Health Care Facilities Conserve Budgets And The Environment By Conserving Water.
Institutional practices waste far more water than other countries thanks to a series of bad choices. As important as is conserving water, a sound water use policy brings significant savings.
– By Isaac Rudik
When you think of it, no one should really be surprised that hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities and other health care providers are among the country’s largest users of water.
Beyond the obvious such as a significant number of people simply drinking water there is – hopefully – frequent hand washing by doctors, nurses and other employees, washing enormous quantities of bed linens and patient gowns or pyjamas every day as well as cleaning floors, walls and rooms in large buildings, preparing meals and cleaning dishes, and using water in various lab tests and other procedures.
Even a relatively small hospital in a remote community may consume a disproportionately large amount of H2O given its size and the population base it serves.
The fact is that reducing the amount of water a health care facility uses can lead to major savings by reducing both lower water and sewer bills. Moreover, many simple water conservation steps can be linked directly to reduced energy usage, resulting in even greater cost savings.
Preserve And Protect
Fresh water is one of Canada’s most-highly valuable national resources. A reliable supply of clean water is necessary to both sustain our population and our way of life.
Yet our industrial and institutional practices are far more wasteful than other countries thanks to a series of bad choices based on the erroneous perception that fresh water would always be available in unlimited supplies no matter how large the population grew or how much water society would demand.
The fact is, health care – let alone government and businesses – have not invested in efficient equipment and many institutional habits and practices still reflect the wasteful attitudes of decades ago.
Rinsing and cleaning supplies, materials, equipment and food tend to use the most amount of water. While these procedures are necessary, it’s very wasteful as currently done. While there aren’t fines for running the tap too long, water conservation and responsible environmental policies to reduce water usage avoids wasting fresh water.
As important as the inherent value of conserving water, a sound water use policy brings significant savings back into an organization, whether it’s in the private or public sector.
One Small Step
A simple way for hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers to start is by making an easy, inexpensive fix to how devices from dinner plates to lab equipment is rinsed.
The Niagara Commercial Pre-Rinse Sprayer is endorsed by the Green Restaurant Assn. This commercial "power spray" washer in stainless steel boasts a vigorous spray pattern that significantly increases performance and water-saving efficiency.
Among its many features, the sprayer boasts that:
• It provides high performance and hot water savings by using only 1.28gpm at 60 psi compared to the standard 2-to-6gpm.
• It is certified by the Food Service Technology Center (FSTC).
• Reduces water use by up to 80%.
• Offers savings of up to $1,300 per year per unit.
• Passes the FSTC Cleanability Test using 16% less water than all other low-flow valves tested.
• Solid brass fittings mean no leaks.
For example, if a hospital has 10 power sprayers installed around the facility – and large city hospitals are likely to have many more – it will save as much as $13,000 annually simply by updating this one piece of widely-used equipment. The up-front investment is only around $1,000 for the 10 sprayers, a substantial return-on-investment.
New advances in equipment means that it is now as easy to keep Canada green as it is to keep it clean.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (www.compliancesolutionscanada.com), Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Avoiding The Landfill Saves Money – And The Environment
Avoiding The Landfill Saves Money – And The Environment
The more a business reduces, reuses and recycles, the less waste it needs to dispose. The less waste, the fewer bins or pickups are required and disposal fees drop. Anything that lowers operating costs adds to the bottom line.
By Isaac Rudik
Not long ago, a 70-year old Ontario hospital was to be razed – right down to the footings and foundation – before being rebuilt. A simple job except the hospital told the contractor that at least 50% of the material had to go somewhere other than a landfill.
Once hazardous material was removed, the demolition contractor physically inspected the property, prioritizing and marking items for reuse. A detailed waste management plan identified a schedule of activities and workers were instructed in proper techniques and workmanship. Materials were handled carefully, maximizing reuse and recycling opportunities.
Eventually, the hospital reused or recycled nearly everything from its old building: Newer windows, door frames and hardware, numerous structural elements and bricks were among the most-common components that found a second life. Over 5,000 red bricks from the hospital were salvaged, cleaned and donated to the hospital, which sold them for $10 each in a fundraising drive, netting more than $50,000 for the organization. The remaining 55,000 salvaged bricks sold for 40-to-60 cents each. A useable generator was sold for $50,000.
In all, the hospital not only reused, recycled or sold off more than half of the old structure, it reduced the cost of the new medical complex that replaced the old building. Best of all, it kept hundreds of tons of perfectly good, useable material from being dumped in landfills.
Practical Recycling
Few businesses tear down an old facility to build a new one but the hospital serves as a vivid – if unusually large – example of how recycling can bring green economies to a company.
Once garbage arrives at a landfill, it is dumped and covered by a layer of dirt. Some of it decomposes over time but water can filter through the waste, picking up metals, minerals, organic chemicals, bacteria, viruses and other toxic materials. Contaminated water, called leachate, can travel from the site to contaminate ground and surface water for miles in every direction.
Landfill hazards don’t stop with ground water and soil contamination; they also release pollution-causing methane and greenhouse gas emissions.
Ontario is a recycling pioneer, the birthplace of the Blue Box. Avoiding disposal fees should be one of the primary goals of a recycling program.
Still, the more a business reduces, reuses and recycles, the less waste it needs to dispose. The less waste, the fewer bins or pickups are required and disposal fees drop. Anything that decreases operating costs adds to the bottom line.
Readily Available
When recycling containers are stationed throughout a workplace, people get in the habit of using them – just as they'll find a trash can rather than toss litter on the floor.
Even better for managers and so-called Green Committees, recycling bins finally come in a wide variety of sizes so the container can fit the workspace where it is used: Smaller bins in offices, larger ones in break rooms or lounges and locker areas, humungous sizes on the shop floor. And if workers congregate in outdoor areas on breaks, savvy companies are stationing handy blue bins to collect newspapers, discarded cigarette packs, drink bottles and other recyclables.
With careful planning and execution, companies of all sizes can create solutions to a growing landfill problem. Selecting products manufactured with the smallest foot print creates sustainability from start to finish. For example, Bullseye Trio bins are made from recycled plastics and offer convenient, one-stop disposal for paper, waste and cans/bottles an all-in-one station.
Because businesses get charged for garbage removal based on the amount, recycling programmes can be built around cost avoidance rather than potential recycling revenues. While the relatively small revenue generated may help offset some costs, it is unlikely they will support the entire program.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (www.compliancesolutionscanada.com), Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
The more a business reduces, reuses and recycles, the less waste it needs to dispose. The less waste, the fewer bins or pickups are required and disposal fees drop. Anything that lowers operating costs adds to the bottom line.
By Isaac Rudik
Not long ago, a 70-year old Ontario hospital was to be razed – right down to the footings and foundation – before being rebuilt. A simple job except the hospital told the contractor that at least 50% of the material had to go somewhere other than a landfill.
Once hazardous material was removed, the demolition contractor physically inspected the property, prioritizing and marking items for reuse. A detailed waste management plan identified a schedule of activities and workers were instructed in proper techniques and workmanship. Materials were handled carefully, maximizing reuse and recycling opportunities.
Eventually, the hospital reused or recycled nearly everything from its old building: Newer windows, door frames and hardware, numerous structural elements and bricks were among the most-common components that found a second life. Over 5,000 red bricks from the hospital were salvaged, cleaned and donated to the hospital, which sold them for $10 each in a fundraising drive, netting more than $50,000 for the organization. The remaining 55,000 salvaged bricks sold for 40-to-60 cents each. A useable generator was sold for $50,000.
In all, the hospital not only reused, recycled or sold off more than half of the old structure, it reduced the cost of the new medical complex that replaced the old building. Best of all, it kept hundreds of tons of perfectly good, useable material from being dumped in landfills.
Practical Recycling
Few businesses tear down an old facility to build a new one but the hospital serves as a vivid – if unusually large – example of how recycling can bring green economies to a company.
Once garbage arrives at a landfill, it is dumped and covered by a layer of dirt. Some of it decomposes over time but water can filter through the waste, picking up metals, minerals, organic chemicals, bacteria, viruses and other toxic materials. Contaminated water, called leachate, can travel from the site to contaminate ground and surface water for miles in every direction.
Landfill hazards don’t stop with ground water and soil contamination; they also release pollution-causing methane and greenhouse gas emissions.
Ontario is a recycling pioneer, the birthplace of the Blue Box. Avoiding disposal fees should be one of the primary goals of a recycling program.
Still, the more a business reduces, reuses and recycles, the less waste it needs to dispose. The less waste, the fewer bins or pickups are required and disposal fees drop. Anything that decreases operating costs adds to the bottom line.
Readily Available
When recycling containers are stationed throughout a workplace, people get in the habit of using them – just as they'll find a trash can rather than toss litter on the floor.
Even better for managers and so-called Green Committees, recycling bins finally come in a wide variety of sizes so the container can fit the workspace where it is used: Smaller bins in offices, larger ones in break rooms or lounges and locker areas, humungous sizes on the shop floor. And if workers congregate in outdoor areas on breaks, savvy companies are stationing handy blue bins to collect newspapers, discarded cigarette packs, drink bottles and other recyclables.
With careful planning and execution, companies of all sizes can create solutions to a growing landfill problem. Selecting products manufactured with the smallest foot print creates sustainability from start to finish. For example, Bullseye Trio bins are made from recycled plastics and offer convenient, one-stop disposal for paper, waste and cans/bottles an all-in-one station.
Because businesses get charged for garbage removal based on the amount, recycling programmes can be built around cost avoidance rather than potential recycling revenues. While the relatively small revenue generated may help offset some costs, it is unlikely they will support the entire program.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (www.compliancesolutionscanada.com), Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Swine Flu, Workplace Air Pollution And Employee Health: An Inseparable Trio.
Swine Flu, Workplace Air Pollution And Employee Health: An Inseparable Trio.
Swine flu headlines are gone but many businesses are flooded with calls from “pandemic preparedness” consultants, offering high-priced advice for low-value solutions that, in many cases, aren’t even necessary.
– by Isaac Rudik
The news media was all agog the last few months over the possibility of a swine flu pandemic sweeping the globe. While much of the coverage was blown way out of proportion – another example of much sound and fury signifying little – it inadvertently highlighted a connection between the H1N1 flu strain, workplace air pollution and employee health. In many respects, they are an inseparable combination.
Even with screaming headlines and yammering jackals on cable news fading into memory, many businesses are still being flooded with calls and visits from so-called “pandemic preparedness” consultants, offering high-priced advice for low-value solutions that, in many cases, aren’t even necessary.
Why?
