With winter approaching, Adler and Allan said there are challenges facing all sectors: “By knowing and understanding the environmental risks on your sites, you can navigate the trials that lie ahead and ensure your sites remain operational.”

To help, Bryan Cherry, environmental risk survey manager, has offered six simple steps to identify your environmental risks and ensure your sites remain safe and compliant, whatever this winter has in store.

  1. Check your separators

Separators are essential for avoiding pollution. If left unchecked, they can become blocked and their filters saturated, creating a flooding risk or causing polluted water to contaminate the local environment. Ignoring the state of your separators could result in hefty fines and prosecution.

  1. Tanks and pipes

If you store fuel on your site, the colder months can bring an increased demand and risk, with tanks and pipes liable to being damaged by freezing temperatures. A common problem for tanks as the temperature drops is burst pipework, so steps should be taken to protect them against corrosion and physical damage.

  1. Drainage

Ensure all drainage on your sites is running clear and free. Autumn is a good time to do this with the leaves dropping. If your gully pots become blocked with a build-up of leaves and debris a high level of water can mean they become overwhelmed.

  1. Bunds

Checking the integrity of your bunds is imperative at the start of winter. The changes in temperature from hot to cold can cause the lining to crack which can cause hazardous materials to be released into the environment leading to downtime and potential environmental fines.

  1. Rainwater harvester

A lot of sites, particularly those that are unmanned, are investing in rainwater harvesting for systems such as toilet flushing and non-drinking water hand washing basins. Like any asset, these require maintenance to ensure they remain operational. Before the winter it is good to check their shut off valve is engaged so heavy rainfall doesn’t overwhelm them and they are protected from frost.

  1. Environmental risk audit

Don’t let something that could have been easily avoided cause any more downtime to your site’s operations. We can audit all your sites now and identify all your risks meaning you can proactively manage these throughout the winter, whatever that may look like.

A more detailed version of this list appears on the Adler and Allan website.

For more information visit www.adlerandallan.co.uk

29th October 2020