Sub-sectoral Environmental and Social 
                                                   Guidelines: Building and Construction 
                                                   Activities 
                 ab0cd 
                  
                 PROCESS DESCRIPTION                                     certain categories of project, a formal 
                                                                         environmental and social impact assessment may 
                 Building and construction operations may take           be required. Once damaged or destroyed 
                 place on greenfield sites, areas designated for         archaeological remains are lost forever.  In many 
                 industrial development (often land with an              countries legislation is in place to protect areas 
                 industrial park) or at a site with existing or          of archaeological importance and cultural 
                 historic activities.  A typical sequence of events      heritage. 
                 at a building site could be as follows: 
                                                                         Contaminated Land 
                     •   Permitting; 
                     •   Site set-up and management, security;           Land and water sources under or around the 
                     •   Construction worker camp (if any);              development site may be contaminated by either 
                     •   Screening, fencing, setting up temporary        current or previous operations at or near the 
                         offices;                                        site.  Contractual relationships between the 
                     •   Demolition and site clearance;                  contractor and the developer should address 
                     •   Ground works such as excavation,                liability for environmental damage and clean up 
                         filling and the construction of earth           of contaminated land.  Remediation standards 
                         structures e.g. embankments, bunds and          may be set in regulations or specific agreements 
                         cuttings;                                       between the landowner and the State. 
                     •   Construction of temporary roads, car 
                         parks, storage areas;                           Land with previous industrial, agricultural or 
                     •   Construction of foundations and                 storage uses that is being developed could be 
                         structural works;                               contaminated which can result in the need for 
                     •   Construction of the envelope of the             disposal of contaminated soils.  In addition, 
                         building, principally the external facings,     there could be health and safety risks for 
                         cladding and the fixing of windows;             workers. 
                     •   Mechanical/electrical installations and 
                         their interface with civil and building 
                         work;                                           Site remediation may present major technical 
                     •   Associated trades i.e. joinery, painting        problems with significant associated costs where 
                         and plastering;                                 sites are contaminated or incorporate major 
                     •   Landscaping reinstatement and habitat           natural features such as rivers.  This can also 
                         restoration or creation;                        result in time delays to a project. 
                     •   Start up operations and activities.  
                                                                         Waste Disposal 
                 KEY ENVIRONMENTAL, LABOUR, 
                 AND HEALTH & SAFETY RISK/                               Transport and disposal of excavated soil and 
                 LIABILITY ISSUES                                        construction waste may be a significant issue 
                                                                         notably on urban sites, and should be carried out 
                 Nature Conservation /Archaeology                        in accordance with all legal requirements. 
                 Development of land in areas of environmental           Hazardous and solid wastes may include 
                 or cultural significance e.g. national parks, or        contaminated soil, construction debris (including 
                 archaeological importance may generate public           asbestos containing materials, lead based paints), 
                 opposition and adverse press coverage.  For             waste fuel and lubricants, oil filters and batteries 
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                 2010                                                                                                     
                                                     Sub-sectoral Environmental and Social 
                                                     Guidelines: Building and Construction 
                                                     Activities 
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                 Potential pollution problems include:                     Public/environmental health and nuisance issues 
                                                                           associated with dust and vented fumes can arise 
                      •   Dumping of construction debris into or           from building and construction activities and 
                          near watercourses or surface water               may have a significant effect on neighbouring 
                          drains;                                          locations.  This may be important if there are 
                      •   Storage, treatment and transportation of         neighbouring residential and industry in the area. 
                          contaminated soils; 
                      •   Residual paints and solvents in                  Manual Handling  
                          containers. 
                 Transport and Traffic Management                          Construction activities can result in lifting of 
                                                                           heavy or awkward shaped objects which can 
                 Building and construction, particularly on a new          result in various musculoskeletal injuries.  Where 
                 site, can bring heavy vehicles to congested or            possible mechanical lifting aids should be 
                 residential areas, movement of materials to and           introduced. 
                 from the site might lead to additional road noise          
                 and traffic congestion.  Traffic management 
                 studies should normally be carried out to                 Hazardous Materials 
                 identify risk, for example, proximity of traffic 
                 routes to schools, and mitigation measures e.g.           Large quantities of hazardous substances such as 
                 restricting times of traffic, avoiding school             cement can lead to contact dermatitis and 
                 arrival and departure times.  Other safety                cement burns, in addition, paints, solvents, lead 
                 measures may involve speed restrictions, parking          and silica dust can all lead to occupational health 
                 areas, pedestrian crossings and so on.                    and safety concerns.  All sites must have copies 
                 Air Emissions and Dust                                    of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for each 
                                                                           chemical or hazardous substance used on site. 
                 Atmospheric emissions, notably dust, resulting            Appropriate personal protective equipment 
                 from demolition and other processes on site,              should be issued to potential impacted 
                 may generate complaints from neighbours, and              employees. 
                 if significant, can result in the local authorities       Collision 
                 halting the operations and/or issuing a fine.  
