Environmental Protection and

Waste Management
 Course Objectives
Become aware of the legislation surrounding
the protection of the environment and waste
disposal
Understand the implication of not being
compliant
Consideration of best practice relating to
waste management
Discuss waste minimisation
 Main UAE Legislation
Federal Law No. 24 (1999) on Protection and
Development of the Environment
Ministerial Order No.32 (1982) regarding
protection of employers against occupational
hazards
Local orders on discharge and disposal of
wastes (Environmental Protection Section -
Food and Environmental Control Centres -
Dubai and Abu Dhabi Municipalities)
Local Legislative Environmental
Requirements
Dubai and Abu Dhabi in particular have wide
ranging requirements
Dubai out of 70 Technical Guidelines more
than 36 relate directly to environmental control
and management
The contractor should contact the
Environmental Protection Section of the Food
and Environmental Control Centre of the local
Municipality to properly ascertain what
standards and / or regulations are currently in
force.
 Definitions 1
Waste:
Any substance which constitutes a scrap
material or effluent or otherwise.
Any unwanted surplus arising from the
application of any process.
Any substance or article which requires to be
disposed of as being broken, worn out,
contaminated or otherwise spoiled.
 Definitions 2
Controlled Waste:
Building and demolition waste
Household, industrial and commercial waste
It includes scrap metal, effluent and clinical
waste.
Waste can be further divided into three
types:
 Definitions 3
inert waste
waste that will not decompose, e.g. rubble,
concrete, metal, rubber, etc.
putrescible waste
waste which will rot and decompose, e.g.
timber, food, paper.
special waste
waste which is dangerous to keep or dispose
of.
The classifications of special waste are quite
extensive
 Environmental Assessments
In order the have a full appreciation of the all
potential environmental implications of a project,
the consultant must be familiar with all details any
previous environmental studies, conducted /
instructed by the respective Municipality.
This should include the identification of all direct
and indirect impacts including secondary and
cumulative implications of the works.
In particular the consultant, should be aware of any
significant impacts that may occur as well as any
sensitive receptors.
For example when construction occurs near built-up
areas, poor practices may result in air and noise
pollution which may cause annoyance and affect the
health of neighbouring communities.
 Environmental Assessment 2
The contractor should be aware that potential
sources of pollution could include, but may not be
limited to, the following:
Noise generated by machinery or construction
activities.
Dusts and / or fumes produced by construction
activities.
Disposal of solid wastes arising from construction
activities, be they on or off site.
Discharge of waste waters, sewage or ground
waters to land, sewer, surface water drain, the
marine environment or any other location.
The disturbance of species or habitat either within
or in the immediate vicinity of the site.
 Minimisation of Impact
Contract documents, specifications and drawings
should be examined to establish whether any
activities which take place as part of the contract
may have an impact upon the environment, e.g.;
The disposal of waste waters to surface water
drain, sewer or on land,
The production of noise, dusts or fumes,
The de-watering of ground and disposal of water
arising,
The disposal of waste materials arising,
The damage to existing wildlife habitats due to
construction activities.
 Environmental Monitoring
Construction sites are constantly changing
and systems need to be in place to modify
control measures to maintain their
effectiveness.
Frequent inspection and monitoring may
therefore be required to continually check
the effectiveness of measures.
The Con Enviro Mgt Plan should also be
updated to address deficiencies identified by
the monitoring or audit program as new
impacts are identified through surveillance.
 Cost of Non-Compliance
The contractor should make himself
aware of the penalties which may
applied for non-compliance with
Federal Law which could include:-
Death penalty,
Imprisonment
Maximum fine of AED 10 million
 Use of Skips
When deciding the type and number of containers that
you may require, consider the type of waste that will be
produced.
Would a compactor skip be better than an open one?
Would a compactor skip cut down on the number of
skips you require?
Would a tailgate skip be easier to use than a fixed one?
How many skips will you need and how often will they
need to be emptied?
How many different types of waste will you produce?
brick, rubble, concrete, cement, plaster and plasterboard
empty paint tins or adhesive tins or drums
wood, cardboard and paper, carpeting
scrap metal such as pipes or wires
various chemicals, oils and greases
PVC window mouldings, gutters and down pipes
 Skip Management
Place skips in positions where the contractors can
reach them easily or where your carriers lorries
can reach them.
Keep all access to skips clear.
Do not overload any skip; if you do, your carrier
has every right to tell you to unload it, or even
refuse to take it away.
Do not load the skip above the height of the sides.
Do not light fires in skips. Fire will weaken the
structure of the skip, which may collapse when
picked up.
Never allow anyone to climb into or ride in a skip.
It is a dangerous practice, and could result in
waste being inadvertently tipped on top of them.
 Skips and Security
It is advisable to exercise as much security
over waste skips and containers as over the
site in general.
It has not uncommon for workers to hide
valuable items in skips in order to get them
off site, and then to recover them later.
 Creating Less Waste
Simple ways of reducing waste on construction sites
include:
Not over-ordering materials
Ordering materials at the size required thus avoiding
offcuts
Not over-excavating
Reusing soil for landscaping
Using offcuts of timber for alternative uses
Using brick rubble as hard-core
Crushing waste concrete to use as hardcore
Recycling scrap metal, glass, waste oil.
Environmental Protection and
Waste Management