Environmental Health and Safety Issues
1. Describe the distinctions between the three types of environments impacting
the property and facility management industry and how they apply to EHS.
The property and facility management industry interacts with three key
environment types, each with distinct characteristics relevant to Environmental
Health and Safety (EHS):
1. Built Environment: This encompasses artificial spaces that are constructed
and designed for human occupancy and activity. Examples include
buildings, infrastructure (roads, bridges), and managed landscapes. In the
context of EHS, the built environment presents risks related to building
materials (e.g., asbestos, lead paint), indoor air quality, fire safety,
accessibility (ADA compliance), and the safety of occupants and workers
within these spaces.
2. Natural Environment: This refers to the existing non-artificial
surroundings, including air, water bodies, vegetation, and soil, both outside
and within the boundaries of a property. EHS concerns in the natural
environment involve air and water pollution, soil contamination, the
presence of natural hazards (e.g., radon), and the impact of facility
operations on local ecosystems.
3. Social Environment: This involves the interactions between people and
their collective responses to both the built and natural environments. EHS
implications here include how occupant behavior affects resource
consumption and waste generation, community perceptions of a facility's
environmental practices, emergency response coordination, and the social
equity aspects of environmental burdens and benefits.
2. How are environmental hazards categorized?
Environmental hazards are broadly categorized into:
1. Air: This includes pollutants in the atmosphere, such as particulate matter,
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, and greenhouse
gases, which can impact both indoor and outdoor air quality and human
health.
2. Water: This category encompasses contamination of surface water (rivers,
lakes), groundwater, and drinking water sources by pollutants like
chemicals, pathogens, and excessive nutrients.
, 3. Soil: Soil contamination involves the presence of hazardous substances,
such as heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, which can harm
ecosystems and potentially impact human health through direct contact,
ingestion, or leaching into groundwater.
3. What must be done with regards to due diligence in relation to
environmental hazards and exchange of property?
With regards to due diligence during a property exchange, a Phase 1
Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) must typically be conducted. This
assessment aims to identify potential or existing environmental contamination
liabilities associated with the property.
4. What do most lenders require prior to the closing of a transaction to make
sure no existing or potential environmental hazards compromise the value of
an asset?
Most lenders require a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) prior to
the closing of a real estate transaction to evaluate potential environmental risks that
could negatively impact the asset's value.
5. What does the term "cradle to grave" refer to?
The term "cradle to grave" refers to the concept of tracking a waste stream from its
initial creation or extraction of raw materials, through its entire lifecycle of use and
processing, until its final disposal. This approach emphasizes the responsibility for
managing a product's environmental impact throughout its existence.
6. The specific provisions of SUPERFUND that pertain to inactive or
abandoned hazardous waste sites focus on what two key areas?
The specific provisions of SUPERFUND (Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) concerning inactive or abandoned
hazardous waste sites primarily focus on:
1. Establishing liability to recover response and cleanup costs from
Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). This aims to ensure that those who
contributed to the contamination bear the financial burden of remediation.
2. Granting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to
act if there is a release of pollutants that may endanger public health or
, the environment. This allows the EPA to take necessary cleanup actions
when responsible parties cannot be identified or are unwilling to act.
7. What are the goals of the ISO 14000 series?
The goals of the ISO 14000 series of standards are to provide organizations with a
framework to establish, implement, maintain, and improve an environmental
management system (EMS). This helps organizations monitor and self-evaluate
their environmental performance, ultimately leading to more effective
environmental management.
8. What are the purposes and benefits of an EMS?
The purposes and benefits of an Environmental Management System (EMS)
include:
1. Improved environmental performance: By establishing processes and
objectives for environmental aspects, organizations can reduce their
environmental footprint.
2. Enhanced compliance: An EMS helps ensure adherence to environmental
regulations and legal requirements.
3. Prevention of pollution/conservation of resources: Implementing an EMS
encourages practices that minimize waste, prevent pollution, and conserve
natural resources.
4. Reduced risk: Identifying and managing environmental risks can prevent
accidents, spills, and other incidents that could lead to environmental
damage and financial liabilities.