Businesses with adequate air pollution prevention solutions in place are well on their way to having a plan to prepare for a pandemic, no matter how unlikely. The common thread is preventing “bad” air particles from circulating in the workplace and avoiding emitting these same particles into the outside air. There’s just one difference between what companies do to control air pollution and containing the spread of a deadly flu virus: Pollution sources are machines and processes while preventing germs from spreading also involve what employees do.
Easy Steps
The first step is to have an infection control plan in place – just in case. After all, a plant may never have a fire but it has an evacuation plan, and common sense dictates the same for situations such as a wide-spread, possibly deadly, flu.
The first step should be using HEPA filters.
A HEPA filter is easily installed in a workplace. There are available in countless models, sizes and price ranges. For example, Air Exchangers offers models ranging from the very basic to the gold standard deluxe, depending on a company’s specific situation and need. Like all HEPA filters, Air Exchangers offers specific benefits to a company:
• It reduces waste from disposing of used masks and gloves.
• It reduces the cost of buying cases of N95 approved medical mask; each pack contains 20 masks and sells for $199 but there is a six-to-eight week delay because of the swine flu scare.
• Meanwhile, employees work in comfort because they don’t have to wear masks or gloves.
• They’re designed for indoor installation.
• They save operating costs by decreasing electrical energy consumption and reducing the use of heating equipment considerably.
• Most major parts can be replaced within seven minutes, meaning little downtime.
At the same time, reminding workers to wash their hands thoroughly and frequently during flu season is the first line of defence against a workplace being felled by flu.
Beyond The Obvious
Telling workers to wash their hands may seem obvious but few companies bother doing it, figuring adults know how to wash. They may, but they may not wash regularly.
But there are also easy-to-implement ideas that go beyond the obvious.
• Provide hand sanitizers, boxes of tissues and encourage their use.
• Remind staff to not share cups, glasses, dishes and cutlery, and ensure they are washed in soap and hot water after each use.
• Remove magazines and papers from waiting areas or common areas.
• Clean an employee’s workstation if they have an identified influenza
• Ensure ventilation systems work properly.
Whether or not Ontario suffers a swine – or other – flu pandemic during the next flu season, it makes sense to do some simple, low-cost things now to ensure that there isn’t a major problem down the road.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (www.compliancesolutionscanada.com), Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Swine flu headlines are gone but many businesses are flooded with calls from “pandemic preparedness” consultants, offering high-priced advice for low-value solutions that, in many cases, aren’t even necessary.
– by Isaac Rudik
The news media was all agog the last few months over the possibility of a swine flu pandemic sweeping the globe. While much of the coverage was blown way out of proportion – another example of much sound and fury signifying little – it inadvertently highlighted a connection between the H1N1 flu strain, workplace air pollution and employee health. In many respects, they are an inseparable combination.
Even with screaming headlines and yammering jackals on cable news fading into memory, many businesses are still being flooded with calls and visits from so-called “pandemic preparedness” consultants, offering high-priced advice for low-value solutions that, in many cases, aren’t even necessary.
Why?
Businesses with adequate air pollution prevention solutions in place are well on their way to having a plan to prepare for a pandemic, no matter how unlikely. The common thread is preventing “bad” air particles from circulating in the workplace and avoiding emitting these same particles into the outside air. There’s just one difference between what companies do to control air pollution and containing the spread of a deadly flu virus: Pollution sources are machines and processes while preventing germs from spreading also involve what employees do.
Easy Steps
The first step is to have an infection control plan in place – just in case. After all, a plant may never have a fire but it has an evacuation plan, and common sense dictates the same for situations such as a wide-spread, possibly deadly, flu.
The first step should be using HEPA filters.
A HEPA filter is easily installed in a workplace. There are available in countless models, sizes and price ranges. For example, Air Exchangers offers models ranging from the very basic to the gold standard deluxe, depending on a company’s specific situation and need. Like all HEPA filters, Air Exchangers offers specific benefits to a company:
• It reduces waste from disposing of used masks and gloves.
• It reduces the cost of buying cases of N95 approved medical mask; each pack contains 20 masks and sells for $199 but there is a six-to-eight week delay because of the swine flu scare.
• Meanwhile, employees work in comfort because they don’t have to wear masks or gloves.
• They’re designed for indoor installation.
• They save operating costs by decreasing electrical energy consumption and reducing the use of heating equipment considerably.
• Most major parts can be replaced within seven minutes, meaning little downtime.
At the same time, reminding workers to wash their hands thoroughly and frequently during flu season is the first line of defence against a workplace being felled by flu.
Beyond The Obvious
Telling workers to wash their hands may seem obvious but few companies bother doing it, figuring adults know how to wash. They may, but they may not wash regularly.
But there are also easy-to-implement ideas that go beyond the obvious.
• Provide hand sanitizers, boxes of tissues and encourage their use.
• Remind staff to not share cups, glasses, dishes and cutlery, and ensure they are washed in soap and hot water after each use.
• Remove magazines and papers from waiting areas or common areas.
• Clean an employee’s workstation if they have an identified influenza
• Ensure ventilation systems work properly.
Whether or not Ontario suffers a swine – or other – flu pandemic during the next flu season, it makes sense to do some simple, low-cost things now to ensure that there isn’t a major problem down the road.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (www.compliancesolutionscanada.com), Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Don’t Drink The Untested Water
Don’t Drink The Untested Water
Even without neglect, cost-cutting or carelessness, a private company or government body can get enmeshed in accidental water pollution. Nearly every organisation using water for more than drinking is at risk of causing environmentally damaging water pollution.
– by Isaac Rudik
It seems that every week, the news media carries another report of how either a community water treatment facility or an industrial plant discharge contaminated water either because of equipment failure, improper or inadequate treatment and inspection, or simple carelessness.
The tragic story of what happened in Walkerton, Ontario is a case study on how to do everything wrong. But even without neglect, cost-cutting or carelessness, a private company or public organisation can become enmeshed in creating water pollution by accident.
Take the case of Beaverlodge, British Columbia, a small town not far from Whistler.
It was fined $20,000 after more than 12,000 fish died when an algal bloom feeding on the town's sewage outflow contaminated a stream. In addition, the community was required to install an aeration system at a cost of over $1-million. The algal bloom went unnoticed during regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance.
Likewise, an Ontario food manufacturing plant was fined after accidentally discharging by-products from disinfectants used in the processing line into a sewage system. At the same time, provincial inspectors found that waste left over during processing also were being disposed of improperly, creating an additional water pollution risk.
In fact, nearly every business or government body that uses water for more than drinking is at risk of causing environmentally damaging water pollution. And although clean-up can be costly, complex and lengthy, preventing the problem from occurring is relatively inexpensive, easy and readily do-able.
Multisource Problems
So many organic and inorganic compounds can cause water pollution that they can be easy to overlook.
Organic water pollutants include:
· Detergents;
· Disinfection by-products;
· Food processing waste;
· Insecticides and herbicides;
· Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels and lubricants;
· Industrial solvents;
· Chlorinated solvents; and
· Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products
As if this isn’t a long enough list, a raft of inorganic water pollutants also pose a hazard:
· Acidity caused by industrial discharge;
· Ammonia from food processing waste;
· Chemical waste as industrial by-products;
· Fertilizers; and
· Heavy metals from motor vehicles.
Yet simple sampling and testing can detect potential hazards although the most-common form – so-called “grab sampling” – is considered unreliable by scientists. Scientists gathering this type of data often employ auto-sampler devices that pump increments of water at either time or discharge intervals.
Other common sampling methods include biological testing, checking water temperature and the concentration of solid material, as well as checking for pH levels, nutrients in the water, metals, oil and grease, pesticides and hydrocarbons.
Cost-Effective Avoidance
Many basic tests are available in kit form. While not always conclusive, they do provide a kind of early warning on any problems that might be emerging.
At the same time, industrial facilities can reduce the risks by installing safe storage containers for compounds that can cause pollution if they leak. Safe handling procedures are a must as is training employees on the proper way to work with potential contaminants. Spill containment devices are both effective and inexpensive – especially when compared to the cost of fines and lawsuits. Finally, it’s incumbent on plant safety officers to monitor spills, report them immediately if one occurs and take fast action to keep a spill from trickling out of control.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Even without neglect, cost-cutting or carelessness, a private company or government body can get enmeshed in accidental water pollution. Nearly every organisation using water for more than drinking is at risk of causing environmentally damaging water pollution.
– by Isaac Rudik
It seems that every week, the news media carries another report of how either a community water treatment facility or an industrial plant discharge contaminated water either because of equipment failure, improper or inadequate treatment and inspection, or simple carelessness.
The tragic story of what happened in Walkerton, Ontario is a case study on how to do everything wrong. But even without neglect, cost-cutting or carelessness, a private company or public organisation can become enmeshed in creating water pollution by accident.
Take the case of Beaverlodge, British Columbia, a small town not far from Whistler.
It was fined $20,000 after more than 12,000 fish died when an algal bloom feeding on the town's sewage outflow contaminated a stream. In addition, the community was required to install an aeration system at a cost of over $1-million. The algal bloom went unnoticed during regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance.
Likewise, an Ontario food manufacturing plant was fined after accidentally discharging by-products from disinfectants used in the processing line into a sewage system. At the same time, provincial inspectors found that waste left over during processing also were being disposed of improperly, creating an additional water pollution risk.
In fact, nearly every business or government body that uses water for more than drinking is at risk of causing environmentally damaging water pollution. And although clean-up can be costly, complex and lengthy, preventing the problem from occurring is relatively inexpensive, easy and readily do-able.
Multisource Problems
So many organic and inorganic compounds can cause water pollution that they can be easy to overlook.
Organic water pollutants include:
· Detergents;
· Disinfection by-products;
· Food processing waste;
· Insecticides and herbicides;
· Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels and lubricants;
· Industrial solvents;
· Chlorinated solvents; and
· Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products
As if this isn’t a long enough list, a raft of inorganic water pollutants also pose a hazard:
· Acidity caused by industrial discharge;
· Ammonia from food processing waste;
· Chemical waste as industrial by-products;
· Fertilizers; and
· Heavy metals from motor vehicles.
Yet simple sampling and testing can detect potential hazards although the most-common form – so-called “grab sampling” – is considered unreliable by scientists. Scientists gathering this type of data often employ auto-sampler devices that pump increments of water at either time or discharge intervals.
Other common sampling methods include biological testing, checking water temperature and the concentration of solid material, as well as checking for pH levels, nutrients in the water, metals, oil and grease, pesticides and hydrocarbons.
Cost-Effective Avoidance
Many basic tests are available in kit form. While not always conclusive, they do provide a kind of early warning on any problems that might be emerging.
