AXIOM ENVIRONMENTAL
TEMS The Ultimate Construction Industry Tool.
Axiom Environmental has developed a system of waste management specifically for the construction industry. Market research shows that the legislation pertaining to this activity is currently under review and likely to be increased in the near future. DEFRA guidelines dictate the implementation of a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) on projects with a pre-VAT build cost of over £300,000.00 (repealed) and discretionary implementation on contracts below this figure. www.defra.gov.uk
Systems of documentation, traceability and environmental impact are likely to cause an increase in both the administration and onsite segregation, resulting in a considerable on-cost. Adherence and implementation of both current and future legislation might not necessarily be common ground for someone working within the construction industry; likewise, monitoring an ever-changing market to achieve the best rates can be time intensive.
Handing the responsibility of these tasks to a licenced waste management company can often be the panacea to these problems - providing that a bespoke system is introduced to eliminate unnecessary cost. For this reason Axiom Environmental has developed a comprehensive management system known as TEMS (Total Environmental Management System). This system can be tailored to suit projects of any size and ensures adherence to both company and statutory policies and procedures. Axiom Environmental are ISO9001 – 14001 accredited and all incumbent systems are controlled and monitored as such.
Implementation of TEMS can be at varying levels, from an initial desktop study to full onsite management. Whilst there are several elements of the system that are generic in nature, TEMS is adopted as a bespoke protocol with up-front design to accommodate specific demands.
The following points demonstrate some of the aspects of TEMS and the areas of general application. This list is far from exhaustive and serves only to indicate its broad spectrum of operation:-
Pre-Planning.
With the focus on sustainability and carbon sequestration at the forefront of scrutiny; great emphasis should be placed on these subjects at the planning submission stage. A good waste-management and impact plan can go a long way in showing planners and the local community that sustainability and ‘clean’ development are high on a contractor’s agenda and can be implemented and maintained throughout the project.
TEMS undertakes a desktop study and publishes a document to accompany any planning application; detailed or outline. Working with both the contractors and architects, materials and building systems are discussed and incorporated within the document. This study forms the basis of the project’s SWMP (Site Waste Management Plan) and is an extension thereof.
As well as dealing with site-borne arisings, the TEMS document will also indicate the estimated amount of recycled material that will be imported to the project, the sites of expected origin and the benefits thereof.
Although this is a stand-alone document –and may be employed as such- its benefits can be fully realised when incorporated into the end of project site report.
Implementation of TEMS engages the consultancy services of Axiom Environmental - which can be particularly useful at various stages of a project with regard to community and agency liaison. Often, a professional representative commissioned to deal with areas of public concern, can go a long way to instilling faith in a company’s approach to such matters. Public liaison –with regards to green issues- is often all that is needed to put a community’s mind at rest.
Onsite Services.
Site activities vary immensely, and, for this reason the following list encompasses just a few of the more common services controlled and delivered by TEMS. The list is, again, far from exhaustive; individual requirements are open for discussion and will always be accommodated:-
1. Full Waste Management.
This service –in its most basic form- involves the erection of a temporary waste enclosure wherein all waste is sorted and contained. The area needed is subject to the size and scale of the development in question and is constructed in a mutually agreed location so as not to impede site activity.
The enclosure will typically house open-topped skips for the disposal of both general and recyclable waste types as well as containers for more onerous wastes such as oil, paint and other chemicals generated by on-site activities.
Axiom Environmental utilise a vast network of waste companies which will almost certainly result in costs lower than those usually incurred whilst ensuring that waste movements are kept to a minimum and travel shorter distances.
Once the ‘Station’ has been erected on site, our services can be deployed in various ways:-
1. We can assign an operative/s to work alongside the contractor - clearing waste from the site, sorting and designating waste to its suitable containment. They will be responsible for all ordering of transport and replacement containers as well as the necessary documentation and reporting requirements. They will work with the trades to maintain a tidy site and liaise with the contractor to ensure that specific key performance indicators are met. Or:-
2. The trades employed on site deposit all waste into the designated containers and inform Axiom when a replacement is needed. Documentation for these transactions will be handled by our main office and all waste-returns and mass-balance sheets will be distributed on a pre-determined timeframe. An operative under the employ of Axiom Environmental will visit site on a regular basis to ensure the process is operating effectively and educate the trades to avoid costly cross-contamination of waste types. Or:-
3. An implementation of factors from both 1. & 2. (above) whereon an operative –or team thereof- visits site at pre-determined intervals and clears waste from the areas of build and deposits them for disposal according to type. All documentation for the ensuing movements will be prepared and sent from head office.
All of the above include the full co-operation and waste consultancy service of Axiom Environmental.
End of Project Report.
Once the project has been completed and all documentation collated, TEMS yields a project-specific report. This report affords several benefits:-
- Recycling Rates: this is an accurate summary of all waste recycled and the income generated against cost, resulting in a true cost analysis.
- Mass-Balance: a mass-balance sheet is generated showing the totals of all imported recycled materials and site-generated waste.
This report contains all historic waste and environmental documentation and the costs thereof. This is particularly useful when used to critique and refine the overall operation. Costs on future projects can potentially be lowered by referencing the results of the TEMS.
Synopsis – Typical Administrative Mechanism of TEMS.
1. Pre-planning desktop study.
2. Full SWMP.
3. The construction of a full waste-matrix containing all duty-of-care documentation.
4. Risk Assessments and Method Statements for all waste activities.
5. Adoption and implementation of any specific company systems or procedures.
6. Mass-balance reporting.
7. End of Project Site report and closing documentation.
Axiom Environmental also offer a range of services related to the construction and building industries:-
Site-Specific Services.
Axiom Environmental offer a number of related waste-recycling and remediation services to the building and construction industry:-
- Supply of recycled building materials from licenced suppliers – there are many recycled materials on the market today that are often overlooked by the construction industry. These materials not only save money but ensure the criteria of a company’s Social and Environmental Impact Policy are met. The off-set effect, as illustrated by the overall mass-balance summation, is greatly improved when these innovative materials are incorporated.
- Odour-abatement - during excavation of brown-field sites, where soil remediation techniques may require the windrowing of contaminated materials, malodour is often present; likewise with piling and the remediation of stagnant pooling. Axiom Environmental offer state-of-the-art procedures for dealing with these phenomena and for the onsite *olfactometry required to monitor progress and effect. An array of natural procedures is available to treat all kinds of odour migration, both air-borne and surface-emanating whilst ongoing monitoring of the situation ensures that over-spend is eliminated. A full reporting system is also available as part and parcel of this service.
- Removal and treatment (wet waste) - In cases where large amounts of contaminated or stagnant groundwater present a problem, Axiom Environmental has the capacity to remove and treat using the most cost-effective and beneficial processes currently employed; fat, grease and other liquids can also be dealt with.
We can utilise our knowledge of our respective industry to accommodate a wide range of services and management advice. Should you require further information or would like a presentation of TEMS, or any other product or service, please contact one of our staff either via our website or by telephone on the numbers given.
*Olfactometry
On-site olfactometry can often safeguard against litigation as well as being a useful tool in the process of odour-abatement. Axiom Environmental can assess and initiate a programme of monitoring and reporting on a site-specific basis using the latest technology available.