L.A.Construction (East Anglia) Limited in its role as a construction company acknowledges that the Company and its activities have a significant impact on the environment. We have identified the key areas as energy, water, waste, transport, hazardous materials, business operations, and health. We aim to protect and improve the environmental aspects and impacts.

Our Commitment Is To:
 

 1) Identify, meet or exceed the environmental legislation, standards and codes of practice that relates to the Company’s activities.

 2) Continuously improve our environmental performance and integrate environmental best practice into business operations.

 3) Reduce our consumption of resources and improve the efficient use of those resources.

 4) Assess, measure, record and take action to reduce the carbon footprint of our business activities.

 5) Manage waste generated from our business operations according to the principles of reduction, re-use and recycling.

 6) Continue to improve our environmental performance through effective communication, provision of staff training and adoption of best techniques available.

 7) Be a respectful neighbour by minimising the impact that our activities, sites and premises have on local communities.

 8) Seek to influence our clients to adopt, and our designers to provide, solutions that benefit the environment.

 

To Meet Our Commitments We Will:

 

 1) Use only timber certified as being from sustainable forests.

 2) Use recycled waste and demolition products where possible and use waste management contractors who have similar environmental policies as ours.

 3) Use recycled aggregates where practical.

 4) Regular service to our portable machinery appliances to control pollution.

 5) Reduce and replace the use of ‘toxic chemicals’ with ‘green’ replacements where possible.

 6) Regularly maintain and service our vehicles to ensure emissions are kept as low as possible.

 7) Maximise delivery of materials and reduce return trips made by unladen vehicles.

 8) Make lighting and power energy savings both at work and on site.

 9) Implement office recycling.

 

STANDARDS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
 

Community Relations

 

We will warn local residents and businesses about activities that are likely to take place on site to help reduce their concerns and allow for their participation in environmental issues.

 

Our sites will have a point of contact for enquiries or complaints, to show that we are taking responsibility for our actions and are aware of the surrounding community.

 

In the case of emergencies we will display a 24 hour contact number.

 

We will appoint a contact person who will be responsible for logging complaints and taking appropriate action.

We will endeavour to carry our all noisy works between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

We realise that some activities can take place on site without residents being disturbed. This work may be carried out outside our standard working hours if it does not disturb people at the nearest occupied property to where the work is taking place.
 

Setting Up The Site

 

No temporary structures to cover utilities covers or any street gullies. All site gates to open inwards and not outwards onto the highway.

All temporary structures to be kept in a safe place and well-maintained condition at all times and must display an information board with relevant contact details for the particular site.

 

Hoardings and signs re-used in accordance with our sustainability policy.

 

Nuisance

 

Construction works can cause unnecessary debris on the highway such as mud, spoil, concrete and dust. We will do everything we can do to stop this happening, such as facilities on site for washing down vehicles and to ensure lorries are covered when they leave the site. Mud, spoil, concrete and dust will not be washed into street gullies.
 

Construction Traffic

 

We will plan vehicle movements to and from site and agreed in advance, enforced with all our drivers and subcontractors.

Vehicles will enter the site immediately and leave the site in a safe and controlled manner. The area around the site or any road will not be used as a “holding” area for deliveries. No employees or subcontractors to cause a nuisance by parking or blocking the highway or neighbouring roads etc.
 

Air Pollution and Dust

 

Identify construction activities likely to cause pollution problems along with methods to minimise them. Environmental risk assessments to be carried our if necessary.

 

We will specify and select low emission materials and fuel.

 

Use damping down sprays in dry weather, use wheel washers and regularly sweep around the site.

 

Use screening and hoardings.

 

Cover skips and loaded lorries.

 

Use rubble chutes and handle materials carefully to avoid dust.

 

Use the most modern and least polluting mechanical and electrical plant wherever possible.

 

Maintain plant engines and exhaust systems.

 

Materials Handling, Storage, Stockpiles, Spillage and Disposal

 

Use silo or covered storage for cement and other powdered materials.

 

Use sheeting for friable boards and building blocks.

 

Use bunded areas for diesel fuel or chemicals.

 

Undertake regular site inspections for spillage of cement and other powders.

 

Cut materials for building off site whenever possible.

 

Use cutting and drilling plant with water sprays or dust extraction wherever possible.

 

Install screens round cutting areas and use water sprays near public areas.

 

Waste Disposal and the “Duty of Care”

 

All materials disposed of as per the SWMP to an appropriately licensed or exempt waste management.
 

Asbestos

 

Risk assessments are carried out, together with the Asbestos register, to consider the presence of asbestos and the associated level of risk, together with the development of safe working practices. Our Policy is not to touch Asbestos but use a licensed asbestos-removal contractor.
 

STANDARDS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: THE SITE
 

Site

 

The environmental impacts of construction work will be considered as early as possible in the project, and from this a site waste management plan will be produced. Where potential adverse impacts are identified, measures to offset or reduce them will be incorporated into the project proposals at the earliest stage.

Incorporated in our meetings are discussions on ways to reduce emissions and act on them. The main site potential environmental impacts arising from site works have been identified as noise, water, vibration fumes, waste and storage, the mitigation measures are limited by the nature of the work, but they will be:
 

Noise

 

All efforts shall be taken to reduce noise to a minimum. Maintained machinery with engine covers in place shall be used; plant and machinery shall be switched off whenever practical and idling plant shall be stood away from residential and business premises whenever possible.

Noise on site to be reduced as far as possible to protect their own health and safety and the community as a whole.

 

Antisocial behaviour such as shouting and swearing will not be permitted.

 

Water

 

Site run-off and wastewater produced as a result of site activities, to be disposed of in line with the requirements of the Environment Agency and have enough protection in place to make sure and dangerous materials used onsite do not.

A suitable drainage system onsite for the construction phase to be made to reduce flooding and pollution.

Ways to reuse water that is usually wasted during construction i.e. collect, store and re-use water that collects on site for lower-grade uses will applied wherever possible.
 

Vibration

 

To protect occupants, users and building structures from harm and damage, acceptable levels of vibration from all sources, during demolition and construction to be kept.
 

Fumes

 

To reduce the volume of fumes generated, only properly maintained plant and machinery shall be used, and plant and machinery will be switched off whenever practical.
 

Storage

 

Petrol and diesel shall be stored in approved containers and shall be locked away in the vehicles that they came in.
 

Waste

 

All scrap / waste materials shall be recycled either on or off site as in the site waste minimisation plan.

Any generators used on site shall have drip trays positioned beneath them which will be monitored on a regular basis to ensure they do not overflow. The periodicity of this monitoring will be determined on site and varied according to weather conditions and degree of fluid leakage experienced.

 

All soil, hardcore, etc to be recycled.

 

No waste food to be left uncovered on site. Good canteen practices to be maintained to avoid pest problems.
 

Recycling

 

We are keen to promote the positive use of surplus or waste materials in reducing the effect on the environment and the costs of disposing them.

Materials produced from demolition or construction work in the planned development to be re-used wherever possible or skip companies to be used that recycle.

The construction site waste management plan tackles waste arising through the development process, ways of recycling waste and ways of reusing and recycling waste.
 

PROCEDURES TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: OFFICE
 

Active Management

 

Office Waste

Recycling paper, cartons, cardboard etc

Empty printer cartridges collected and recycled by local charity

Encouragement of suppliers to receive electronic payments.

 

Energy Waste

Ensure that all workstations and lights are turned off when not in use.

Closing blinds in the winter months at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
No appliances, mobile charges left on standby and appliances not charged unnecessarily.

All lights to be energy saving lights.