At the same time, industrial facilities can reduce the risks by installing safe storage containers for compounds that can cause pollution if they leak. Safe handling procedures are a must as is training employees on the proper way to work with potential contaminants. Spill containment devices are both effective and inexpensive – especially when compared to the cost of fines and lawsuits. Finally, it’s incumbent on plant safety officers to monitor spills, report them immediately if one occurs and take fast action to keep a spill from trickling out of control.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Don’t Fool Around With Soil Contamination
Don’t Fool Around With Soil Contamination
Many industries use potential soil contaminants in a wide range of manufacturing processes. Yet prevention it is relatively easy, doesn’t require major investment and can be averted with properly trained personnel using the right equipment.
– by Isaac Rudik
Admittedly, it is an extreme example but last July’s discovery of a small amount of loose yellow uranium in the soil under Cameco’s uranium hexafluoride conversion plant near Toronto added another chapter to an ongoing story. Cameco admitted at a public hearing in April that a leak from its plant reached a nearby harbour, groundwater was contaminated and the soil under its parking lot was contaminated, as well.
Yellow cake is nothing to fool around with but, fortunately, few companies deal with radioactive material. Yet many industries do use potential soil contaminants in a wide range of manufacturing processes. For example, in Ottawa in late April, the National Capital Commission closed a portion of Stanley Park near New Edinburgh when lead contamination was discovered in the soil, the site of a former landfill.
The problem with soil pollution is three fold.
First, it makes its way into the ecosystem and food chain when everything from small insects to large animals feed from plants growing in the contaminated soil.
Second, soil contamination can seep well beyond the original contamination site, leaking into ground water and adjacent surface areas.
Third, cleaning it up is incredibly expensive; Cameco is facing the possibility of regulators making it tear down its plant to clean the uranium-contaminated soil under the facility.
Yet preventing soil pollution is relatively easy, does not require a massive investment and can be averted with properly trained personnel using the right equipment.
Many Causes
There are numerous ways soil becomes polluted.
One is solid waste seepage and landfill leaking. Discharging industrial waste into the soil is another method. Applying fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are another cause of soil pollution.
But the most common chemicals causing soil to become contaminated are solvents, pesticides, heavy medals and petroleum by-products. Other pollutants include metals, organic chemicals, oils and tars, gases, biologically active materials and combustible materials. Problems from these substances arise most often from disposing of industrial waste in landfills or uncontrolled dumps.
Unlike yellow cake and other radioactive material, these components are widely used by industry. And every one of them can make workers sick as well as people living in surrounding areas.
Simple Prevention
There are simple ways to prevent soil contamination from industrial use of hazardous substances.
Organic waste matter requires proper containers and safe storage until it can be disposed of properly at a licensed and regulated treatment facility. Storage units come in countless sizes and many are designed for handling specific types of materials.
Inorganic matter such as paper, plastic, glass and metals should be reclaimed and recycled. While nearly every business has a “blue box” programme – indeed, most municipalities now require one – special recycling containers holding toxic materials need to be used and kept separate from bins full of soda cans and discarded photocopy paper. Their recycling requires special handling or the supposedly empty container can still contaminate the soil.
Industry is being held more accountable by government and consumers alike when it dumps industrial waste into the soil as well as into the air and water. That’s why prevention is cheap and easy; clean-up is hugely expensive and time consuming.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Many industries use potential soil contaminants in a wide range of manufacturing processes. Yet prevention it is relatively easy, doesn’t require major investment and can be averted with properly trained personnel using the right equipment.
– by Isaac Rudik
Admittedly, it is an extreme example but last July’s discovery of a small amount of loose yellow uranium in the soil under Cameco’s uranium hexafluoride conversion plant near Toronto added another chapter to an ongoing story. Cameco admitted at a public hearing in April that a leak from its plant reached a nearby harbour, groundwater was contaminated and the soil under its parking lot was contaminated, as well.
Yellow cake is nothing to fool around with but, fortunately, few companies deal with radioactive material. Yet many industries do use potential soil contaminants in a wide range of manufacturing processes. For example, in Ottawa in late April, the National Capital Commission closed a portion of Stanley Park near New Edinburgh when lead contamination was discovered in the soil, the site of a former landfill.
The problem with soil pollution is three fold.
First, it makes its way into the ecosystem and food chain when everything from small insects to large animals feed from plants growing in the contaminated soil.
Second, soil contamination can seep well beyond the original contamination site, leaking into ground water and adjacent surface areas.
Third, cleaning it up is incredibly expensive; Cameco is facing the possibility of regulators making it tear down its plant to clean the uranium-contaminated soil under the facility.
Yet preventing soil pollution is relatively easy, does not require a massive investment and can be averted with properly trained personnel using the right equipment.
Many Causes
There are numerous ways soil becomes polluted.
One is solid waste seepage and landfill leaking. Discharging industrial waste into the soil is another method. Applying fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are another cause of soil pollution.
But the most common chemicals causing soil to become contaminated are solvents, pesticides, heavy medals and petroleum by-products. Other pollutants include metals, organic chemicals, oils and tars, gases, biologically active materials and combustible materials. Problems from these substances arise most often from disposing of industrial waste in landfills or uncontrolled dumps.
Unlike yellow cake and other radioactive material, these components are widely used by industry. And every one of them can make workers sick as well as people living in surrounding areas.
Simple Prevention
There are simple ways to prevent soil contamination from industrial use of hazardous substances.
Organic waste matter requires proper containers and safe storage until it can be disposed of properly at a licensed and regulated treatment facility. Storage units come in countless sizes and many are designed for handling specific types of materials.
Inorganic matter such as paper, plastic, glass and metals should be reclaimed and recycled. While nearly every business has a “blue box” programme – indeed, most municipalities now require one – special recycling containers holding toxic materials need to be used and kept separate from bins full of soda cans and discarded photocopy paper. Their recycling requires special handling or the supposedly empty container can still contaminate the soil.
Industry is being held more accountable by government and consumers alike when it dumps industrial waste into the soil as well as into the air and water. That’s why prevention is cheap and easy; clean-up is hugely expensive and time consuming.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Cancer In The Workplace: Water Pollution Poses A Threat To Workers And The Community.
Cancer In The Workplace: Water Pollution Poses A Threat To Workers And The Community.
This is the second in our series on how workplace health and safety can elevate cancer risks, and how to control potential problems. This article focuses on water pollution.
– by Isaac Rudik
For years, industries facing the problem of exposing workers to high levels of benzene have been doing a lot to prevent inhalation. For example, the problem is a serious risk to coke oven workers in the steel industry, printers, rubber workers, shoe makers, laboratory technicians, firefighters and gas station employees and a massive effort was needed to reduce the risk of contamination.
But benzene poses risks in other ways, as well, and companies need to begin looking at preventing the compound from contaminating water, a common way for benzene to spread the risk of cancer beyond the factory walls.
Benzene enters the local water supply through rain, snow, the air and even humidity. Ironically, taking a shower after work allows benzene contamination to hit local water supplies. Scientists say this is even more dangerous than “working protected” with benzene because the shower mist is both easily inhaled in workers –penetrating the lungs deeply – before running off in drain water and entering a community water supply cycle.
Massive Legal Exposure
Benzene water and soil contamination are serious concerns.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that there are more than 100,000 sites across the country dealing with some type of benzene soil or groundwater contamination as a result of industrial seepage. Proportionately, the problem is believed to be about as great in Canada.
Ingesting Benzene shows up in a number of serious effects, including vomiting, nausea, stomach irritation, sleepiness, dizziness, convulsions and even death.
Companies dealing with benzene or benzene-laden materials not only must ensure the safety of their employees, they have a proactive legal responsibility to ensure that the community’s water supply is kept safe from contamination. Failing to take adequate steps is considered negligence, resulting in enormous provincial fines as well as liability in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. The potential legal exposure is massive and the ensuing bad publicity can be even more damaging to a business.
Pounds Of Prevention
Controlling benzene contamination in the workplace and the surrounding community can be a complex problem. Unlike, say, a powdered carcinogen that can be confined to a small area that is readily isolated, benzene can escape into the atmosphere just by a window being open on a muggy day or the shower drain in an employee locker room.
Still, there are ways to minimize and even eliminate the risks:
· Install a self-contained treatment filter to capture drain water from showers and wash basins, removing benzene from water before it re-enters a community’s treatment and supply system.
· Contain benzene and other liquid carcinogens that generate aerosols in a suitable containment device such as a fume hood.
· Capture vapours or aerosols produced by analytical instruments through local exhaust ventilation at the production site in a Class I biological safety cabinet.
Some of this is simply common-sense, some is already required by law and some – such as installing osmosis water treatment at the plant site – is under serious consideration by regulators. An audit of a workplace where there might be a benzene risk will reveal ways to minimize the risk.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
This is the second in our series on how workplace health and safety can elevate cancer risks, and how to control potential problems. This article focuses on water pollution.
– by Isaac Rudik
For years, industries facing the problem of exposing workers to high levels of benzene have been doing a lot to prevent inhalation. For example, the problem is a serious risk to coke oven workers in the steel industry, printers, rubber workers, shoe makers, laboratory technicians, firefighters and gas station employees and a massive effort was needed to reduce the risk of contamination.
But benzene poses risks in other ways, as well, and companies need to begin looking at preventing the compound from contaminating water, a common way for benzene to spread the risk of cancer beyond the factory walls.
Benzene enters the local water supply through rain, snow, the air and even humidity. Ironically, taking a shower after work allows benzene contamination to hit local water supplies. Scientists say this is even more dangerous than “working protected” with benzene because the shower mist is both easily inhaled in workers –penetrating the lungs deeply – before running off in drain water and entering a community water supply cycle.
Massive Legal Exposure
Benzene water and soil contamination are serious concerns.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that there are more than 100,000 sites across the country dealing with some type of benzene soil or groundwater contamination as a result of industrial seepage. Proportionately, the problem is believed to be about as great in Canada.
Ingesting Benzene shows up in a number of serious effects, including vomiting, nausea, stomach irritation, sleepiness, dizziness, convulsions and even death.
Companies dealing with benzene or benzene-laden materials not only must ensure the safety of their employees, they have a proactive legal responsibility to ensure that the community’s water supply is kept safe from contamination. Failing to take adequate steps is considered negligence, resulting in enormous provincial fines as well as liability in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. The potential legal exposure is massive and the ensuing bad publicity can be even more damaging to a business.
Pounds Of Prevention
Controlling benzene contamination in the workplace and the surrounding community can be a complex problem. Unlike, say, a powdered carcinogen that can be confined to a small area that is readily isolated, benzene can escape into the atmosphere just by a window being open on a muggy day or the shower drain in an employee locker room.
