Module 8

Protecting our environment
Loading complete!
What is the impact of industry

on the environment?
The environment (the air, land and water

around us) provides the conditions for
developing and sustaining all forms of life
Unfortunately, we sometimes use our

environment as the dustbin for everything
we don’t want
Some of the factors which influence an

organisation’s effect on the environment are:
• location
• supplies required
• work activities
• products
• waste
An organisation’s impact on the environment

could come from one single event,
An organisation’s impact on the environment

could come from one single event,
or a gradual build-up from several sources
Waste is anything that businesses,

organisations or the public throw away
because they no longer need or want it
Pollution is the release of substances or

energy into the environment that can
contaminate air, land and water
Each year there are approximately:

• 588 water pollution incidents

• 252 land pollution incidents

• 252 land pollution incidents
• 155 air pollution incidents
which have a
serious impact
on the environment
Think about how your organisation

affects the environment
How can you control

pollution and waste?
Once you’ve identified how your organisation

affects the environment, you’ll need to establish
which issues require specific management
Once you’ve identified how your organisation

affects the environment, you’ll need to establish
which issues require specific management
One way to do this is with a risk assessment:

find out the likelihood of the occurrence of
harmful activities, and their consequences
The ways of dealing with pollutants and

waste will depend on a number of factors:
• the potential impact of the pollutant
• legal requirements
• best practice developments
• stakeholder/societal concerns
• values and policies
• economic issues
When solving pollution and waste problems,

the following hierarchy can help:





If an incident occurs, your organisation

needs to have processes in place to
respond and repair any damage
These plans should form part of your

organisation’s emergency procedures, and
be reviewed and practised regularly
What are the main elements of an

environmental management system?
The best way to manage environmental

risks is to have a systematic approach, as
when managing health and safety risks:
Environmental management systems (EMS)

minimise your company’s risks associated
with its interactions with the environment
Key benefits of an EMS can include:

• getting a licence to operate
• complying with the law
• controlling cost
• getting access to product and
capital markets
• improving relations with the
general public
Getting it right:
• Planning for prevention and reduction is
cheaper than cleaning up afterwards
• Good environmental performance has
advantages: profitability, competitiveness,
better relations and premiums
• Integrate environmental
factors into your
responsibilities
Key learning points:
• What is the impact of industry on the

environment?
• How can you control pollution and waste?
• What are the main elements of an
environmental management
system?
Key learning points:
• What is the impact of industry on the

environment?
• How can you control pollution and waste?
• What are the main elements of an
environmental management
system?
Returning to menu…

Module 8

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module 8

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Protecting our environment

What is the impact of industry

The environment (the air, land and water

Unfortunately, we sometimes use our

Some of the factors which influence an

An organisation’s impact on the environment

An organisation’s impact on the environment

Waste is anything that businesses,

Pollution is the release of substances or

Each year there are approximately:

Each year there are approximately:

Each year there are approximately:

Think about how your organisation

How can you control

Once you’ve identified how your organisation

Once you’ve identified how your organisation

One way to do this is with a risk assessment:

The ways of dealing with pollutants and

When solving pollution and waste problems,

When solving pollution and waste problems,

When solving pollution and waste problems,

When solving pollution and waste problems,

When solving pollution and waste problems,

When solving pollution and waste problems,

If an incident occurs, your organisation

These plans should form part of your

What are the main elements of an

The best way to manage environmental

Environmental management systems (EMS)

Key benefits of an EMS can include:

Key learning points:

• What is the impact of industry on the

Key learning points:

• What is the impact of industry on the

You might also like