place.
The first important step is to recognise which materials are considered as
hazardous. Some common examples of hazardous substances and products are
car oils, some fridges and pesticides. These materials should be stored safely and
recycled when possible. When transporting these materials (whether sending or
receiving), a consignment note should be provided and sometimes a licence is
needed for transportation. An organisation should have a record of the hazardous
material, which includes information such as:
•• type
•• quantity
•• location
•• any treatment which has been carried out.
Depending on the type of material, a procedure should also be in place for
storage. Some common safety measures relating to storage are outlined below.
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
•• Store hazardous materials in waterproof containers with proper labels and
warning signs, and separate them from non-hazardous materials. In most
cases, different hazardous materials should not be stored in the same place.
•• A register of hazardous materials should be kept.
•• Regular inspection and risk assessment should be carried out.
Care should also be exercised when handling hazardous materials and a written
procedure should be in place. Common safety rules for the handling of hazardous
materials are outlined below.
•• Hazardous substances should be handled by trained personnel using the
required personal protective equipment (PPE).
•• Containers must be easy to identify and appropriately labelled.
•• Read and follow any instructions by suppliers and producers.
•• Do not eat or drink while working with hazardous materials.
Portfolio activity (2.5)
Produce a report, or other types of evidence, to show that you are fully aware of your organisation’s
policies and guidelines for the handling and disposal of hazardous materials and products, and
that you follow them closely. Consider the following points when writing your report.
•• Is any training supplied as part of these procedures? Have you done this training?
•• What PPE is used when handling and disposing of hazardous materials?
•• How are the records of hazardous materials kept in your organisation? What types of
information are included in these records?
•• What are the procedures for storage, recycling and disposal of hazardous materials in your
organisation?
6Organisational methods for dealing with
recyclable products
Recycling is an environmentally friendly method of reducing waste by converting
what would otherwise be waste into new materials. Recycling is often a costeffective way of reducing waste with a fast return on initial investment. It has a
great impact on the conservation of natural resources.
Recycling is now a large part of waste management systems and it is important
for manufacturing organisations to have a method of dealing with recyclable
products and waste. Apart from the moral responsibility to save the environment,
there are also UK laws that require some businesses to recycle a portion of what
they produce. Examples of these businesses are manufacturers of packaging
products, batteries, electrical and electronic components, and vehicles. Some
general guidelines and suggestions for a recycling policy in a manufacturing
organisation are outlined below.
•• Encourage every part of the business to produce less waste.
•• Make sure all employees feel that they are part of a waste reduction and
recycling system.
•• Give priority to suppliers who remove and take away packaging at delivery.
•• Provide training for the recycling of various products.
•• Develop a comprehensive waste management system.
35.2: Impact of work activities on the environment
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
•• Develop a wide range of recycling programmes across the organisation.
•• Buy products and materials that are easy to recycle.
Portfolio activity (2.6)
Provide a report (or any other type of acceptable evidence) to show you are aware of your
organisation’s methods and policies for dealing with recyclable products, and that you are able to
evaluate them. Here are some points to help you with your evaluation.
•• What are your company’s methods for dealing with recyclable products?
•• When were these methods introduced? Has there been an impact on the amount of recycling
as a result of introducing these methods?
•• How would you change, modify or add to these methods to increase their effectiveness?
•• Are there any barriers to implementation of these methods? How can these barriers be
overcome?
7 Specialist advice
Key term
Carbon footprint – a term that
describes what quantity of carbon
compounds such as carbon dioxide
have been released into the
atmosphere as a result of an activity.
There are different situations when an organisation might seek more specialist
advice on environment-related issues. Common examples are when an
organisation wants to employ an environmental management system such as
ISO 14001, or when advice is needed to comply with certain legislation. There
might be cases where the environmental impact of an activity cannot be assessed
easily and specialist skills are needed. The following sources can provide advice.
•• The UK Environment Agency’s website provides up-to-date information
about regulations and guidelines for managing environment-related issues
in industry. It provides information on environmental permits, hazardous
materials and energy-efficiency schemes. It also has sector-specific
information and covers a wide range of industrial sectors such as agriculture,
oil and gas, construction and the nuclear industry, where very technical
information is found. You can find the website at: www.gov.uk/
environment-agency.
•• Some local councils also offer expert advice on environmental issues such as
energy saving, reduction of carbon footprint, environmental management
systems, compliance with legislation and environmental permits.
•• The UK government website has very useful information on environmental
issues relating to businesses and organisations: www.gov.uk/browse/business/
waste-environment. It explains the responsibilities and duties of businesses
with regard to their products and their impact on the environment. You can
also find information about sourcing a local hazardous waste disposal service,
a registered waste carrier and an energy assessor.
•• There are private companies which provide expert advice and solutions to
organisations in relation to the environmental impact of their work. Some
universities and research organisations have specific departments working on
a variety of topics and projects in environmental sciences that would be able
to provide advice.
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Unit 35: Managing the environmental impact of work activities in manufacturing engineering
Take it further
Look into the sources listed above and see if there are any local companies that could provide you
with advice on specific environmental concerns for your company. For example, this could relate to
the handling of a specific chemical – or the disposal of a dangerous material.
Portfolio activity (2.7)
1 Explain the various sources of specialist advice available to your organisation on managing the
environmental impact of your work activity.
2 Give examples of where these sources have been used and evaluate their effectiveness.
Checklist
At the end of this topic guide you should be familiar with:
 methods to assess and minimise the environmental impact of various manufacturing
activities
 the handling and disposal of hazardous materials and products
 the promotion of recycling in a manufacturing organisation
 sources of specialist advice on environmental issues.
Further reading and resources
Dornfeld, D., Green Manufacturing: Fundamentals and Applications (Springer, 2012)
ISBN 9781441960153
The story behind Apple’s environmental footprint: www.apple.com/uk/environment/our-footprint
Acknowledgements
The publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their
photographs:
Pearson Education Ltd: HL Studios (7). Shutterstock.com: HARELUYA (3). Veer / Corbis: Dmitry
Kalinovsky (1)
All other images © Pearson Education
We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:
Health and Safety Executive for data from the Table of Examples of control measures,
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.pdf, © Crown copyright; and Environment Agency for
the inclusion of the website link www.gov.uk/environment-agency © Environment Agency.
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and we apologise in advance for any
unintentional omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement in any
subsequent edition of this publication.
35.2: Impact of work activities on the environment
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