H1 Annex A – Amenity & accident risk from installations and waste activities Published by: Environment Agency Horizon House, Deanery Road Bristol BS1 5AH Tel: 0117 934 4000 Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk © Environment Agency All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. Further copies of this report are available from our publications catalogue: http://publications.environmentagency.gov.uk or our National Customer Contact Centre: Tel: 03708 506506 GEHO0410BSIG-E-E v2.1 Annex A Amenity & accident risk from installations and waste activities This guide gives advice on assessing the risk arising from accidents and amenities on installations and waste sites when applying for a bespoke permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. It is part of the Environment Agency’s H1 Environmental Risk Assessment Framework and should be read in conjunction with the H1 Environmental Risk Assessment – Overview guide to understand who needs to use it and how it fits in to the framework. Content Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 Overview ...........................................................................................................................3 What steps are you taking to manage risks? ....................................................................4 What are the chances of causing harm?...........................................................................4 How serious could the harm be?.......................................................................................5 What is the overall risk? ....................................................................................................5 Identify what you could harm ............................................................................................5 Odour............................................................................................................................................... 8 Noise and vibration........................................................................................................................ 9 Fugitive emissions....................................................................................................................... 10 Visible Plumes.............................................................................................................................. 13 Accidents ...................................................................................................................................... 16 What you should do next.................................................................................................18 . H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 1 Summary of changes Below is a summary of changes made to this Annex since the launch in April 2010. Annex version Date Changes Template version Issue 2.1 December 2011 Introduction of a module for risk assessment of visible plumes. H1 April 2011 Improved clarity of examples within the amenities table of risk. Simplifying the introduction and reformatting the document in response to the 2010 H1 public consultation. Taking account of the impact of the Waste Hierarchy1. Reference to the Environment Agency’s emerging Noise Screening tool. 1 http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/Waste_Hierarchy.pdf H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 2 Introduction Introduction This guide on assessing amenity and accident risks is a part of the Environment Agency’s H1 Environmental Risk Assessment framework as described in the H1 Overview 2 document. It is aimed at: • installations • waste operations other than landfills. (For Landfills see Annex i). You should check regulatory guidance notes3 if your are unsure whether you fall into one of these categories. You should follow this guide if: • you are applying for a permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations for either an installation or a waste operation • you need to carry out a bespoke risk assessment • you are working through H1 Environmental Risk Assessment • you have been advised to assess amenity risks (odour, noise, fugitive emissions) and accidents from your activity You should not work through this guidance without first reading through H1 Environmental Risk Assessment – Overview to see how it fits in to the risk assessment process for permit applications and carrying out the necessary preliminary steps. Overview H1 Environmental Risk Assessment – Overview gives a four-step process for assessing your activity: 1. identify risks from your activity 2. complete risk assessments for these 3. choose appropriate measure to control these (if needed) 4. present your assessment. This guide is an annex to Step 2. It will help you identify people or parts of the environment that could be harmed by your activity and to carry out risk assessments for: 2 3 • odour • noise and vibration • fugitive emissions (including dust and pests) • visible plumes Available via the Environment Agency website. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/permitting/36419.aspx H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 3 • accidents. You will need to complete each of these sections unless you can show that they are not relevant to you. The actual assessments are fairly straightforward and give you tables to complete for your activity. When you fill these in, you will need to think about: • the steps you are taking to manage risks • the chances of causing harm • how serious that harm could be. The rest of this introduction explains how you can use these factors to work out what risk your activity presents to the environment. What steps are you taking to manage risks? You should put in place control measures to make sure that there are no significant risks from your activity and bear these in mind when you complete the assessment. We expect that the steps you take to protect the environment will normally be those identified in the guidance documents set out in Table 1.1 (note that not all