ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT (ERA)

Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) aims at assessing the effects of stressors, often chemicals, on the local environment. A risk is an integrated assessment of likelihood and severity of an undesired event. In ERA, the undesired event often depends on the chemical of interest and on the risk assessment scenario. This undesired event is usually a detrimental effect on organisms', population or the ecosystems. 

An environmental risk assessment uses similar techniques to the health and safety risk assessment your business already has to perform. In this case, you'll be assessing the likelihood of your business causing harm to the environment. 

Current ERAs usually compare an exposure to a no-effect level, such as the

Predicted Environmental Concentration: Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PEC : PNEC) ratio.

Although this type of ratio is useful and often used in regulation purposes, it is only an indication of an exceeded apparent threshold. New approaches have been developed in ERA in order to quantifiy this risk and to communicate effectively on it with both the managers and the general public.

Many organisations, where you are confident you understand what's involved, can do the assessment themselves. You don't have to be a health and safety expert.

When thinking about your risk assessment, you know what is termed a HAZARD and what is termed a RISK.

1.) HAZARD is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer etc

2.) RISK is the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how harmful or serious the said harm could be.

HOW TO CARRY OUT AN ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT

There are basically five key steps to carrying out an environmental risk assessment which includes:

1.) Identify all possible risks and hazards - ie possible sources of harm

2.) Be clear about the kind of harm they might cause.

3.) Evaluate the risk of harm - ie the likelihood that a given hazard will actually cause harm - and identify precautions

4.) Record the results of the assessment and implement precautions

5.) Review the assessment at regular intervals

IDENTIFY HAZARDS:

When looking for hazards in your business, you should consider:

1.)  Waste storage and disposal - eg making sure that proper refuse bins are used, and are located away from drains and watercourses

2.)  Ensure that emissions of dust and other substances or air particulates to the air arising from your business is properly taken care of.

3.)  Storage, use and disposal of hazardous substances are in line with extant laws/regulations.

4.)  Ensure that any liquid waste from your facility does not leak/ or not washed off into drain. All liquid wastes must be properly contained and the container placed on an elevated platforms with bond walls perimeter around it.

DO NOT DISCHARGE INTO DRAINS OR ANYWHERE WITHOUT TREATMENT. 

5.) Carry out environmental risk assessment of your raw materials - such as potentially toxic metals or other materials before using. 

6.) Be very mindful of environmental impact of packaging.

NOTE: There are statutory minimum standards to maintain in some of these areas.