1 Policy Statement
The Directors of the Company are increasingly aware and concerned about environmental performance and the protection of the environment. We recognise that we have a commitment to meet all relevant regulatory and legislative requirements in order to prevent or minimise effects that the Company’s activities, products or services may have on the environment. It is therefore the policy of the Company to:

(a) Reduce waste and the unnecessary consumption of resources, materials, fuel and energy.
(b) Reduce or eliminate the production of polluting releases to the environment wherever possible.
(c) Take environmental issues and factors into account when planning the expansion or development of Company premises, products and services or any other relevant activities.
(d) Give timely consideration to identifying, acquiring and/or developing any skills, equipment, processes, control systems or other resources to achieve the required environmental performance.
(e) Identify, assess and where necessary protect against the environmental effects arising from incidents, accidents or potential emergency situations.

The care and protection of the environment is of the utmost concern and can only be achieved with the active participation of all employees who should bear in mind the consequences of their own actions and show a continual commitment to environmental performance.

Area Managers have a direct responsibility to ensure the prevention of any adverse environmental effects within their respective premises and also to enforce all aspects of this Environmental Policy.

Details of any practice or operation seen during work which an employee regards as detrimental to the environment, should in the first instance, be given to their Area or Department Manager who will refer the incidents/concerns to his Regional Director, or failing him, the Quality Assurance Manager. These personnel have a direct communication line to the Managing Director regarding environmental matters so as to ensure that any problem is dealt with quickly and efficiently.

2 Controls (Specific Products/Substances)
The Company does not manufacture as such and accordingly, waste products are considered, to some extent, to be ‘limited’, generally being restricted to equipment servicing and maintenance activities. However, so as to ensure minimal impact upon the environment, the following controls, procedures and arrangements are to be adhered to by all personnel undertaking work on company premises or on customers sites.
(a) Oils and Fuels

Depot Storage
i. Lubricating oils and fuels (derv and gas oil) when stored in bulk within the depot must be done so in properly designed, bunded tanks as per Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations 2001 and marked as to their contents. Smaller quantities (under 200 litres) supplied in drums or containers should be stored and decanted on a concrete area within, or provided with, a bund, drip tray or other arrangement to ovoid any spillage from contaminating ground areas.
ii. A stock of materials such as sand or commercially available absorbent materials should be held at the depot to deal with spillages. If a small spill does occur, immediate action should be taken to prevent it from entering drains and watercourses. Do not hose the spillage down or use detergents.
iii. The risk of a spill occurring is higher during a delivery, ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the tank to accept the delivery and that the secondary containment system (bund) will contain any spill occurring due to overfilling.

On-Site Storage
i. An on-site risk assessment (when applicable) should be carried out prior to the installation of equipment and should identify and record the risks and possible consequences of a spill together with the proximity of any close by water course or land drain. Storage tanks should be sited at least 10 metres from any watercourse and 50 metres from any borehole or well. The safeguards and precautions to be taken for the containment of a possible spill (on-site stock of sand/absorbent materials) should be established before the delivery of tanks and fuel.
ii. All temporary, on-site fuel storage tanks supplied to customers must be manufactured to BS 779 (part 5) to comply with the regulations stated above. The integrity and soundness on tank inner and outer chambers should be inspected regularly and form part of the equipment pre-delivery checks.
Generator integral drip trays (classed as spillage free) and external drip trays supplied with pumps etc., should also be checked and cleaned during on-site servicing or tank re-fuelling.
iii. All vehicles transporting fuel to refill on-site tanks must carry, regardless of the facilities on site:
(a) Two, 2kg dry powder fire extinguishers for the extinguishing of any small fire which may occur on site, larger fires which staff are unable to control must be reported to the Fire Brigade immediately.

(b) A spillage kit in order to uplift/remove small amounts of spillage that may occur during operations.iv As with depots, the risk of a spill occurring is higher during a fuel delivery, tanks must be checked to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to accept the delivery and that the secondary containment system (bund) is capable of containing any spill occurring due to overfilling.

In the Event of a Spillage - Depot or On-site
i. Absorbent materials used to uplift small spillages on-site must be placed into a suitable container and removed from site immediately. Waste oil, oil filters and contaminated absorbent waste, either collected from site or resulting from workshop activities must be placed in the respective leak free, containers/tanks provided at each depot. These containers should be regularly inspected and emptied by an approved contractor licensed for the purpose.
ii. Should a large spillage occur, the following procedure should be followed:
(a) Contain the spill as far as practically possible to minimise the contamination of the environment.
(b) Immediately contact one of the telephone numbers below, these are agents appointed by the Company specifically for this reason:
OATS Environmental Tel: 01132 772500
Absorboil Tel: 01299 270179
(c) Report the incident to the respective Regional Director and the QA /H & S Manager (telephone numbers given on page 1)

(b) Cleaning/Chemical Agents
All cleaning/chemical agents should be stored and transported under the conditions detailed in pages 68 to 70 of the Company’s H & S Manual. In the event of spillage, all products should be absorbed by sand and the debris placed in a plastic bag for disposal on an approved ‘safe tip’. The location of such tips should be sought from the respective local authority.
(c) Batteries
All batteries must be stored in a segregated, secure and well ventilated area. Old and damaged batteries should not be placed in waste bins or skips etc., they must be disposed of through an approved waste contractor. Any battery leaking fluid should immediately be placed into a suitable container (unaffected by acid), in a safe area, until collection by the contractor.
(d) Gas Cylinders
Limited amounts of bottled gasses (LPG, Argon, Oxygen, Acetylene) can be stored and transported under controlled conditions. Pages 33 to 37 of the Company’s H & S Manual gives full details of those conditions together with the precautions and emergency procedures that must be adhered to.

3 Company Premises
(a) Drains
All depot premises have de-contamination areas for the wash down of equipment prior to service and repair etc. The drains in these areas are fitted with a series of three interceptor tanks to stop contaminated water from entering the drains. These tanks must be regularly inspected and emptied when necessary (at a minimum period of 6 months) by an approved contractor. On no circumstances should waste oil or any other contaminate be tipped into these, or any other drains. Cleaning solvents used in pressure washers must always be diluted in the ratio advised by the manufacturer.
(b) Spray Booths
Where spray booths exist at depots, ventilation exhaust must not be allowed to vent freely into the atmosphere, internal filters and where fitted, water baths, must be regularly maintained in order to prevent atmospheric polluting emissions.

4 Noise Emissions
The load testing of pumps and other equipment should be carried out in areas and at periods that do not affect the workforce, the public or adjoining businesses, where problems do arise, acoustic chambers, barriers or other silencing methods will be installed.

5 Re-cycling of Waste
Whenever practicable, waste paper, waste oil and scrap metals (ferrous & non-ferrous) will be separated from other wastes for collection by approved contractors who re-cycle those products.