Up in the air

According to the World Health Organisation around seven million people die each year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that lead to diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, and more recently exposure to polluted air has been linked to diabetes.

Consequently tackling air pollution is a priority that is rising up the international agenda. The WHO will hold its first international conference on clean air and health in Geneva in October 2018 and in the UK a National Clean Air Day was launched in 2017 in response to surveys that showed that there is a lack of understanding about how to avoid or reduce air pollution. The Government also currently has a draft Clean Air Strategy out for consultation and a group of MPs have been calling for a new Clean Air Act.

As a heavy-polluting industry, the construction industry needed to drastically reduce its contribution to air pollution so in February 2018, the Considerate Constructors Scheme launched ‘Spotlight on… air pollution’ to raise awareness of the impact of air pollution and provide the industry with advice on tackling the issue.

Heavy polluter

Construction sites are a heavy-polluting industry responsible for 7.5% of nitrogen oxide emissions, 8% of large particle emissions and 14.5% of the most dangerous fine particle emissions. Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, Edward Hardy told HSM: “A staggering 40,000 deaths a year are linked to air pollution in the UK, and many people are suffering long-term health problems caused by poor air quality. As construction is a significant contributor to air pollution, it is essential for the industry to put measures in place to clean up our air by working together to reduce our impact on air quality.”

As part of the research for this campaign, the Scheme issued a survey to industry professionals asking for their views and approaches to air pollution. Of those surveyed, 84% asserted that there is an issue with air pollution in the construction industry, with an additional 64% saying the industry is not doing enough to tackle this issue. Despite this urgency, 39% said they only had an average understanding of the regulations surrounding air pollution. As air pollution is an area which is tightly governed by legislative standards it is essential for construction professionals to understand what they need to do to comply with air quality measures.

Somebody else's problem?

In subsequent research Considerate Construction Scheme Monitors, who visit 18,000 construction sites and offices every year, identified an urgent need for additional training on air pollution to help end misconceptions and improve understanding of the topic. A common thread in their comments was that SMEs and companies located away from busy urban centres was that air pollution is only a problem in bust urban areas such as London. Others were said to believe that air pollution solely concerns dust and didn't recognise how diesel exhaust emissions from machinery and vehicles also play a considerable part.

Among those who did appreciate the issue, their answer was often that it is a head office or supply chain issue, as they believed site managers have little control over what equipment is used.

To help clarify meet the demand for further information, the Scheme has developed a new e-learning course focused on air pollution which is free of charge and can be accessed by all registered Considerate Construction Scheme Hub users.

Edward explains: “The Scheme’s ‘Spotlight on…air pollution’ campaign and e-learning course on air pollution provides access to a practical suite of resources including best practice, guidance and case studies from Scheme-registered construction sites, companies and suppliers on how to tackle this issue, as well as guidance from organisations including the Institute of Air Quality Management, Healthy Air Campaign and the Greater London Authority.

“The need for this campaign and associated e-learning is clearly evident through the huge response the Scheme has received from the construction industry. The ‘Spotlight on…air pollution’ has already been viewed over 3,500 times since its introduction earlier this year. The air pollution e-learning course has received the fastest uptake; with over 500 people taking the course within the first seven days of its launch.
 
Concludes Edward: “We are proud to be at the forefront of collaborative efforts to tackle air pollution, by partnering with the Institution of Civil Engineers to produce Scheme posters for registered sites, companies and suppliers to raise the issue of air pollution to their workforce. The Institution of Civil Engineers has also recognised the value of the industry being committed to the Considerate Constructors Scheme, having highlighted Scheme registration within its London Air Quality Taskforce report published in 2017.”

ccsbestpractice.org.uk/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-air-pollution/#Introduction

New best practice and innovations

To reinforce the messages of the campaign, the Scheme issued guidance to all of its Monitors ensuring they raise the issue of air pollution when visiting registered sites, companies and suppliers.

Consequently a number of sites and companies have initiated new and interesting ways of tackling air pollution on their projects.

Examples include:
Air pollution application (Berkeley Homes)
At Kidbrooke village Berkeley Homes has been promoting striving for good air quality for the community and site operatives.
They have posters around the site asking operatives to download the air quality app for London. This is to try and educate operatives on the importance of air quality and to remind them of the importance of minimising air pollution.

Diesel Generator – Air Quality Impacts (Laing O’Rourke)
Prior to the availability of mains power the site offices and welfare units had to be powered by a diesel generator. This generator was located adjacent to the offices/welfare and in conjunction with Kings College London air quality monitoring (particulates and black carbon) was undertaken. The monitoring station was located on the stairwell next to the canteen door (which was usually left open).

The results of the monitoring indicated that the levels of black carbon were incredibly high when the generator was running. The air quality in the canteen and offices would have been significantly impacted.

A Firefly hybrid power-pack unit (essentially a battery) had been installed, which charged from the generator and was able to provide base-load power. When the power switched over to this source there was (as expected) a noticeable improvement in air quality and noise levels.

The study highlighted the need to consider where generators are located and also try to use the highest emission standard possible. The results of this study directly influenced the FLO Tideway site to procure a Euro Stage IV emission standard generator to reduce the impact on air quality.

The Firefly hybrid power pack was shown to have demonstrable benefits in terms of air pollution and noise pollution, as well as reducing carbon emissions.

Photocatalytic hoarding – breaking down pollution (Sir Robert McAlpine)
The Battersea Power Station Phase 3a project has demonstrated its commitment to innovation, sustainability and its workforce by installing a pollution-absorbing hoarding on-site. The project team worked with the manufacturer prior to product launch to install the substrate onto site hoarding and also set up monitors to understand what the real life impact is on a live construction project.

Through photocatalysis, the safe and non-toxic coating uses UV light from the sun to break down harmful nitrogen oxides and other pollutants into molecules of water and nitrogen. The product is low maintenance and self-cleans with the help of rain.

High NOx levels in the capital, mostly caused by diesel vehicles, have been a particular concern for both national and local government and is a growing issue on construction sites. Cutting-edge technology such as this may be a small step towards tackling the problem.

Through passively reducing the levels of harmful atmospheric gases the hoarding is improving the air quality for the workforce on site as well as potentially helping to combat the Macro environmental issue of air quality in London.

Using exhaust filters to reduce air pollution (Kier)
Kier wanted to introduce a clean air initiative on a student accommodation project due to the amount of plant that would be operating on site as it was situated in a fairly busy residential area.

They contacted a supplier who manufactures heavy duty exhaust filters that can be fitted externally to items of plant, this filter kit removes 95% of particulate from diesel engines.

Georgina Bisby is contributing editor for FSM and is also editor of Skill Builder. For more information, visit www.hsmsearch.com