Keeping up with Compliance: Boundary Monitoring in Construction

Boundary monitoring can identify potential site hazards, allowing employers to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and protect the public from the dust, noise and vibration that goes beyond the perimeter of the site. Tim Turney, Global Marketing Manager at Casella, explains how.

The construction industry is subject to evolving regulatory standards and expectations around sustainability and environmental impact. Companies must be vigilant and adaptable to these changes with monitoring technology that can keep up. Noise, vibration and dust (NVD) emissions are all considered to be environmental pollutants and advances in monitoring technologies allows for all of these to be simultaneously monitored in real-time. On top of regulatory compliance, boundary monitoring allows companies to comply with planning conditions and more readily resolve potential complaints from local businesses and residents.
Boundary monitoring is the general term given to the measurement of environmental conditions at the perimeter of the worksite. Noise from loud machinery like heavy duty drills and vehicles can annoy local residents and businesses and at higher levels can cause ill-health in the form of sleep deprivation and stress related issues. Vibration presents a similar barrier for construction companies as vibration can disturb nearby residents and in excessive cases can cause structural damage to neighbouring buildings.
Dust is a byproduct of several construction tasks, with high energy tools such as grinders creating a large amount of dust in a short period of time. Vehicles constantly moving around unpaved or poorly maintained surfaces stir up dust, especially when vehicles repeatedly move over the same areas in dry conditions. This particulate matter can cause respiratory issues for those exposed, especially if they already suffer from chronic illnesses such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In the UK, environmental monitoring is important from the very start of any construction project as requirements are increasingly mandated by a local authority as part of the permit application process. During which, boundary monitoring conditions may be imposed that stipulate employers must conduct real-time monitoring with data shared with the local authorities. This means that immediate action can be taken if levels exceed the agreed limits.
The Planning Policy Framework (PPF) by the UK Government outlines these requirements for construction sites to minimise pollution and protect the environment. During construction, employers may be required to conduct monitoring as a result of legal obligation after complaints from the surrounding area.

Legislation

Many local authorities expect construction firms to complete assessments for specific British Standards (BS) such as BS5228. This standard provides recommendations for basic methods of monitoring and control of construction activities that generate levels of noise and vibration that could impactlocal communities.  
For dust, the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) provides recommendations on the assessment procedures of monitoring for the risks of construction dust to the public. The assessment is used to define appropriate mitigation measures to ensure that there will be no significant effect to nearby ecological receptors.
Many construction companies are now part of the ‘Considerate Constructors Scheme (CSC), meaning Constructors should reduce the impact of their work on the environment by, identifying and managing environmental issues, reducing waste, carbon footprint, and resource usage, minimizing air, light, noise, and vibration pollution.
Understanding all the requirements for on-site compliance can be difficult. Real-time modern boundary monitoring units allow employers to assess and control construction site noise, vibration dust to achieve on site compliance and help minimise impact on the nearest residential areas. When conducting this type of monitoring, it is essential that a competent individual within the organisation that understands the set-up, maintenance and assessment undertakes the work. Where this is not possible, such as with a smaller organisation, it is always recommended to consult external experts.
If the data collected from boundary monitoring shows that agreed levels are being exceeded without appropriate remedial efforts in place, companies can be fined and may be ordered to halt work until corrected. This can cause further financial burdens and increased scrutiny by regulatory bodies and local authorities through more regular inspections which may cause reputational damage.

Selecting the right boundary monitor

To mitigate the risk of accidentally exceeding limits, it is crucial to select the correct type of boundary monitoring unit for the worksite. Some units are specifically designed and manufactured to monitor specific types of emissions and others can assess all three to provide a comprehensive overview of measured levels. If a site conducts work that is likely to produce noise, vibration and dust, a unit that offers combined results is easier to deploy, manage data and is often more cost effective.
The location of the site should also factor into the selection process, as urban developments will have different conditions than remote locations. For example, urban construction sites may have more sensitive ‘receptors’ nearby such as schools and hospitals. Using real time systems with alerts (e.g. by text message) that warn when limits are near, allow action to be taken before limits are exceeded and nearby receptors are impacted.
Modern boundary monitoring units are often integrated with other technologies such as wind, speed and direction sensors. These units aid employers in regulatory compliance as employees can readily alter construction activities in the event of weather changes that will affect the level of risk to different areas in the local community, and identify if the site is the source of dust emissions or not, potentially being able to mitigate spurious complaints.

Conclusion

Boundary monitoring is crucial for construction companies to remain compliant with evolving sustainability regulations, mitigating environmental impacts such as noise, vibration, and dust (NVD) emissions. UK legislation mandates proactive monitoring to protect local communities and the environment. Using real-time monitoring technology helps construction firms not only adhere to regulatory requirements but also respond swiftly to excessive emmisions, preventing fines and halting work. Selecting the right equipment tailored to the site’s specific needs ensures both regulatory compliance and operational efficiency, reducing health risks and fostering community relations.

About Casella 

Casella is dedicated to reducing occupational health and environmental risks through a core competence in dust, noise and vibration monitoring. The company has provided precision instrumentation since 1799 and supplied eminent figures including Charles Darwin with instrumentation for exploration and scientific work. Casella’s core purpose is to create technology aimed at improving the working environment of employees whilst providing robust data and equipment platforms to enable organisations to remain compliant with health and safety regulations.  The company is an expert in the integration of sensor technology and data management systems that further improve productivity and overall safety in the workplace. Casella is a global business, owned by TSI Instruments Ltd, a UK subsidiary of TSI Incorporated, and has offices in the UK, US and India. Casella is supported by a network of distributors providing local service and support to those searching out solutions for risk reductions. www.casellasolutions.com.