ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT : 10 KEY

ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT : 10 KEY POINTS TO ASSESS DURING A FACTORY VISIT

WEBINAR Francesca Giometti

Senior Environmental Advisor and Training Manager

April 2020

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Francesca Giometti

Senior Environmental Advisor & Training Manager

WELCOME EVERYONE!

• 30-min presentation and15-min QA with anonymous polls

• Key take-away at the end of webinar

• Recording and presentation file will be shared

Agenda today

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Brief overview of environmental audit

Key assessment points on solid waste management

Key assessment points on wastewater & Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) management

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03

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Key assessment points on chemical management 02

Let’s warm ourselves up! Poll 1 – how involved are you?

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BRIEF OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT 01


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Which are the performance areas in an

environmental audit?

1 Compliance with laws and regulations

2 Environmental Management System

3 Water use

5 Chemical Management

6 Wastewater treatment 7

Solid and Hazardous waste.

8 Emissions to air

9 Nuisances

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STA

RT

E

ND

4 Energy use & GHG emissions

Emergency response


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How is environmental audit performed?

On-site

observations

Documents Interview

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KEY ASSESSMENT POINTS ON CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT 02

Poll 2 – how much do you think you understand chemical management?

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Chemical management

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Key point 1: dedicated store for chemical products

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Chemical management

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What to check?

The chemicals should be stored in

dedicated area(s) (room/ building)

separated from the production area

The access should be restricted: closed

door and/or list of authorized persons to

enter in the chemical storage area

Why?

• To reduce the workers’ exposure to the

chemicals

• To reduce the risk of incidents

• To keep chemical products in good

conditions


Chemical management

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Key point 2: segregation of incompatible chemicals

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Dedicated storage area for flammable

products

Chemical management

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Key point 2: segregation of incompatible chemicals

What to check?

Incompatible chemicals (according to their

hazard class) are segregated.

Therefore it is important that the purchased

chemicals are provided with:

• Accurate label identifying their hazard

category (e.g. flammable, oxidizing, toxic,

etc.)

• Safety Data Sheet

Why?

• To prevent accidental mixing which could

cause fire, explosion, or toxic gases.

Chemical management

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Key point 3: safe and clean chemical storage area

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Chemical management

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Key point 3: safe and clean chemical storage area

What to check?

Clean space

Ventilated/aerated

No sticky and dirty floor

Containers kept closed

No eletrical cables

Why?

• Reduce risk of accident

• Reduce workers’ exposure to chemical vapors,

etc.

• Keep chemicals in good conditions


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Chemical management

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Key point 4: correct and complete chemical labeling

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Sodium hydroxide is strongly irritating and corrosive

Chemical management

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What to check?

Label is as per the GHS

reference (Global harmonized

system for the labeling and

identification of chemicals)

Why?

• Correct identification of

chemical hazards

• Same label template for all

chemical products (easier for

the workers understanding)

Key point 4: correct and complete chemical labeling

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KEY ASSESSMENT POINTS ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 03


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Key point 5: Empty chemical drums storage conditions

What to check?

The empty chemical containers must be stored

in a dedicated shed away from the production

sections.

The ground must be hard-surfaced (concrete-

paved).

The roof must but be in good conditions; no

hole.

No residues inside the drums.

Why?

• To prevent soil and groundwater contamination

• To avoid rainwater to be in contact with

chemicals drums Eurofins | AQM ©


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Key point 6: sludge storage conditions

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Key point 6: sludge storage conditions

What to check?

Sludge is not in direct contact with the soil

Sludge protected from rainwater

Drying sludge system

Sludge temporary stored away from production

areas and from people access

Why?

• Avoid soil and groundwater contamination

• Avoid workers’ exposure to hazardous

substances Eurofins | AQM ©

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KEY ASSESSMENT POINTS ON WASTEWATER & EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT (ETP) MANAGEMENT

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Wastewater & ETP management

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Key point 7: water flow meters installed at ETP inlet/outlet

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Factory Effluent Treatment plant (ETP) Effluent discharge Water source

ETP inlet meter

ETP outlet meter


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1. Sensor installed in the inlet open

channel of the plant (radar and ultrasonic

technology)

2. Sensor

connected to

a control

system

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Electromagnetic meter on a pipeline


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What to check?

There is a water flow meter to monitor the

volume of wastewater entering into the ETP

The water flow meter is properly installed

(the pipe is always full of water so the

measuring is accurate)

Why?

1) To control the wastewater volume to be

treated is within the ETP capacity

2) To check the data are consistent when

comparing the water use in the production

and the wastewater generated

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Evidence that the meter is not correctly installed

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Numbers jumping from a value to another with huge gap in few seconds = evidence that the meter is not correctly installed

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30 Source: http://rsb.gov.ae/assets/documents/191735/wastewater_flow_monitoring_guide_2.pdf


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http://rsb.gov.ae/assets/documents/191735/wastewater_flow_monitoring_guide_2.pdf





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Key point 8: observations of a water sample at ETP

outlet point

What to check?

No bad smell

No persistent Foam

No turbidity / dense color

No high temperature

Compare ETP outlet water sample

and last tank water sample

Turbidity / color

Why?

• Bad smell, persistent foam, etc. are

main signals of potential issues!!!

• The appearance of the ETP outlet

sample should be consistent with

the one of the last ETP tank sample

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Key point 9: observations of wastewater drainage system



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Key point 10: on-site lab/testing process for the ETP

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What to check?

Instruments for testing on-site

Calibrated instruments

Procedures for testing

Records

Turbidity / color

Why?

• For a correct monitoring of the

effluent treatment process efficiency

• Continual control for a better

operation of the ETP

Poll 3 – How should we support factories in making progress?

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QUESTIONS?

Key take-away

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(2) 2 major hazardous waste streams in the

factory: empty chemical drums and sludge.

To avoid the risk of soil contamination

during on-site storage phase, simple steps

can be taken: dedicated warehouse for

hazardous waste with roof in good

conditions and hard-surfaced floor.

(3) Wastewater management key points

seen today:

- Water flow meters correctly installed

- Observations of ETP outlet sample

- Minimum lab equipment needed on-site

(1) Chemical Management good

practices can’t be implemented on

the long term without a good

understanding of the chemical

hazards and risks

Examples of good practices seen today:

- Dedicated store-room for chemical

- Segregation of incompatible

chemicals

- Correct identification of chemical

hazards through GHS labeling

- Safe and clean spaces to reduce risk

of accidents

THANK YOU!

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Retrieve our webinar on “Getting started

with environment audit” at our YouTube

channel!

Francesca Giometti

[email protected]

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ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT : 10 KEY

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