5. Enhanced morale: Employees often feel more engaged and motivated when
working for an environmentally responsible organization.
6. Enhanced public image: A commitment to environmental management can
improve a company's reputation with stakeholders, including customers,
investors, and the community.
7. Employee awareness: EMS implementation raises awareness among
employees about environmental issues and their roles in environmental
performance.
8. Attract new customers: Increasingly, consumers prefer to support
businesses with strong environmental credentials.
9. What 5 strategies are key to creating an effective ETS?
, Creating an effective Environmental Training System (ETS) involves five key
strategies:
1. Identify the Need for an ETS: Determine the specific environmental
training requirements based on regulations, organizational risks, and job
roles.
2. Identify Commitment Levels of Management and Staff: Secure buy-in
and support from all levels of the organization to ensure the ETS is valued
and effective.
3. Develop an Inventory of Products, Procedures, and Activities:
Understand the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with
all organizational operations.
4. Describe Immediate and Long-Term Health and Safety Risks: Clearly
outline the potential environmental hazards and their consequences for
human health and the environment.
5. Formulate EMS Goals, Objectives, and Action Plans: Establish
measurable targets and specific actions to address identified environmental
risks and improve performance.
10. What is the PDCA process and how is the term used in terms of EHS?
The PDCA process stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act. It is an iterative four-step
management method used for the control and continuous improvement of
processes and products. In terms of EHS, the PDCA cycle allows managers to:
PLAN: Establish environmental objectives and processes necessary to
deliver results in accordance with the organization's environmental policy.
DO: Implement the planned processes.
CHECK: Monitor and measure processes and results against environmental
policy, objectives, legal and other requirements, and report the results.
ACT: Take actions to continually improve environmental performance.
This cyclical approach enables organizations to monitor, evaluate, and improve
their EHS performance over time.
11. Define Sustainability.
Sustainability is the ability to continue without exhaustion, depletion, or
permanent damage. Sustainable development is specifically defined as
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.
1. Describe the distinctions between the three types of environments impacting
the property and facility management industry and how they apply to EHS.
The property and facility management industry interacts with three key
environment types, each with distinct characteristics relevant to Environmental
Health and Safety (EHS):
1. Built Environment: This encompasses artificial spaces that are constructed
and designed for human occupancy and activity. Examples include
buildings, infrastructure (roads, bridges), and managed landscapes. In the
context of EHS, the built environment presents risks related to building
materials (e.g., asbestos, lead paint), indoor air quality, fire safety,
accessibility (ADA compliance), and the safety of occupants and workers
within these spaces.
2. Natural Environment: This refers to the existing non-artificial
surroundings, including air, water bodies, vegetation, and soil, both outside
and within the boundaries of a property. EHS concerns in the natural
environment involve air and water pollution, soil contamination, the
presence of natural hazards (e.g., radon), and the impact of facility
operations on local ecosystems.
3. Social Environment: This involves the interactions between people and
their collective responses to both the built and natural environments. EHS
implications here include how occupant behavior affects resource
consumption and waste generation, community perceptions of a facility's
environmental practices, emergency response coordination, and the social
equity aspects of environmental burdens and benefits.
2. How are environmental hazards categorized?
Environmental hazards are broadly categorized into:
1. Air: This includes pollutants in the atmosphere, such as particulate matter,
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, and greenhouse
gases, which can impact both indoor and outdoor air quality and human
health.
2. Water: This category encompasses contamination of surface water (rivers,
lakes), groundwater, and drinking water sources by pollutants like
chemicals, pathogens, and excessive nutrients.
, 3. Soil: Soil contamination involves the presence of hazardous substances,
such as heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, which can harm
ecosystems and potentially impact human health through direct contact,
ingestion, or leaching into groundwater.
3. What must be done with regards to due diligence in relation to
environmental hazards and exchange of property?
With regards to due diligence during a property exchange, a Phase 1
Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) must typically be conducted. This
assessment aims to identify potential or existing environmental contamination
liabilities associated with the property.