Still, there are ways to minimize and even eliminate the risks:
· Install a self-contained treatment filter to capture drain water from showers and wash basins, removing benzene from water before it re-enters a community’s treatment and supply system.
· Contain benzene and other liquid carcinogens that generate aerosols in a suitable containment device such as a fume hood.
· Capture vapours or aerosols produced by analytical instruments through local exhaust ventilation at the production site in a Class I biological safety cabinet.
Some of this is simply common-sense, some is already required by law and some – such as installing osmosis water treatment at the plant site – is under serious consideration by regulators. An audit of a workplace where there might be a benzene risk will reveal ways to minimize the risk.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Cancer In The Workplace: Airborne Workplace Pollution Can Be Hazardous To Living.
Cancer In The Workplace: Airborne Workplace Pollution Can Be Hazardous To Living.
The first in our series on how workplace health and safety can cause hazards, and how to control potential problems. This article focuses on air pollution.
– by Isaac Rudik
Even though the number of previously-fatal cancers is diminishing as medicine finds effective ways of treating them, they are still a serious enough problem for businesses to consider ways of minimizing them in the workplace.
Admittedly, some exposure from sources such as UV radiation and smoke may occur in both work and non-work contexts. Moreover, there is no way to reliably differentiate between cancers in the same organ caused by different factors. Estimating the extent of occupational cancer is complex and estimates vary according to the method used. Still, it is probable that up to an estimated 11% of cancers are attributable to occupational exposure.
Still, as data collection widens and more is learned about the long-term impact of exposure to carcinogens, it is likely that within the next three-to-five years Ontario businesses will come under increasing pressure to minimize risks.
Proactive Steps
Already, businesses have a legal, pro-active requirement to eliminate workplace hazards so the regulatory framework for broadening the scope to include carcinogens is in place. Indeed, some businesses already work with stiff, cancer-related regulations: For example, printing companies using UV inks, which can cause cancer upon contact, must take steps to ensure workers are protected adequately and report incidents if they occur.
At the same time, chemicals in the workplace whether for personal hygiene or used in the workplace saturate the air. In a recent case, a worker complained about strong scents coming from co-workers. A supervisor requested a supplier provide information about a space deodorant used in lavatories, discovering a possible link between adverse negative health effects and chemicals commonly found in the space deodorants. A simple search for alternatives with fewer harmful chemicals produced substitute options to replace the more harmful space deodorant being used.
As with other hazards, ensuring that workplace exposure to carcinogenic agents does not occur is the best way to reduce occupational cancer. Options range from replacing known carcinogens to the use of enclosed systems and protective clothing.
What researchers are looking for are so-called “cancer clusters.” These happen when reporting of an unexpectedly high incidence of cancer shows up in a defined population or geographical area – such as a manufacturing plan. Some cancer clusters are suspected of resulting from occupational exposure because they are identified with workers in a particular location. Cancer cluster investigations seek to identify unrecognised exposure to known carcinogens and the adequacy of protective measures.
Avoiding Problems
With or without regulations, there are a number of practical, low-cost ways for businesses that deal with potential, cancer causing material can take:
• Ensure workers use eye and face protection if aerosols or splashes are anticipated.
• Use mechanical devices for all pipefitting procedures to prevent contaminated air from seeping into the workplace.
• Make sure that materials that may generate an aerosol is kept in suitable containment devices such as a fume hood, biological safety cabinet, or glove box.
• Capture vapors or aerosols through exhaust ventilation at the worksite, using a fume hood or biological safety cabinet.
• When moving carcinogens in hallways or corridors, make sure they are stores inside a secondary container that seals closed and is leak-proof.
• Place a door card warning at entrances to work areas.
Much of this is simply common-sense and some is already required by law. An audit of a workplace where there might be a cancer risk will reveal whether additional protection is needed.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
The first in our series on how workplace health and safety can cause hazards, and how to control potential problems. This article focuses on air pollution.
– by Isaac Rudik
Even though the number of previously-fatal cancers is diminishing as medicine finds effective ways of treating them, they are still a serious enough problem for businesses to consider ways of minimizing them in the workplace.
Admittedly, some exposure from sources such as UV radiation and smoke may occur in both work and non-work contexts. Moreover, there is no way to reliably differentiate between cancers in the same organ caused by different factors. Estimating the extent of occupational cancer is complex and estimates vary according to the method used. Still, it is probable that up to an estimated 11% of cancers are attributable to occupational exposure.
Still, as data collection widens and more is learned about the long-term impact of exposure to carcinogens, it is likely that within the next three-to-five years Ontario businesses will come under increasing pressure to minimize risks.
Proactive Steps
Already, businesses have a legal, pro-active requirement to eliminate workplace hazards so the regulatory framework for broadening the scope to include carcinogens is in place. Indeed, some businesses already work with stiff, cancer-related regulations: For example, printing companies using UV inks, which can cause cancer upon contact, must take steps to ensure workers are protected adequately and report incidents if they occur.
At the same time, chemicals in the workplace whether for personal hygiene or used in the workplace saturate the air. In a recent case, a worker complained about strong scents coming from co-workers. A supervisor requested a supplier provide information about a space deodorant used in lavatories, discovering a possible link between adverse negative health effects and chemicals commonly found in the space deodorants. A simple search for alternatives with fewer harmful chemicals produced substitute options to replace the more harmful space deodorant being used.
As with other hazards, ensuring that workplace exposure to carcinogenic agents does not occur is the best way to reduce occupational cancer. Options range from replacing known carcinogens to the use of enclosed systems and protective clothing.
What researchers are looking for are so-called “cancer clusters.” These happen when reporting of an unexpectedly high incidence of cancer shows up in a defined population or geographical area – such as a manufacturing plan. Some cancer clusters are suspected of resulting from occupational exposure because they are identified with workers in a particular location. Cancer cluster investigations seek to identify unrecognised exposure to known carcinogens and the adequacy of protective measures.
Avoiding Problems
With or without regulations, there are a number of practical, low-cost ways for businesses that deal with potential, cancer causing material can take:
• Ensure workers use eye and face protection if aerosols or splashes are anticipated.
• Use mechanical devices for all pipefitting procedures to prevent contaminated air from seeping into the workplace.
• Make sure that materials that may generate an aerosol is kept in suitable containment devices such as a fume hood, biological safety cabinet, or glove box.
• Capture vapors or aerosols through exhaust ventilation at the worksite, using a fume hood or biological safety cabinet.
• When moving carcinogens in hallways or corridors, make sure they are stores inside a secondary container that seals closed and is leak-proof.
• Place a door card warning at entrances to work areas.
Much of this is simply common-sense and some is already required by law. An audit of a workplace where there might be a cancer risk will reveal whether additional protection is needed.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Even Empty Barrels Need Tender, Loving Storage.
Even Empty Barrels Need Tender, Loving Storage.
Supposedly empty barrels and used batteries pose a potentially huge risk – and cost – to companies as they await collection for disposal or re-conditioning.
-By Isaac Rudik
We’ve all seen them as we drive along the expressway or down an industrial street. At the rear of a parking lot next to a factory or warehouse sit a forlorn group of empty barrels, sometimes stacked to the sky, awaiting pickup for disposal or re-conditioning. Yet those empty barrels aren’t truly empty for they all contain the residue of the liquid or vapour product they once contained.
In fact, supposedly empty barrels are anything but and pose a potentially huge risk – and cost – to companies as they sit, alone and forgotten, awaiting collection. The reality is that even “empty” barrels need tender, loving storage. At the same time, useless old batteries waiting for pick-up pose a hazard to a business, the surrounding community and the environment.
Some 90% of the residue in both empty barrels and used batteries are toxic and pose a serious hazard. Improper storage – even the weather – can result in leaks of the residue material into the ground. If it happens, the resulting expense to the facility in cleanup and fines can run into six figures.
Ignoring Hazards
Too many companies ignore the potential hazard posed by seemingly empty barrels.
For example, two years ago a manufacturer east of Toronto was engulfed in flames that sent three employees to hospital and took fire fighters more than six hours to extinguish. The blaze started when a worker was using a welding torch to cut supposedly empty barrels in half to prepare them for pickup. For nearly a decade, the business had been cutting barrels to reduce the storage space needed while they waited for a monthly collection without a problem.
But then luck ran out.
The welding torch’s intense heat coupled with a week of hot weather set off a spark, igniting built-up fumes inside a barrel which had been sitting outside, unprotected from the unrelenting, scorching sun beating down. The blaze ignited other barrels and before the fire department arrived on the scene, the factory itself caught fire. The place was totalled.
While insurance covered much of the cost of cleaning up the remains and re-building the facility, the process took seven months which meant being out of business for more than a half-year. What wasn’t covered, though, were the hefty fines levied by the province for improperly storing hazardous material and exposing workers to a serious health risk. Legal fees for negotiating with the government, settling suits brought by injured workers, and paying nearby businesses for lost revenue that were forced to shutter their doors for a few days during and after the fire added to the total cost of improper storage.
Yet even without a fire, used barrels and old batteries can cause problems for a business. They can easily leak, causing residue material to seep into the ground which will lead to costly soil remediation projects with the possibility to sample and test nearby potable water sources for contamination and clean up.
Proper Storage and Disposal
As the fire-ravaged factory learned, there is no such thing as an “empty” container. Drums should be completely drained, properly bunged and promptly returned to a drum re-conditioner or properly disposed of quickly. Moreover, they should not be kept under pressure, cut, welded, brazed, soldered, drilled, ground or exposed to heat, sparks, static electricity and other potential ignition triggers.
Here’s the good news.
There is a smart and cost-effective way to protect against potential problems caused by storing empty barrels and old batteries improperly: Modular spill containment platforms are one type of solution which captures leakage risk and avoids unforeseen events or accidents causing a problem. Better still, these solutions cost a fraction of the cost of fines, which can hit upwards of $250,000.00, and possible worker comp claims and lawsuits – and that’s before adding in clean-up costs which will be even greater.
When you leave work today, look out back at the barrels and batteries many industrial businesses find piling up awaiting collection. Remember that those empty barrels need tender, loving storage.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Supposedly empty barrels and used batteries pose a potentially huge risk – and cost – to companies as they await collection for disposal or re-conditioning.
-By Isaac Rudik
We’ve all seen them as we drive along the expressway or down an industrial street. At the rear of a parking lot next to a factory or warehouse sit a forlorn group of empty barrels, sometimes stacked to the sky, awaiting pickup for disposal or re-conditioning. Yet those empty barrels aren’t truly empty for they all contain the residue of the liquid or vapour product they once contained.
