Page 64 - OHS, October 2020

MONITORING
Walk the LineE: The Importance of Fence Line Monitoring in Construction
BY TIM TURNEY
stablishing any new construction project governing authorities would have no reason to visit is a careful logistical balancing act, with and the site’s social responsibility would be unaffected. many aspects for project managers to Unfortunately, this is not an ideal world.
consider; from site safety to environmental There is a civic and legal responsibility to measure
responsibility. Establishing perimeter, drawing up necessary documentation, ordering materials, creating traffic plans, workflows and conducting risk assessments—a lot of thought and planning goes into even relatively small footprint construction projects.
Unfortunately, aspects of site start up can become overlooked, the balance between “short term gain and long-term pain” prioritizing actions that will get the site functioning and have contractors doing what they do best—building. One aspect that may be overlooked, and thus lead to potential “long- term pain” for the project, is establishing a system of effective perimeter monitoring.
Measuring Site Emissions
In an ideal world, projects would occur in a “bubble” that excess levels of dust, noise or vibrations could not escape. Site neighbors would be unaffected,
site emissions, backed by governing authorities. In the U.S., under CAMP (Community Air Monitoring Plan), dust and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are reported on, and action taken if limits are exceeded—sites should be able to show compliance and maintain their reputations, and local communities must be considered.
While establishing a method for measuring site emissions may seem initially daunting, either due to a lack of clarity in which legal guidelines sites will have to follow to remain compliant or the research and paperwork involved in establishing a monitoring program, once an effective process is in place the same plan can be implemented for each and every new site or project.
Choosing an Effective Program
There are two main methods for conducting
60 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2020
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