                 Emissions to air occur as a result of building and        Collision occurs on construction sites as a result 
                 construction activities.  These can include: fumes        of moving equipment and vehicles.  A lack of 
                 from welding, solvents used when applying                 designated vehicle and pedestrian paths can 
                 paints, resins and related materials; volatile            result in collision. 
                 organic compounds (VOCs) from emissions                   Slips, Trips and Falls 
                 from vehicles, fuel tanks and fuel systems and 
                 solvents; emissions of potentially toxic                  Many people work on elevated areas on 
                 substances, for example, magnesium and                    construction sites and falls are common.   Use of 
                 limestone dusts from construction materials.              ladders and scaffolding equipment increase the 
                                                                           risk of falls.  Uneven surfaces and poor 
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                                                      Sub-sectoral Environmental and Social 
                                                      Guidelines: Building and Construction 
                                                      Activities 
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                 housekeeping on a construction site can result in          OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH 
                 slips, trips and falls on the same level.                  AND SAFETY RISK/LIABILITY ISSUES 
                 Site Security                                              Water Use 
                 A construction site is often subject to trespass,          Sources of water may be from the mains supply 
                 vandalism or theft.  This can result in increased          or via abstraction from rivers or groundwater.  
                 risks.  Each site should be properly secured to            Where abstraction takes place permits might be 
                 prevent unauthorised access.  Where used,                  required which control the quantity of water 
                 security personal should not take action that is           removed so that it does not impact local 
                 disproportionate to the risk1.                             communities. 
                 Exploitation of Migrant and Casual Workers                 Waste Water Management 
                 Construction typically attracts a large number of          Waste water discharged from construction sites 
                 casual/short term workers many of whom may                 may include: 
                 be internal or foreign migrant workers.  They 
                 may be hired directly or, more typically, through              •   Water from groundwater pumping (de 
                 labour agents or by contractors. These factors                     watering the site) and water used for 
                 make these workers more vulnerable to                              cleaning and mixing, often this water 
                 discriminatory treatment and/or exploitation                       can have a high volume of suspended 
                 (see contractor management).                                       solids. 
                                                                                •   Runoff water from raw materials, 
                 Construction Worker Accommodation                                  washing equipment, vehicles and road 
                 (“worker camp”)                                                    surfaces and storm water run-off. 
                 If temporary accommodation is provided for                 Earthworks and other processes on site may 
                 construction workers this construction camp is a           impact the hydrological balance of surrounding 
                                                                            areas by: 
                 key issue. A construction accommodation can 
                 typically be temporary in nature and have a large              •   Causing pollution of water courses from 
                 proportion of migrant workers.                                     run-off or pumping of contaminated 
                                                                                    groundwater; 
                 Construction accommodation can impact the                      •   Adversely affecting surface drainage 
                 local community in terms of placing additional                     patterns; or 
                 pressure on infrastructure, such as, roads, water              •   Puncturing a natural impermeable layer 
                 supply and sewerage systems and waste disposal                     or piling, thus permitting vertical 
                 systems.  Additional impacts can relate to                         migration of pollutants and leachates 
                 community health and increased incidence of                        into underlying aquifers. 
                 disease and crime.                                          
                                                                      
                                                     
                 1 Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights 
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                                                          Sub-sectoral Environmental and Social 
                                                          Guidelines: Building and Construction 
                                                          Activities 
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                   Handling and Storage of Materials                              accommodate temporary access.  In addition, 
                                                                                  temporary supplies might be less structurally 
                   Typical storage facilities include:                            sound and permits might be required to operate 
                                                                                  such equipment. 
                       •    Bulk storage tanks and drums, and 
                            containers of fuel, solvents, glues and               Where generators, power lines and cables are 
                            paints                                                located on site there are increased risks of 
                       •    Top soil storage                                      electrocution.  Care should be taken when 
                       •    Storage of construction materials, and                working around exposed electrical cables and 
                       •    Storage of construction waste,                        qualified personnel should be employed. 
                            segregated by waste characteristics. 
                   If not properly secured and contained these                    Confined Spaces 
                   materials can leak and cause contamination.                    A confined space is a space of an enclosed 
                   Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and                           nature.  On construction sites these can be 
                   Asbestos                                                       excavations, storage tanks, drains or open 
                                                                                  topped structures.  Dangers can arise because of 
                   •  PCBs are a group of substances which are                    a lack of oxygen i.e. where a chemical reaction 
                      good electrical insulators and lubricants.                  takes place, or where spaces fill with vapours or 
                      Typically, PCBs may be present as                           liquids.  Confined spaces might be encountered 
                      constituents of hydraulic oils or dielectric                either during demolition where old tanks and 
                      fluids in electrical switchgear, transformers,              building basements are being removed or where 
                      fluorescent light starters and hydraulic lifts.             plans require new excavations.  Access to 
                                                                                  confined spaces must be managed and 
                   •  Asbestos has been used on a large scale for                 controlled. 
                      many years as a fire proofing and insulation                Machinery 
                      material and may be encountered in a wide 
                      range of forms including asbestos cement                    All equipment should have operational safety 
                      boards, tiles as fire retardant gaskets and                 features installed and workers should be issued 
                      lagging in pipe work and as fire retardant                  with appropriate personal protective equipment 
                      insulation around heating equipment in                      to protect against moving equipment and 
                      buildings.                                                  machinery.   
                   Particular attention should be given when                      Noise and Vibration 
                   demolition or refurbishment of buildings 
                   constructed before the 1980’s is taking place.                 Operation of earth moving equipment, 
                   Electrical Hazards                                             generators, concrete mixers and machinery will 
                                                                                  create noise and vibration on construction sites 
                   On many construction sites temporary power                     which can lead to long term occupational health 
                   supplies are often required.  Where this is the                and safety problems.  In addition, processes used 
                   case routing permission is required and                        on site, such as, bitumen preparation, shot 
                   vegetation clearance might be required to                      blasting, or pile driving may constitute a 
                   Building and Construction Activities Sub-sectoral Environmental and Social Guidelines                          Page 4 
                   2010