In fact, supposedly empty barrels are anything but and pose a potentially huge risk – and cost – to companies as they sit, alone and forgotten, awaiting collection. The reality is that even “empty” barrels need tender, loving storage. At the same time, useless old batteries waiting for pick-up pose a hazard to a business, the surrounding community and the environment.
Some 90% of the residue in both empty barrels and used batteries are toxic and pose a serious hazard. Improper storage – even the weather – can result in leaks of the residue material into the ground. If it happens, the resulting expense to the facility in cleanup and fines can run into six figures.
Ignoring Hazards
Too many companies ignore the potential hazard posed by seemingly empty barrels.
For example, two years ago a manufacturer east of Toronto was engulfed in flames that sent three employees to hospital and took fire fighters more than six hours to extinguish. The blaze started when a worker was using a welding torch to cut supposedly empty barrels in half to prepare them for pickup. For nearly a decade, the business had been cutting barrels to reduce the storage space needed while they waited for a monthly collection without a problem.
But then luck ran out.
The welding torch’s intense heat coupled with a week of hot weather set off a spark, igniting built-up fumes inside a barrel which had been sitting outside, unprotected from the unrelenting, scorching sun beating down. The blaze ignited other barrels and before the fire department arrived on the scene, the factory itself caught fire. The place was totalled.
While insurance covered much of the cost of cleaning up the remains and re-building the facility, the process took seven months which meant being out of business for more than a half-year. What wasn’t covered, though, were the hefty fines levied by the province for improperly storing hazardous material and exposing workers to a serious health risk. Legal fees for negotiating with the government, settling suits brought by injured workers, and paying nearby businesses for lost revenue that were forced to shutter their doors for a few days during and after the fire added to the total cost of improper storage.
Yet even without a fire, used barrels and old batteries can cause problems for a business. They can easily leak, causing residue material to seep into the ground which will lead to costly soil remediation projects with the possibility to sample and test nearby potable water sources for contamination and clean up.
Proper Storage and Disposal
As the fire-ravaged factory learned, there is no such thing as an “empty” container. Drums should be completely drained, properly bunged and promptly returned to a drum re-conditioner or properly disposed of quickly. Moreover, they should not be kept under pressure, cut, welded, brazed, soldered, drilled, ground or exposed to heat, sparks, static electricity and other potential ignition triggers.
Here’s the good news.
There is a smart and cost-effective way to protect against potential problems caused by storing empty barrels and old batteries improperly: Modular spill containment platforms are one type of solution which captures leakage risk and avoids unforeseen events or accidents causing a problem. Better still, these solutions cost a fraction of the cost of fines, which can hit upwards of $250,000.00, and possible worker comp claims and lawsuits – and that’s before adding in clean-up costs which will be even greater.
When you leave work today, look out back at the barrels and batteries many industrial businesses find piling up awaiting collection. Remember that those empty barrels need tender, loving storage.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monitoring Potential Soil Contamination Is Cheap, Easy And Makes Good Business Sense.
Monitoring Potential Soil Contamination Is Cheap, Easy And Makes Good Business Sense.
Between provincial regulations and new, relatively inexpensive technology, there is neither a reason nor an excuse not to be testing for soil contamination frequently.
– by Isaac Rudik
Farmers have known for centuries that crops won’t grow in contaminated soil. Likewise, engineers have known for at least a quarter-century or longer that contaminated soil can make a plant – a manufacturing plant, that is – unusable.
Yet far too few factories, warehouses and similar businesses bother testing to see whether they are contaminating the land around their facility. Frequently, the stated reason for this is that it’s either “too complicated” or “too expensive.” But as countless companies have learned the hard way, it is much more complex and costly to clean up soil contamination than it is to monitor it regularly.
Indeed, between provincial regulations and new, relatively inexpensive technology, there is neither a reason nor an excuse not to be testing for soil contamination frequently.
The Gong Show
Early last year, the three owners of a mid-sized manufacturing company not far from Toronto were surprised when pollution inspectors from the province showed up to sample the soil around their facility, which is located in a semi-rural area. Two days later, the owners were stunned when they were served with a sworn complaint that discharge from their factory was seeping into the soil and, eventually, ground water.
The inspection and grievance was prompted by calls to the Ministry from nearby farmers who suspected that contamination from the facility was both damaging crops and causing birth defects in livestock. To make matters worse, not only did the company not realise it was causing problems, the owners had no idea that anything in their manufacturing process was potentially harmful.
The company faced two unpleasant and hugely expensive propositions. Either it could pay for decontaminating the soil or close down; in any event, the business and its owners were facing enormous fines and possible criminal citations.
“It was like being on The Gong Show,” one of the owners told us not long ago. “No matter what we did, we were going to be rung off stage.”
In the end, the business negotiated a settlement with the province and neighbouring farmers, and assumed responsibility for part of the clean-up costs. But threatened with its very existence, the company learned an extremely costly lesson.
An Ounce Of Prevention
Whether located in an urban, semi-rural or country setting, monitoring soil contamination is critical. All companies with a potential risk should be doing so at least one a week; daily testing is even better for businesses that know they are dealing with hazardous material. Moreover, farms should also be testing frequently since agriculture has the most to gain – and lose – by knowing soil quality.
Fortunately, keeping an eye on possible contamination is easy thanks to one of the many “handy” measuring instruments that are available today.
There are four smart, simple ways of providing protection through an ounce of prevention:
· Depending on the industry, there are specific test kits available to determine the contamination level of land surrounding a plant.
· Agribusinesses may use a pH-Meter to determine whether a specific crop has the best condition to grow in a given soil.
· Both industry and agriculture should use dissolved salt meters to determine if drainage is working properly.
· Use standardized samplers to obtain a standard soil sample ensuring all tests are showing comparable results.
Today, new, rapidly emerging technology makes it increasingly easy to manage and prevent soil contamination at an affordable cost. As the Ontario manufacturer and its farm neighbours learned the hard way, testing is cheap and cleaning up a mess is awful.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s leading provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, agricultural, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354
Between provincial regulations and new, relatively inexpensive technology, there is neither a reason nor an excuse not to be testing for soil contamination frequently.
– by Isaac Rudik
Farmers have known for centuries that crops won’t grow in contaminated soil. Likewise, engineers have known for at least a quarter-century or longer that contaminated soil can make a plant – a manufacturing plant, that is – unusable.
Yet far too few factories, warehouses and similar businesses bother testing to see whether they are contaminating the land around their facility. Frequently, the stated reason for this is that it’s either “too complicated” or “too expensive.” But as countless companies have learned the hard way, it is much more complex and costly to clean up soil contamination than it is to monitor it regularly.
Indeed, between provincial regulations and new, relatively inexpensive technology, there is neither a reason nor an excuse not to be testing for soil contamination frequently.
The Gong Show
Early last year, the three owners of a mid-sized manufacturing company not far from Toronto were surprised when pollution inspectors from the province showed up to sample the soil around their facility, which is located in a semi-rural area. Two days later, the owners were stunned when they were served with a sworn complaint that discharge from their factory was seeping into the soil and, eventually, ground water.
The inspection and grievance was prompted by calls to the Ministry from nearby farmers who suspected that contamination from the facility was both damaging crops and causing birth defects in livestock. To make matters worse, not only did the company not realise it was causing problems, the owners had no idea that anything in their manufacturing process was potentially harmful.
The company faced two unpleasant and hugely expensive propositions. Either it could pay for decontaminating the soil or close down; in any event, the business and its owners were facing enormous fines and possible criminal citations.
“It was like being on The Gong Show,” one of the owners told us not long ago. “No matter what we did, we were going to be rung off stage.”
In the end, the business negotiated a settlement with the province and neighbouring farmers, and assumed responsibility for part of the clean-up costs. But threatened with its very existence, the company learned an extremely costly lesson.
An Ounce Of Prevention
Whether located in an urban, semi-rural or country setting, monitoring soil contamination is critical. All companies with a potential risk should be doing so at least one a week; daily testing is even better for businesses that know they are dealing with hazardous material. Moreover, farms should also be testing frequently since agriculture has the most to gain – and lose – by knowing soil quality.
Fortunately, keeping an eye on possible contamination is easy thanks to one of the many “handy” measuring instruments that are available today.
There are four smart, simple ways of providing protection through an ounce of prevention:
· Depending on the industry, there are specific test kits available to determine the contamination level of land surrounding a plant.
· Agribusinesses may use a pH-Meter to determine whether a specific crop has the best condition to grow in a given soil.
· Both industry and agriculture should use dissolved salt meters to determine if drainage is working properly.
· Use standardized samplers to obtain a standard soil sample ensuring all tests are showing comparable results.
Today, new, rapidly emerging technology makes it increasingly easy to manage and prevent soil contamination at an affordable cost. As the Ontario manufacturer and its farm neighbours learned the hard way, testing is cheap and cleaning up a mess is awful.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s leading provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, agricultural, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Measuring Water Flow Reduces Costs And Helps Prevent Contamination.
Measuring Water Flow Reduces Costs And Helps Prevent Contamination.
Groundwater is a hidden and declining resource. Government, business and citizens are waking up to a jarring reality: It is more widespread than realised and is cheaper to monitor than ever before.
– by Isaac Rudik
Unplug the cable or satellite cord from a television for a moment and then switch it on. A tiny fraction of the static on the screen is the remains of a radio signal that dates back to the Big Bang. Now turn on the faucet at the kitchen sink. Most of what is flowing out the tap is ground water and a tiny fraction it is nearly as old as the earth itself.
Until sometime during the 1970s, the purity and availability of ground water was taken for granted. After all, H20 has been around forever and what could possibly harm it? Much of ground water is held in aquifers buried deep beneath the surface; the rest saturates the tiny spaces between sand, gravel, silt and clay or the crevices and fractures in rocks.
But some 30 years ago, scientists were beginning to discover that man-made pollutants were seeping into ground water and, within the past five-to-10 years, academics realised to their horror that water was actually disappearing.
Clearly, groundwater is a hidden and declining resource. Government, business and citizens are waking up to a jarring reality:
• Approximately one-third of industrial water needs are fulfilled by using groundwater.
• Scientists estimate that groundwater accounts for more than 95% of all available fresh water.
• Nearly 95% of rural residents rely on groundwater for their drinking supply.
• About half of all irrigated cropland uses groundwater.
• On average, about 40% of the flow of the nation’s rivers depends on groundwater.
Countless Threats
There are countless, serious threats to the purity of groundwater and scientists are discovering new ones on what seems like a weekly basis. They fall into one of several broad categories:
• Inorganic Compounds include all compounds that do not contain carbon. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and heavy metals are two examples.
• Pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, have been credited with causing more than 50% of the waterborne disease outbreaks in the US.