these will be applicable to your activity). Table 1.1 – Measures you should take to protect the environment Hazard Basic Guidance Other guidance Odour How to Comply with your 4 environmental permit with particular reference, where relevant, to Part 3 of that document. H45 – odour – Annex on odour management plan Noise Fugitive emissions* H36 – Noise – Annex on noise management plan Visible plumes Accidents * Fugitive emissions are uncontrolled hazards associated with an activity such as vapours, dust, litter, pests, vermin. The risk assessments will ask you to list the measures you propose to employ for each hazard from your activity. You should also identify the guidance you have based these measures on. What are the chances of causing harm? When thinking about the chances of your activity causing harm, you should think about how you propose to operate. For example the chances of a dust problem are lower if you 4 http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0411BTSP-e-e.pdf http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/GEHO0411BTQM-E-E.pdf 6 http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/GEHO0411BTQM-E-E.pdf 5 H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 4 operate indoors, keep doors closed and use water sprays to keep the dust down. You should also describe the chances of a problem if things go wrong, for example if your water or power is cut off. You must not be too optimistic about how effective your risk management measures will be and your assessment must reflect our professional experience of how effective measures are. We may ask you to go back to your assessment if we think you have not accurately reflected the chance of there being a problem. How serious could the harm be? The severity of harm from a risk depends on: • how much a person or part of the environment is exposed • how sensitive a person or part of the environment is. Some parts of the environment can be very sensitive. For example, fish and aquatic insects can be harmed by even the slightest exposure to certain chemicals. What is the overall risk? The level of risk is a combination of: • how likely a problem is to occur • how serious the harm might be. Risk is highest where both the likelihood of a problem is high and the potential harm is severe. Risk is lowest where a problem is unlikely to occur and the harm that might result is not serious. Identify what you could harm The first step is to think about how your activity could harm the environment. You need to think about what is around your site that could be affected by your activities. We call these “receptors” and they can be people, property, and the natural and physical environment. You must list everything that is around your site that could be harmed by what you are doing or propose to do. Only look for receptors that could be near your site and could reasonably be affected by your activities. Table 1.2 lists common receptors and tells you how to find out if they are near your site. The websites listed in Table 1.2 are easy to use and many will just ask you for your site’s postcode to work out what is nearby. There are also a number of websites that will show you satellite pictures of your site and the surroundings. These can be useful but remember that the pictures may be several years old. You should include the date of any pictures that you use. H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 5 Provide a scale plan showing your site layout and all nearby receptors (houses, schools, rivers etc). This should have a big enough range to show any receptors that you might affect. Where possible also show the location of any hazards on your site that may present a risk to these receptors. Not all hazards will have a specific location on your site, but where they do please show them on the plan. When you have identified the receptors around your site, you should carry out an assessment for each risk from your activity. Table 1.2 – Sources of information on common receptors Type of receptor Where you can get information Specially protected nature conservation sites. Nationally designated sites (e.g. Ramsar, SAC, SPA, SSSI, LNR, AONB, National Park etc. – you don’t need to know what these stand for at this stage only if there are any of these sites around your site) www.magic.gov.uk/ www.jncc.gov.uk/ Local nature conservation sites (e.g. County Wildlife Sites, Local Wildlife sites) Local Wildlife Trusts Do you know of any protected nature conservation species near your site, e.g. native crayfish or otter? If so, please tell us. Local Records Centre Single houses or groups of houses (estates, villages etc) OS map of the local area Schools, hospitals, factories, shops etc. OS map of the local area Footpaths, recreation areas such as playing fields and playgrounds OS map of the local area Fields and allotments used for growing food OS map of the local area (and some local knowledge) Waterbodies (rivers, lakes, streams and ponds) OS map of the local area Ancient woodland Natural England ancient woodland inventory www. natural england.org.uk and www.magic.gov.uk/ Designated landscape sites (e.g. AONB, National Parks, Heritage Coast etc) www.magic.gov.uk/ Historic buildings, listed buildings, archaeological sites (e.g. Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Battlefields, Listed Parks and Gardens) Local planning authority for listed buildings, Institute of historic building conservation (www.ihbc.org.uk), The National Trust, County Archaeologist (local county council) Local geological sites (e.g. RIGGS sites) Local Authority, Local RIGGS group Water abstraction points Environment Agency website H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste Local Authority Local Wildlife Trust v 2.1 December 2011 6 Type of receptor Where you can get information (www.environment-agency.gov.uk) Local Authority environmental health departments for private water supplies Groundwater beneath your site, particularly sensitive groundwater catchments e.g. source protection zones Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency.gov.uk) Other nearby industry e.g. Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) sites Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency.gov.uk), local HSE office (www.hse.gov.uk) Sensitive land uses – e.g. commercial fish farms, farmland Ordnance Survey Map, local Environment Agency office, Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency.gov.uk) Coastal/estuarine areas Local contingency plans, coastal atlases Drainage systems/sewers Local water companies – for example Anglian Water, Thames Water etc. H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 7 Odour Please list each possible odour source in a separate row in Table 1. This should include any activities you propose to do, or any wastes or substances that you will deal with at your site that could cause a smell. Refer to the 'Introduction' within 'How to comply'7 for more information on Odour assessments. You should then complete the rest of Table 1. Where risk management techniques prove ineffective, with the likelihood of complaints to the Environment Agency, the operator may be required to submit an Odour Management Plan, for implementation in agreement with the regulator – see H4. Table 1 – Assessment of odour risks Hazard What has the potential to cause harm? Receptor Pathway What is at risk? What do I wish to protect? How can the hazard get to the receptor? Risk management What measures will you take to reduce the risk? If it occurs who is responsible for what? Probability of exposure How likely is this contact? Consequence What is the harm that can be caused? There are no possible sources of odour at the site. What is the overall risk? What is the risk that still remains? The balance of probability and consequence. None. Smell from composting windrows out the back of the reception shed. Thorpe village 800 m to the south. Air - Northerly winds or lengthy periods of calm. May occur for 15 days/yr (Met Office stats attached). Measures as described in How to comply and the Industry code of practice. Only turning activities will cause a problem at this distance. We will not do this with these weather conditions. Fairly probable. Odour annoyance will have more impact in summer when people are outdoors and temperatures are higher. Perhaps 12 days/yr. Consequence medium. Not significant if carefully managed. Failure of scrubber liquor pumps due to power failure. Trading Estate retail units 200m to the north. Air If it occurs, instigate process shutdown procedure (30 minutes). Power failure has occurred once in the last 5 years. Unabated odorous offgas to atmosphere. But for less than 30 minutes. Not significant. Inversion conditions preventing dispersion from stack. Community to the east on hillside. Air Inversion conditions happen once or twice per year. May fail to predict occasionally. Very noticeable smell but for very short duration until shut down occurs. Not significant. 7 Advise regulator by telephone immediately 0800 807060 (24 hour service). On site weather station with logging facility. Daily weather forecast received from Met office. If it occurs, finish current batch but reduce temperature if possible. Hold further batches of Product X. Product Y can be run on reduced temperature. http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/GEHO0411BTSP-E-E.pdf H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 8 Noise and vibration Please list each possible source of noise or vibration in a separate row in Table 2. This should include any activities you propose to do at your site that might produce: • a noise or vibration that could be heard beyond the boundary of your site • a vibration that could be felt beyond the boundary of your site. You should identify each source of the noise or vibration as either fixed or mobile (for example vehicle reverse-warning noise). Refer to the 'Introduction' within 'How to comply' for more information on noise and vibration assessments. You should then complete the rest of Table 2. Any residual risk identified as being more than ‘Insignificant’ may need to be processed through the Environment Agency’s Noise Screening Tool. Where risk management techniques prove ineffective, with the likelihood of complaints to the Environment Agency, the operator may be required to submit a Noise Management Plan, for implementation in agreement with the regulator see H3. Table 2 – Assessment of noise and vibration risks Hazard Receptor What has the potential to cause harm? What is at risk? What do I wish to protect? Pathway How can the hazard get to the receptor? Risk management What measures will you take to reduce the risk? Probability of exposure How likely is this contact? Consequence What is the harm that can be caused? If it occurs – who is responsible for what? There are no possible sources of noise from the activities. Engine noise from loading shovel, from reverse warnings. Noise from baling machinery at the back of storage area 3. What is the overall risk? What is the risk that still remains? The balance of probability and consequence. None. List nearby receptors Site is close enough for noise to be audible For example, closing doors, visual inspections, routine maintenance through to withdrawing machinery from service or stopping the activity altogether. Frequency - Include day or night, weekday or weekend exposure. intermittent or continuous. If immediate action cannot be taken the reasons should be noted. Record and act on complaints, inform the regulator. H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 9 Include likely duration, noise level or increase in noise level (at source or receptor) and any characteristics. Low if management techniques are effective. Fugitive emissions Please list each possible source of fugitive emissions in a separate row in Table 3. This should include any activities you propose to do at your site that might produce: • releases to air, such as from storage of raw materials or wastes and evaporating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) • dust • releases to water and land, such as potential leaks or spills from the storage or handling of liquids that could harm the environment • uncollected run-off from operational and storage areas • possible sources of wind-blown litter • mud that could get off the site • pests that could get off site, such as vermin or flies. Refer to 'Emissions of substances not controlled by emission limits' within 'How to comply' 8 for more information on fugitive emissions. You should then complete the rest of Table 3. Where risk management techniques prove ineffective, with the likelihood of complaints to the Environment Agency, the operator may be required to submit an Emissions Management Plan, for implementation in agreement with the regulator. 