Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1263287
25.06.2020 8 COMMERCIAL Dust emissions and disposal of waste material THE Building and Construc- tion Agency (BCA) ensures that appropriate construc- tion management practices are in place to minimise the nuisance to neighbours, min- imise the risk of injury to the public, protect state-owned property and avoid harming the environment. Regulations enforced by the BCA include those relating to dust emissions from con- struction sites. The agency must ensure that each con- struction site is in-line with the following regulations and that no works shall com- mence if these dust control measures are not adhered to. To begin with, appropri- ate dust control techniques must be in place, in order to contain the dust generated to within the site boundaries. These may include: the appli- cation of water or pre-soak- ing, chemical dust stabiliz- ers or any other appropriate dust control technique. Such techniques trap moisture in the ambient air and keep the ground wet, thus, preventing dust from becoming airborne and spreading outside the construction site boundaries. Moreover, prior to leaving the site, site owners must re- move any spillages resulting from the construction activ- ity along or across a public way. This must be done on a daily basis. The owner must also ensure that sidewalks and public areas that lie with- in ten metres from either side of the extremities of the con- struction site, including side- walks and roads, are swept or vacuumed at the end of the day. Regulations state that con- struction site paint chips, sanding residue, grit and dust must not come in contact with storm-water runoff and surface water bodies. This prevents any damage that may be caused to valleys, ag- ricultural landscape and the public. When undertaking any sanding activity, whether manual or mechanical, dust emissions must be contained by equip- p i n g a l l mechanical equipment with dust extraction and recovery systems. Without prejudice to any other law, all outdoor areas are to be totally covered with material that must form a barrier around the whole working area. This shall pre- vent the emission of dust or particulate matter into the environment. Alternative- ly, prior to commencing any sanding operations, all exter- nal apertures in indoor areas must be boarded with an im- permeable material that must form a barrier. This prevents fugitive dust emissions from escaping outdoors. The BCA also enforces reg- ulations that relate to the cut- ting of stone and bricks on construction sites. This may be allowed on-site, however, all machinery and tools not listed in Schedule IX must al- ways be equipped with dust extraction and re- covery systems. This ensures that dust is not dispersed onto public areas and third-party property. In addition, either one of the following two pro- visions must also be adhered to. The first one being that upon roofing of the lowest floor of the s t r u c t u r e , all me- c h a n i c a l cutting of stone and brick cutting shall take place within the building and all external apertures are to be boarded up with an imperme- able material. The second provision is that stone and brick cutting is carried out in a temporary enclosed impermea- ble structure erected on the construction site, which pre- vents any dust from passing through. The agency is tasked with enforcing regulations that re- late to the adequate carting away of Waste Material from construction sites. Construc- tion sites must follow set reg- ulations when disposing of harmful materials, so as to not harm the environment. These regulations deal with hazardous material, which re- fers to any item or agent (bi- ological, chemical, physical) that has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors, as defined in local legislation. The site owner must ensure that the following provisions are adhered to. Firstly, the re- moval and clearing of waste material shall be carried out quickly, effectively and in a routine manner. This must not cause any spillage or damage to public areas or third-party property. Moreo- ver, it must also be carried out using receptacles that are fully enclosed or using open skips which are securely cov- ered with canvas or any other material preventing the dis- persal of dust particles and the waste being handled in a way that does not permit any spillage thereof. It is also vital that this waste materi- al is guided into an enclosed shaft or chute conforming with regulation 2 outlined in Schedule II. Furthermore, all waste ma- terial shall be removed from the immediate vicinity of the site by the owner. It is to be suitably disposed of, unless the Site Manager can pro- vide sufficient reasons to the Agency to justify an exten- sion of this period. The scope of these regula- tions is to limit environmen- tal degradation by ensuring sustainable development that maintains a high quality of life for the general public. For more information about such regulations, kindly visit www. bca.com.mt The agency must ensure that each construction site is in line with the following regulations and that no works shall commence if these dust control measures are not adhered to