• Organic Compounds include benzene, toluene, xylene, napthaline, phenol PCBs and pesticides.
They seep into ground water in numerous ways: Discharge from a pipe such as at a sewage treatment plant, factories, livestock farms and stockyards, and landfill. Point sources are easily identified because they usually come out of a "pipe." Examples include sewage treatment plants, large injection wells, industrial plants, livestock facilities, landfills, and others. At the same time, non-point sources like septic systems, cattle grazing, and everyday urban runoff spread seemingly insignificant amounts of pollutants which, cumulatively, threaten water quality and natural systems.
Other sources include underground petroleum storage systems, dry cleaners, restaurants, and auto repair shops. Although a large number of underground storage tanks have been removed or upgraded, a significant number remain. Businesses can threaten groundwater with a wide variety of potentially contaminating substances.
Easy Monitoring
It’s become relatively easy to monitor potential runoff problems, thanks to technology.
Indeed, water flow meters can measure open channels, tubes, partially filled pipes, streams, rivers, wastewater and industrial process waters among other places. Many water flow meters are designed for metering pump pacing or water treatment control, but they can aid in rain water runoff studies and sewer flow measurements, and measuring flows in bodies of water. In plumbing, water flow meters are used to measure the amount of fluid running through a tube for efficiency purposes. Industrial water flow meters are also available for larger-scale applications.
The best thing about the meters is they also provide quick information for simple flow monitoring. They are as convenient as they are lightweight, waterproof, and reliable.
Today’s new technology makes it easier to manage potential contamination and save water at affordable costs.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s leading provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, agricultural, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354
Measuring Water Flow Reduces Costs And Helps Prevent Contamination.
Measuring Water Flow Reduces Costs And Helps Prevent Contamination.
Groundwater is a hidden and declining resource. Government, business and citizens are waking up to a jarring reality: It is more widespread than realised and is cheaper to monitor than ever before.
– by Isaac Rudik
Unplug the cable or satellite cord from a television for a moment and then switch it on. A tiny fraction of the static on the screen is the remains of a radio signal that dates back to the Big Bang. Now turn on the faucet at the kitchen sink. Most of what is flowing out the tap is ground water and a tiny fraction it is nearly as old as the earth itself.
Until sometime during the 1970s, the purity and availability of ground water was taken for granted. After all, H20 has been around forever and what could possibly harm it? Much of ground water is held in aquifers buried deep beneath the surface; the rest saturates the tiny spaces between sand, gravel, silt and clay or the crevices and fractures in rocks.
But some 30 years ago, scientists were beginning to discover that man-made pollutants were seeping into ground water and, within the past five-to-10 years, academics realised to their horror that water was actually disappearing.
Clearly, groundwater is a hidden and declining resource. Government, business and citizens are waking up to a jarring reality:
• Approximately one-third of industrial water needs are fulfilled by using groundwater.
• Scientists estimate that groundwater accounts for more than 95% of all available fresh water.
• Nearly 95% of rural residents rely on groundwater for their drinking supply.
• About half of all irrigated cropland uses groundwater.
• On average, about 40% of the flow of the nation’s rivers depends on groundwater.
Countless Threats
There are countless, serious threats to the purity of groundwater and scientists are discovering new ones on what seems like a weekly basis. They fall into one of several broad categories:
• Inorganic Compounds include all compounds that do not contain carbon. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and heavy metals are two examples.
• Pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, have been credited with causing more than 50% of the waterborne disease outbreaks in the US.
• Organic Compounds include benzene, toluene, xylene, napthaline, phenol PCBs and pesticides.
They seep into ground water in numerous ways: Discharge from a pipe such as at a sewage treatment plant, factories, livestock farms and stockyards, and landfill. Point sources are easily identified because they usually come out of a "pipe." Examples include sewage treatment plants, large injection wells, industrial plants, livestock facilities, landfills, and others. At the same time, non-point sources like septic systems, cattle grazing, and everyday urban runoff spread seemingly insignificant amounts of pollutants which, cumulatively, threaten water quality and natural systems.
Other sources include underground petroleum storage systems, dry cleaners, restaurants, and auto repair shops. Although a large number of underground storage tanks have been removed or upgraded, a significant number remain. Businesses can threaten groundwater with a wide variety of potentially contaminating substances.
Easy Monitoring
It’s become relatively easy to monitor potential runoff problems, thanks to technology.
Indeed, water flow meters can measure open channels, tubes, partially filled pipes, streams, rivers, wastewater and industrial process waters among other places. Many water flow meters are designed for metering pump pacing or water treatment control, but they can aid in rain water runoff studies and sewer flow measurements, and measuring flows in bodies of water. In plumbing, water flow meters are used to measure the amount of fluid running through a tube for efficiency purposes. Industrial water flow meters are also available for larger-scale applications.
The best thing about the meters is they also provide quick information for simple flow monitoring. They are as convenient as they are lightweight, waterproof, and reliable.
Today’s new technology makes it easier to manage potential contamination and save water at affordable costs.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (www.compliancesolutionscanada.com), Canada’s leading provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, agricultural, institutional and government facilities. E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354
Groundwater is a hidden and declining resource. Government, business and citizens are waking up to a jarring reality: It is more widespread than realised and is cheaper to monitor than ever before.
– by Isaac Rudik
Unplug the cable or satellite cord from a television for a moment and then switch it on. A tiny fraction of the static on the screen is the remains of a radio signal that dates back to the Big Bang. Now turn on the faucet at the kitchen sink. Most of what is flowing out the tap is ground water and a tiny fraction it is nearly as old as the earth itself.
Until sometime during the 1970s, the purity and availability of ground water was taken for granted. After all, H20 has been around forever and what could possibly harm it? Much of ground water is held in aquifers buried deep beneath the surface; the rest saturates the tiny spaces between sand, gravel, silt and clay or the crevices and fractures in rocks.
But some 30 years ago, scientists were beginning to discover that man-made pollutants were seeping into ground water and, within the past five-to-10 years, academics realised to their horror that water was actually disappearing.
Clearly, groundwater is a hidden and declining resource. Government, business and citizens are waking up to a jarring reality:
• Approximately one-third of industrial water needs are fulfilled by using groundwater.
• Scientists estimate that groundwater accounts for more than 95% of all available fresh water.
• Nearly 95% of rural residents rely on groundwater for their drinking supply.
• About half of all irrigated cropland uses groundwater.
• On average, about 40% of the flow of the nation’s rivers depends on groundwater.
Countless Threats
There are countless, serious threats to the purity of groundwater and scientists are discovering new ones on what seems like a weekly basis. They fall into one of several broad categories:
• Inorganic Compounds include all compounds that do not contain carbon. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and heavy metals are two examples.
• Pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, have been credited with causing more than 50% of the waterborne disease outbreaks in the US.
• Organic Compounds include benzene, toluene, xylene, napthaline, phenol PCBs and pesticides.
They seep into ground water in numerous ways: Discharge from a pipe such as at a sewage treatment plant, factories, livestock farms and stockyards, and landfill. Point sources are easily identified because they usually come out of a "pipe." Examples include sewage treatment plants, large injection wells, industrial plants, livestock facilities, landfills, and others. At the same time, non-point sources like septic systems, cattle grazing, and everyday urban runoff spread seemingly insignificant amounts of pollutants which, cumulatively, threaten water quality and natural systems.
Other sources include underground petroleum storage systems, dry cleaners, restaurants, and auto repair shops. Although a large number of underground storage tanks have been removed or upgraded, a significant number remain. Businesses can threaten groundwater with a wide variety of potentially contaminating substances.
Easy Monitoring
It’s become relatively easy to monitor potential runoff problems, thanks to technology.
Indeed, water flow meters can measure open channels, tubes, partially filled pipes, streams, rivers, wastewater and industrial process waters among other places. Many water flow meters are designed for metering pump pacing or water treatment control, but they can aid in rain water runoff studies and sewer flow measurements, and measuring flows in bodies of water. In plumbing, water flow meters are used to measure the amount of fluid running through a tube for efficiency purposes. Industrial water flow meters are also available for larger-scale applications.
The best thing about the meters is they also provide quick information for simple flow monitoring. They are as convenient as they are lightweight, waterproof, and reliable.
Today’s new technology makes it easier to manage potential contamination and save water at affordable costs.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. (www.compliancesolutionscanada.com), Canada’s leading provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, agricultural, institutional and government facilities. E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Smart Air Pollution Treatment Cuts Both Your Costs And Footprint.
Smart Air Pollution Treatment Cuts Both Your Costs And Footprint.
It’s hard to grasp the idea of an entire planet undergoing climate change. Yet it is easy to understand the idea that one factory can make simple changes that result in significant cost savings and make the business environmentally friendly.
– By Isaac Rudik
With the new Obama Administration in Washington poised to push for tougher global standards for reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, and boosting energy efficiency, even Canada’s reluctant Harper government is likely to be nudged into becoming more aggressive in acting to cut the risk of climate changes.
But the fact is that even without a new Kyoto-like treaty or tougher laws and regulations, it makes more business sense than ever for companies to review their own air pollution issues because they are key factors in boosting – or cutting – the efficiency of a plant.
Indeed, everything from the handling of air inside a factory to drying, heating, cooling, process control, and combustion all are key factors that flow straight through to the bottom line of a business. Maximizing the performance of your equipment reduces energy needs which will mean both lower costs and a much smaller environmental footprint.
Sustainable Means Profitable
Despite another recent round of articles and speeches downplaying the importance or impact of climate change based on “phoney science,” the fact is that more than 3,000 of the world’s best, unbiased, scientific minds stated conclusively in a series of UN reports that global warming is happening – and faster than anyone previously thought.
But it’s hard to grasp the idea of an entire planet undergoing climate change; it’s too vast a concept for most people. Yet it is easy to grapple with the notion that one factory can make simple changes that result in significant cost savings while making the business “sustainable,” in the language of green, as it reduces its environmental impact on the entire globe.
Protecting the environment saves money and hassle.
Optimizing air flow, implementing secondary heat recovery systems using heat exchangers, and improving plant heating and cooling systems together deliver environmental compliance – before an inspector shows up from the ministry – and reduces operating costs at the same time.
Easy Implementation
Thanks to advancements in old systems coupled with new, lower cost technology that makes cleaning air cheaper and more effective. For example, many industrial processes move raw material or finished products on a conveyor belt through a heater or cooker. But, typically, the heater is open on both ends, creating enormous, energy robbing, heat loss.
The smart way to protect air quality typically involves three approaches:
· Provide all sources of heat – direct, indirect, or semi-indirect – with heater boxes or plenums to satisfy process-heating needs.