8 http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/GEHO0411BTSP-E-E.pdf H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 10 Table 3 – Assessment of fugitive emission risks Hazard What has the potential to cause harm? Receptor Pathway Risk management What is at risk? What do I wish to protect? How can the hazard get to the receptor? What measures will you take to reduce the risk? People living at Land End Cottage R1 – 400m east of the site Wind blown dust The following technical guidance actions will be taken to reduce the dust [list]. Probability of exposure Consequence What is the overall risk? How likely is this contact? What is the harm that can be caused? What is the risk that still remains? The balance of probability and consequence Dust could potentially reach the dwelling when a strong wind blows in that direction which it could for perhaps 50 days a year. The management actions should prevent this happening. Nuisance - dust on cars, clothing etc. Not significant. If it occurs – who is responsible for what? To Air Dust from screening plant 3. Visual dust monitoring in accordance with local operating procedure. Shift manager is responsible for checking wind strength and direction and stopping operations if needed. VOCs from pipework. Local residents or school beyond the boundary of the activity. Vapours carried on the wind. Potential sources of fugitive emissions are identified and then included within a routine maintenance programme. Low boiling solvents may be a priority. Fugitive vapours could reach sensitive receptors, but appropriate management actions should prevent this from happening. Complaints of odours/smells in vicinity of local receptors. Low if management techniques are effective. Local surface waters or groundwaters. Flow by gravity. Demolition waste stockpile should be held on an impermeable surface or within a contained area with suitable capture of any contained pollutants before release. Unchecked, run-off could reach sensitive receptor, but management actions should prevent this happening. Pollution of local surface or groundwater. Low if management techniques are effective. Local residents or school beyond the boundary of the activity. Airborne transportation. Isolation and securing/removal of wastes that are attracting scavengers. regular inspections by nominated personnel Wastes left unattended could result in problems off—site. Potential for the spreading of disease and adverse health impacts on vulnerable people.. Low if management techniques are effective. To water Run off from the demolition waste stockpile. Pests Flies on farmyard manure could move offsite and affect nearby residents H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 11 Hazard Receptor Pathway Risk management Probability of exposure Consequence Without appropriate barriers installed airborne materials could reach sensitive receptors. Likelihood of complaints where appropriate techniques are not adopted and maintained. What is the overall risk? Mud/Litter Litter from paper bale storage area. Local residents or school beyond the boundary of the activity. Airborne transportation. H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste Keep operations within enclosed buildings. Where not possible, erect litter fences around the site to capture any potential airbourne materials. v 2.1 December 2011 12 Low if management techniques are effective. Visible Plumes Please list each possible source of visible plume in a separate row in Table 4. For example: • condensation or visibility of combustion process gases released to air, • condensation of cooling tower vapours, • condensation of other process vapours Refer to 'Emissions to air, water and land' within 'How to comply'9 for more information on visible plumes. You should then complete the rest of Table 4. 9 See link: http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/GEHO0411BTSP-E-E.pdf H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 13 Table 4 – Assessment of visible plume risks Hazard What has the potential to cause harm? Receptor Pathway What is at risk? What do I wish to protect? How can the hazard get to the receptor? Risk management What measures will you take to reduce the risk? Probability of exposure How likely is this contact? Consequence What is the harm that can If it occurs – who is responsible for what? be caused? What is the overall risk? What is the risk that remains? The balance of probability and consequence. To Air There are no visible impacts beyond the site boundary, or there are no sensitive receptors due to the remoteness of the location. Screened out no further assessment required. Regular small impact from operation of listed activity. Plume length exceeds site boundary for <5% of daylight hours per year. No local sensitive receptors. Dispersion by wind e.g. Maximising heat transfer within the combustion activity. Make regular observations over a suitable time period including a variety of meteorological conditions. Nuisance – reduced Insignificant visibility, could be important depending upon site location and proximity to main travel routes or sensitive receptors. Regular small impact from operation of listed activity. Plume length exceeds site boundary for <5% of daylight hours per year. Sensitive