4. What do most lenders require prior to the closing of a transaction to make
sure no existing or potential environmental hazards compromise the value of
an asset?
Most lenders require a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) prior to
the closing of a real estate transaction to evaluate potential environmental risks that
could negatively impact the asset's value.
5. What does the term "cradle to grave" refer to?
The term "cradle to grave" refers to the concept of tracking a waste stream from its
initial creation or extraction of raw materials, through its entire lifecycle of use and
processing, until its final disposal. This approach emphasizes the responsibility for
managing a product's environmental impact throughout its existence.
6. The specific provisions of SUPERFUND that pertain to inactive or
abandoned hazardous waste sites focus on what two key areas?
The specific provisions of SUPERFUND (Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) concerning inactive or abandoned
hazardous waste sites primarily focus on:
1. Establishing liability to recover response and cleanup costs from
Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). This aims to ensure that those who
contributed to the contamination bear the financial burden of remediation.
2. Granting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to
act if there is a release of pollutants that may endanger public health or
, the environment. This allows the EPA to take necessary cleanup actions
when responsible parties cannot be identified or are unwilling to act.
7. What are the goals of the ISO 14000 series?
The goals of the ISO 14000 series of standards are to provide organizations with a
framework to establish, implement, maintain, and improve an environmental
management system (EMS). This helps organizations monitor and self-evaluate
their environmental performance, ultimately leading to more effective
environmental management.
8. What are the purposes and benefits of an EMS?
The purposes and benefits of an Environmental Management System (EMS)
include:
1. Improved environmental performance: By establishing processes and
objectives for environmental aspects, organizations can reduce their
environmental footprint.
2. Enhanced compliance: An EMS helps ensure adherence to environmental
regulations and legal requirements.
3. Prevention of pollution/conservation of resources: Implementing an EMS
encourages practices that minimize waste, prevent pollution, and conserve
natural resources.
4. Reduced risk: Identifying and managing environmental risks can prevent
accidents, spills, and other incidents that could lead to environmental
damage and financial liabilities.
5. Enhanced morale: Employees often feel more engaged and motivated when
working for an environmentally responsible organization.
6. Enhanced public image: A commitment to environmental management can
improve a company's reputation with stakeholders, including customers,
investors, and the community.
7. Employee awareness: EMS implementation raises awareness among
employees about environmental issues and their roles in environmental
performance.
8. Attract new customers: Increasingly, consumers prefer to support
businesses with strong environmental credentials.
9. What 5 strategies are key to creating an effective ETS?
, Creating an effective Environmental Training System (ETS) involves five key
strategies:
1. Identify the Need for an ETS: Determine the specific environmental
training requirements based on regulations, organizational risks, and job
roles.
2. Identify Commitment Levels of Management and Staff: Secure buy-in
and support from all levels of the organization to ensure the ETS is valued
and effective.
3. Develop an Inventory of Products, Procedures, and Activities:
Understand the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with
all organizational operations.
4. Describe Immediate and Long-Term Health and Safety Risks: Clearly
outline the potential environmental hazards and their consequences for
human health and the environment.
5. Formulate EMS Goals, Objectives, and Action Plans: Establish
measurable targets and specific actions to address identified environmental
risks and improve performance.
10. What is the PDCA process and how is the term used in terms of EHS?
The PDCA process stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act. It is an iterative four-step
management method used for the control and continuous improvement of
processes and products. In terms of EHS, the PDCA cycle allows managers to:
PLAN: Establish environmental objectives and processes necessary to
deliver results in accordance with the organization's environmental policy.
DO: Implement the planned processes.
CHECK: Monitor and measure processes and results against environmental
policy, objectives, legal and other requirements, and report the results.
ACT: Take actions to continually improve environmental performance.
This cyclical approach enables organizations to monitor, evaluate, and improve
their EHS performance over time.
11. Define Sustainability.
Sustainability is the ability to continue without exhaustion, depletion, or
permanent damage. Sustainable development is specifically defined as
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.