· Steam or either hot or chilled water can be supplied through adding waste heat boilers or absorption chillers.
· In areas where building heat is required, water or glycol systems can be installed to capture heat from the manufacturing process and used to pre-heat building air.
Like it or not, the drive to tougher environmental protection will accelerate. Companies implementing smart air quality measures now will avoid having to do so when the costs are much higher – while avoiding the wrath of environmental inspectors now.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
It’s hard to grasp the idea of an entire planet undergoing climate change. Yet it is easy to understand the idea that one factory can make simple changes that result in significant cost savings and make the business environmentally friendly.
– By Isaac Rudik
With the new Obama Administration in Washington poised to push for tougher global standards for reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, and boosting energy efficiency, even Canada’s reluctant Harper government is likely to be nudged into becoming more aggressive in acting to cut the risk of climate changes.
But the fact is that even without a new Kyoto-like treaty or tougher laws and regulations, it makes more business sense than ever for companies to review their own air pollution issues because they are key factors in boosting – or cutting – the efficiency of a plant.
Indeed, everything from the handling of air inside a factory to drying, heating, cooling, process control, and combustion all are key factors that flow straight through to the bottom line of a business. Maximizing the performance of your equipment reduces energy needs which will mean both lower costs and a much smaller environmental footprint.
Sustainable Means Profitable
Despite another recent round of articles and speeches downplaying the importance or impact of climate change based on “phoney science,” the fact is that more than 3,000 of the world’s best, unbiased, scientific minds stated conclusively in a series of UN reports that global warming is happening – and faster than anyone previously thought.
But it’s hard to grasp the idea of an entire planet undergoing climate change; it’s too vast a concept for most people. Yet it is easy to grapple with the notion that one factory can make simple changes that result in significant cost savings while making the business “sustainable,” in the language of green, as it reduces its environmental impact on the entire globe.
Protecting the environment saves money and hassle.
Optimizing air flow, implementing secondary heat recovery systems using heat exchangers, and improving plant heating and cooling systems together deliver environmental compliance – before an inspector shows up from the ministry – and reduces operating costs at the same time.
Easy Implementation
Thanks to advancements in old systems coupled with new, lower cost technology that makes cleaning air cheaper and more effective. For example, many industrial processes move raw material or finished products on a conveyor belt through a heater or cooker. But, typically, the heater is open on both ends, creating enormous, energy robbing, heat loss.
The smart way to protect air quality typically involves three approaches:
· Provide all sources of heat – direct, indirect, or semi-indirect – with heater boxes or plenums to satisfy process-heating needs.
· Steam or either hot or chilled water can be supplied through adding waste heat boilers or absorption chillers.
· In areas where building heat is required, water or glycol systems can be installed to capture heat from the manufacturing process and used to pre-heat building air.
Like it or not, the drive to tougher environmental protection will accelerate. Companies implementing smart air quality measures now will avoid having to do so when the costs are much higher – while avoiding the wrath of environmental inspectors now.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A New Meaning To “Silent But Deadly”
A New Meaning To “Silent But Deadly”
Working in confined spaces increases the danger to workers of breathing contaminated air. But there’s no longer an excuse not to see a hidden, silent danger.
– by Isaac Rudik
Recently, Javier del Rio was cleaning an empty tank used to store flaxseed oil. When he lost consciousness, a co-worker jumped in to save him. He also lost consciousness and both men were asphyxiated.
According to investigators, argon gas was pumped into the tank to drive out oxygen when it was filled with oil. Once the tank was empty for cleaning, oxygen was pumped back into it and vents were opened to remove the argon. But some of the argon gas – which is heavier than oxygen – lurked at the bottom of the tank, displacing fresh air del Rio and his colleague needed to breathe.
Government regulations mandate that employees be protected properly against numerous hazards, including breathing noxious gas. And monitoring the workplace for air quality has never been easier. New and emerging technology makes doing so not only more effective but far less costly than even a few years ago, removing an excuse companies hid behind for decades when caught.
With courts imposing hefty fines on companies, and awarding record sums to employees injured after breathing contaminated air, there is new meaning to the old warning “silent but deadly” when referring to bad air.
Don’t Assume
Most people put their faith in knowing they will breathe good air, whether indoors or in a confined space such as the workplace. Not unreasonably, they assume someone is checking for the safety of the air they are breathing.
When someone doesn’t do their job, or there is an undetected leak, the results are disastrous.
Air – whether life sustaining or deadly – is usually colourless, odourless and tasteless. As a result, many gases are infused with an additive to create an aroma. That’s why when someone calls 911 to report smelling gas in their home, what they smell isn’t the gas but the additive designed to alert to a leak or contamination.
The atmosphere in a confined work space may seem like any other. But because many industrial gases have no odour additive, companies can never assume that all is safe.
Confined spaces on a shop floor have fooled scores of injured or killed workers every year after they assumed somebody checked for air quality. But the worst thing for a worker to do is to or “follow their nose,” guessing that since the air smelled alright it was safe to enter. But air may look and smell safe but be filled with enough toxic contaminants to kill anyone breathing it in, especially in an enclosed area.
Smart Prevention
As with every other workplace safety issue, prevention is easier – and far less costly – than fixing a problem.
The best approach is to issue workers who might be at risk with personal multi-gas monitors which monitor air quality continuously as an employee goes about their job, whether at their work station or if moving around the plant. A second option is a “confined space monitor” designed to be used only in small, high risk areas of the factory.
Typically, these devices offer multiple warnings to the worker wearing one: A loud sound warning such as a 95db beeping or horn, a warning light and a vibrating pulse in case the wearer misses either of the other two alerts. At least one of the three should grab a worker’s attention, following the old saw about “if at first you don’t get noticed, keep trying ‘til you do.”
It’s always best to find smart ways to prevent fumes from causing an injury. But, in many cases, fumes are part of the process. Ensuring that workers are alerted now to noxious air before they’re injured helps make certain that your plant won’t be victimised by an incident that could have been prevented.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Working in confined spaces increases the danger to workers of breathing contaminated air. But there’s no longer an excuse not to see a hidden, silent danger.
– by Isaac Rudik
Recently, Javier del Rio was cleaning an empty tank used to store flaxseed oil. When he lost consciousness, a co-worker jumped in to save him. He also lost consciousness and both men were asphyxiated.
According to investigators, argon gas was pumped into the tank to drive out oxygen when it was filled with oil. Once the tank was empty for cleaning, oxygen was pumped back into it and vents were opened to remove the argon. But some of the argon gas – which is heavier than oxygen – lurked at the bottom of the tank, displacing fresh air del Rio and his colleague needed to breathe.
Government regulations mandate that employees be protected properly against numerous hazards, including breathing noxious gas. And monitoring the workplace for air quality has never been easier. New and emerging technology makes doing so not only more effective but far less costly than even a few years ago, removing an excuse companies hid behind for decades when caught.
With courts imposing hefty fines on companies, and awarding record sums to employees injured after breathing contaminated air, there is new meaning to the old warning “silent but deadly” when referring to bad air.
Don’t Assume
Most people put their faith in knowing they will breathe good air, whether indoors or in a confined space such as the workplace. Not unreasonably, they assume someone is checking for the safety of the air they are breathing.
When someone doesn’t do their job, or there is an undetected leak, the results are disastrous.
Air – whether life sustaining or deadly – is usually colourless, odourless and tasteless. As a result, many gases are infused with an additive to create an aroma. That’s why when someone calls 911 to report smelling gas in their home, what they smell isn’t the gas but the additive designed to alert to a leak or contamination.
The atmosphere in a confined work space may seem like any other. But because many industrial gases have no odour additive, companies can never assume that all is safe.
Confined spaces on a shop floor have fooled scores of injured or killed workers every year after they assumed somebody checked for air quality. But the worst thing for a worker to do is to or “follow their nose,” guessing that since the air smelled alright it was safe to enter. But air may look and smell safe but be filled with enough toxic contaminants to kill anyone breathing it in, especially in an enclosed area.
Smart Prevention
As with every other workplace safety issue, prevention is easier – and far less costly – than fixing a problem.
The best approach is to issue workers who might be at risk with personal multi-gas monitors which monitor air quality continuously as an employee goes about their job, whether at their work station or if moving around the plant. A second option is a “confined space monitor” designed to be used only in small, high risk areas of the factory.
Typically, these devices offer multiple warnings to the worker wearing one: A loud sound warning such as a 95db beeping or horn, a warning light and a vibrating pulse in case the wearer misses either of the other two alerts. At least one of the three should grab a worker’s attention, following the old saw about “if at first you don’t get noticed, keep trying ‘til you do.”
It’s always best to find smart ways to prevent fumes from causing an injury. But, in many cases, fumes are part of the process. Ensuring that workers are alerted now to noxious air before they’re injured helps make certain that your plant won’t be victimised by an incident that could have been prevented.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Contaminated Water Is More Than Just A Third World Problem
Contaminated Water Is More Than Just A Third World Problem
Even in Canada, where clean water is taken for granted, good water can turn bad and contaminate the processing line if proper precautions aren’t taken. Preventing a problem before a contaminant finds its way into food is a fraction of the cost of fixing it.
– by Isaac Rudik
Recently, a major food processor had to recall tens of thousands of contaminated packaged products. Not only did the recall, and finding and fixing the problem, cost millions of dollars, it did untold damage to the company’s reputation with consumers.
While the source of the problem in the processing line was eventually located and fixed, the issue highlights a major issue every business dealing with food for human consumption faces: Ensuring that contamination from one of dozens of potential trouble spots doesn’t creep into products that people eat.
Even in Canada, where clean water is taken for granted, it’s possible that what starts out as potable can become contaminated, affecting everything from fruits and vegetables to meat processing and harvested grains – and companies that process the products through to the people who consume them.
No Wiggle Room
Ensuring clean water and safe products that use water in processing is a fundamental obligation of government in Canada and other developed nations. Thus, the law leaves no wiggle room for businesses that allow water to become tainted and contaminate food, whether through sloppy procedures at a plant or just by accident.
At its most basic, the Canadian Food Inspection System requires that raw materials and ingredients are cleaned, sorted and prepared in a way that prevents contamination. In handling food, water – used for everything from washing fruit to cleaning machinery – can become tainted easily as microbes, bacteria and other pollutants are transmitted in one of countless ways. And when a food processor runs afoul of the law, penalties are fast, stiff and public.
At a minimum, fines for violations can begin as high as $60,000 per incident – and rise from there. If the government finds the cause is negligence, criminal charges may be brought against the business, its executives and key employees. Generally, expensive consultants and expensive lab work are needed to locate and remedy the cause of the contamination, and product recalls extract a high dollar cost.