local receptors. Dispersion by wind e.g. Maximising heat transfer within the combustion activity. Make regular observations over a suitable time period including a variety of meteorological conditions. Nuisance – reduced Low visibility, could be important depending upon site location and proximity to main travel routes or sensitive receptors. Low Regular large impact from operation of listed activity. Plume length exceeds site boundary for >5% of daylight hours per year. Sensitive local receptors. Dispersion by wind e.g. Reducing pollutant emissions consistent with the application of Best Available Techniques. Make regular observations over a suitable time period including a variety of meteorological conditions. Nuisance - reduced Medium visibility, could be important depending upon site location and proximity to main travel routes or sensitive receptors. Medium Continuous large impact from operation of listed activity. Plume length exceeds site boundary for >25% of daylight hours per year. Sensitive local receptors. Dispersion by wind e.g. Reducing pollutant emissions consistent with the application of Best Available Techniques. Make regular observations over a suitable time period including a variety of meteorological conditions. Nuisance - reduced High visibility, could be important depending upon site location and proximity to main travel routes or sensitive receptors. High None H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 14 Insignificant Hazard Receptor Pathway Risk management Probability of exposure To Water Visible plume in discharge to surface water. This is unlikely to receive approval. H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 15 Consequence What is the overall risk? Accidents Please list each possible source of accidents in a separate row in Table 5. 'How to Comply' 10 gives more advice on the type of accidents you should think about, which include: • transferring substances (e.g. loading or unloading vessels). • overfilling vessels • plant or equipment failure (e.g. over-pressure of vessels and pipework, blocked drains). • containment failure (e.g. bund or overfilled drainage sumps, loss of landfill gas or leachate) • fires or failure to contain fire waters • making the wrong connections in drains or other systems • poor storage arrangements of hazardous substances • incompatible substances coming into contact • unwanted reactions and/or runaway reactions • emission of an effluent before adequately checking its composition • vandalism • flooding. This is not a comprehensive list. You also need to work out what other situations are relevant to you. In particular there may be risks specific to your industry that should be considered. As a guide, you could assume that operator error will occur at least once in every 100 times an operation is carried out. For example, you might drop or damage a drum from a forklift or have a spillage from a tanker You should then complete the rest of Table 5. 10 http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/GEHO0411BTSP-E-E.pdf H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 16 Table 5 – Assessment of accident risks Hazard Receptor Pathway Risk management What has the potential to cause harm? What is at risk? What do I wish to protect? How can the hazard get to the receptor? What measures will you take to reduce the risk? Spillages from pesticide handling & storage areas escaping. Vulnerable groundwater beneath site. Cracks in poor impermeable surface and through the ground. Leak from the waste oil storage tank escaping the containment. Local water course. Fire in wood stockpile causing emissions to air and firewater discharge. Probability of exposure Consequence What is the overall risk? How likely is this contact? What is the harm that can be caused? What is the risk that still remains? The balance of probability and consequence Ensure containment measures are appropriate. Maintenance and regular inspection procedure designed and implemented. Very unlikely if appropriate measures are used. Contamination of local groundwater and potential nearby abstractions. Not significant with measures indicated now in place. Via the surface water drainage system. Design of containment and control of fugitive emissions – maintenance and inspection procedure. Very unlikely if appropriate measures are used. Contamination of local water course. Not significant. Local water course. The surface water drainage system. Fire precautions as in 'How to Comply' and training in fire hazards. Air. Airborne transportation. Fire hose nearby. Shift manager is responsible for actions in event of fire. Actions are listed in the works procedures. Unlikely if appropriate measures are used. Smoke, local nuisance, risk of fire spreading to other areas or premises. Not significant as long as contaionment is appropriate and management procedures adhered to. If it occurs – who is responsible for what? If it occurs the oil spill equipment is located nearby. The shift engineers are responsible for and trained in its use. Wood is not treated so firewater relatively uncontaminated. Slopes direct fire water to car park area for containment prior to testing before release through interceptor. H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 17 Potential for pollution of local surface or groundwater if fire water is not contained and tested before release. Odour Fugitive emissions What you should do next If you are happy that you have completed your assessment correctly, you should: • complete any other risk assessments for your activity, as set out in Step 2 of H1 Environmental Risk Assessment – Overview • if you have assessed all the risks from your activity, continue with Step 3 of H1 Environmental Risk Assessment – Overview. Accidents H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 18 4 Annexes Annex 1-Emission Benchmarks Annex 2- Other Guidance Available and Glossary H1 Annex A Accident Risk installations & waste v 2.1 December 2011 19
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