Meanwhile, the company suffers enormous damage to its reputation.
Any time a food product is recalled, it attracts big headlines and extensive coverage on television and radio newscasts. The company must launch a far-reaching advertising and public relations campaign, first to alert distributors, retailers and consumers and then to reassure its customers that not only is every effort being made to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again but the steps it is taking to win back consumer confidence.
Indeed, one Harvard Business School study shows that even for a food processing company with an unblemished record of more than a century of providing safe food, it can up to two years to win back customers after a recall. Along the way, sales, margins and profits are adversely affected.
Easy Prevention
Yet it is relatively easy to prevent water used in food processing from becoming contaminated.
Preventing exposure to contaminated water reduces day-to-day operating costs, and can improve profitability along the way. So-called Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in the form of full body suits that include a hood, a full face shield, goggles or a mask that forms a tight bond around the mouth and nose plus shoe covers sounds complicated but is easy to wear and inexpensive to purchase.
For example, a supplier such as CSC carries such safety wear starting as inexpensively as $180 per suit. Moreover, the cost of PPE is more than offset by its positive effect on production time and the quality of work as well as keeping not just the processing line safe from contaminants but also workers. In fact, often overlooked in a contamination-caused recall are work related injuries or sickness that arises when a worker becomes exposed to a contaminant.
The problems of contaminated water are not just an issue in third world countries. Even in Canada, it’s easy for H20 to become tainted, affecting food production, consumer confidence, and sales and profits. But it’s easier – and far less costly – to prevent a problem from arising in the first place.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Even in Canada, where clean water is taken for granted, good water can turn bad and contaminate the processing line if proper precautions aren’t taken. Preventing a problem before a contaminant finds its way into food is a fraction of the cost of fixing it.
– by Isaac Rudik
Recently, a major food processor had to recall tens of thousands of contaminated packaged products. Not only did the recall, and finding and fixing the problem, cost millions of dollars, it did untold damage to the company’s reputation with consumers.
While the source of the problem in the processing line was eventually located and fixed, the issue highlights a major issue every business dealing with food for human consumption faces: Ensuring that contamination from one of dozens of potential trouble spots doesn’t creep into products that people eat.
Even in Canada, where clean water is taken for granted, it’s possible that what starts out as potable can become contaminated, affecting everything from fruits and vegetables to meat processing and harvested grains – and companies that process the products through to the people who consume them.
No Wiggle Room
Ensuring clean water and safe products that use water in processing is a fundamental obligation of government in Canada and other developed nations. Thus, the law leaves no wiggle room for businesses that allow water to become tainted and contaminate food, whether through sloppy procedures at a plant or just by accident.
At its most basic, the Canadian Food Inspection System requires that raw materials and ingredients are cleaned, sorted and prepared in a way that prevents contamination. In handling food, water – used for everything from washing fruit to cleaning machinery – can become tainted easily as microbes, bacteria and other pollutants are transmitted in one of countless ways. And when a food processor runs afoul of the law, penalties are fast, stiff and public.
At a minimum, fines for violations can begin as high as $60,000 per incident – and rise from there. If the government finds the cause is negligence, criminal charges may be brought against the business, its executives and key employees. Generally, expensive consultants and expensive lab work are needed to locate and remedy the cause of the contamination, and product recalls extract a high dollar cost.
Meanwhile, the company suffers enormous damage to its reputation.
Any time a food product is recalled, it attracts big headlines and extensive coverage on television and radio newscasts. The company must launch a far-reaching advertising and public relations campaign, first to alert distributors, retailers and consumers and then to reassure its customers that not only is every effort being made to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again but the steps it is taking to win back consumer confidence.
Indeed, one Harvard Business School study shows that even for a food processing company with an unblemished record of more than a century of providing safe food, it can up to two years to win back customers after a recall. Along the way, sales, margins and profits are adversely affected.
Easy Prevention
Yet it is relatively easy to prevent water used in food processing from becoming contaminated.
Preventing exposure to contaminated water reduces day-to-day operating costs, and can improve profitability along the way. So-called Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in the form of full body suits that include a hood, a full face shield, goggles or a mask that forms a tight bond around the mouth and nose plus shoe covers sounds complicated but is easy to wear and inexpensive to purchase.
For example, a supplier such as CSC carries such safety wear starting as inexpensively as $180 per suit. Moreover, the cost of PPE is more than offset by its positive effect on production time and the quality of work as well as keeping not just the processing line safe from contaminants but also workers. In fact, often overlooked in a contamination-caused recall are work related injuries or sickness that arises when a worker becomes exposed to a contaminant.
The problems of contaminated water are not just an issue in third world countries. Even in Canada, it’s easy for H20 to become tainted, affecting food production, consumer confidence, and sales and profits. But it’s easier – and far less costly – to prevent a problem from arising in the first place.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc. , Canada’s largest provider of health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities.
E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Serious Spillover Of Toxic Spills
The Serious Spillover Of Toxic Spills
Business executives and owners can pay a stiff personal and financial price for not taking steps to prevent toxic spills coming from their business. Since prevention costs a fraction of the price, it’s silly not to be proactive.
– by Isaac Rudik
Not long ago, the owner and president of a small company in Belleville, Ontario was found guilty of discharging PCB-contaminated sediment into the environment from his factory. Not only was he held responsible for the spill, a court found that he failed to comply with a provincial order to clean up the site. The man was fined $659,000 and sent to prison for four months.
That’s an expensive personal and financial price for anyone to pay for something that could have been prevented in the first place – at a fraction of the cost and without anyone being locked up. How much less costly? The price of one salvage drum for storing toxic material such as PCB-contaminated sediment is $264.
Indeed, Ontario’s Ministry of Environment is pushing for tougher penalties as it raises fines and hires more inspectors to enforce the Environmental Protection Act. For companies with a potential exposure, the time to deal with a problem is before it happens: To borrow a phrase and adapt it to today’s cleaner, greener world, $264 worth of prevention is worth a lot more than $659,000 of cure.
Heavy Costs
Even without the stiff fine and jail time handed down to the Belleville businessman, the cost of cleaning up a spill and preventing another one is high.
Simply removing the toxins after-the-fact is an expensive proposition. A consultant will be needed to assess the damage and create a clean-up implementation plan. Specialists will be needed for the actual clean-up and removal. Transporting and disposing of toxic waste once it has been let loose in an uncontrolled way is as expensive as it is time-consuming and dangerous.
Moreover, if the toxins spread into the atmosphere, ground water or property beyond the site of the actual spill, the negligent company is likely to face enormous legal bills for negotiating settlements with municipalities, regions, the province and adjoining businesses or homes. If the accident causes injury or death, the resulting lawsuits might make the rest of the costs seem like lunch money by comparison.
While some of the cost of a first accident may be covered by insurance, one toxic discharge will mean that either insurance is no longer available or the premiums are so steep a business cannot afford them.
Proactive Solutions
Every business dealing with toxic materials is under a number of serious legal obligations. The law says that companies having control over a pollutant that spills must notify the ministry within a short period of time; more to the point, it must also implement a program to eliminate, fix and prevent the negative effects of the accident on the environment, restoring it to the condition it was in before the damage.
There is a smart way to prevent damaging the environment – and the business.
The easiest, and the one that is cost-effective for many locations, is a simple spill kit. They are available for use inside a facility as well as outdoor locations. A supplier such as CSC can provide these as well as specialised spill kits for vehicles. Spill containment systems are placed under barrels and other containers of all sizes carrying substances that are harmful to the environment.
Preventing spills is a much less expensive than cleaning up a site. As the Belleville company and its president learned too late, $264 worth of prevention is worth a lot more than $659,000 of cure.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of providing health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities. E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
Business executives and owners can pay a stiff personal and financial price for not taking steps to prevent toxic spills coming from their business. Since prevention costs a fraction of the price, it’s silly not to be proactive.
– by Isaac Rudik
Not long ago, the owner and president of a small company in Belleville, Ontario was found guilty of discharging PCB-contaminated sediment into the environment from his factory. Not only was he held responsible for the spill, a court found that he failed to comply with a provincial order to clean up the site. The man was fined $659,000 and sent to prison for four months.
That’s an expensive personal and financial price for anyone to pay for something that could have been prevented in the first place – at a fraction of the cost and without anyone being locked up. How much less costly? The price of one salvage drum for storing toxic material such as PCB-contaminated sediment is $264.
Indeed, Ontario’s Ministry of Environment is pushing for tougher penalties as it raises fines and hires more inspectors to enforce the Environmental Protection Act. For companies with a potential exposure, the time to deal with a problem is before it happens: To borrow a phrase and adapt it to today’s cleaner, greener world, $264 worth of prevention is worth a lot more than $659,000 of cure.
Heavy Costs
Even without the stiff fine and jail time handed down to the Belleville businessman, the cost of cleaning up a spill and preventing another one is high.
Simply removing the toxins after-the-fact is an expensive proposition. A consultant will be needed to assess the damage and create a clean-up implementation plan. Specialists will be needed for the actual clean-up and removal. Transporting and disposing of toxic waste once it has been let loose in an uncontrolled way is as expensive as it is time-consuming and dangerous.
Moreover, if the toxins spread into the atmosphere, ground water or property beyond the site of the actual spill, the negligent company is likely to face enormous legal bills for negotiating settlements with municipalities, regions, the province and adjoining businesses or homes. If the accident causes injury or death, the resulting lawsuits might make the rest of the costs seem like lunch money by comparison.
While some of the cost of a first accident may be covered by insurance, one toxic discharge will mean that either insurance is no longer available or the premiums are so steep a business cannot afford them.
Proactive Solutions
Every business dealing with toxic materials is under a number of serious legal obligations. The law says that companies having control over a pollutant that spills must notify the ministry within a short period of time; more to the point, it must also implement a program to eliminate, fix and prevent the negative effects of the accident on the environment, restoring it to the condition it was in before the damage.
There is a smart way to prevent damaging the environment – and the business.
The easiest, and the one that is cost-effective for many locations, is a simple spill kit. They are available for use inside a facility as well as outdoor locations. A supplier such as CSC can provide these as well as specialised spill kits for vehicles. Spill containment systems are placed under barrels and other containers of all sizes carrying substances that are harmful to the environment.
Preventing spills is a much less expensive than cleaning up a site. As the Belleville company and its president learned too late, $264 worth of prevention is worth a lot more than $659,000 of cure.
Isaac Rudik is a compliance consultant with Compliance Solutions Canada Inc., Canada’s largest provider of providing health, safety and environmental compliance solutions to industrial, institutional and government facilities. E-mail Isaac at irudik@csc-inc.ca or phone him at 905-761-5354.
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