Environmental Surveys
Environmental surveys, backed up with expert solutions.
We conduct environmental surveys to ensure employee wellbeing, support planning permissions and resolve conflict with the wider community.
Our process-driven approach is key to helping us understand the source of the problem and, unlike many survey providers, our expertise allows us to understand the practical application behind the results and recommend and install solutions.
Our services include dust-in-air, LEV, noise, worker comfort and condition surveys across the Paper & Tissue, Food Manufacturing, Manufacturing and Biochemical industries.
Our surveys
- Dust-in-air surveys
- LEV surveys
- Noise surveys
- Worker comfort surveys
- Condition surveys
- Temperature & CO2 monitoring
Dust-In-Air & LEV Surveys
High levels of dust in the workplace are a major health and safety concern. They pose a serious risk to the health and wellbeing of employees, as well as a fire and explosion hazard.
Assessment and management of dust in air is a legal requirement to ensure worker comfort as well as health and safety. It is important that dust levels are assessed in the workplace by doing a dust survey to identify:
- If the workplace has a dust issue
- Any individual workers that are likely to be exposed to dust
- Which tasks may generate high levels of dust
- What controls may be needed to reduce exposure to an acceptable level
We conduct workplace dust monitoring, including personal dust monitoring, to measure exposure levels and check against HSE guidelines. Our dust-in-air surveys address sampling and analysis to meet the needs of the specific type of workplace area required by HSE recommendations HSG258.
We also provide a thorough, custom examination and Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) testing service, to ensure your LEV system is working correctly in line with COSSH Regulations 2002. It is recommended that thorough examination and testing is carried out at least every 14 months.
Typical applications
- Industrial dust and fume
- Paper, pulp and soft disposables dust
- Chemical and pharmaceutical dust
- Food manufacturing
- Bakery dust and flour
- Automotive body shop dust
Kimberly-Clark Dust-in-air Survey and Extraction System Design
Our environmental surveys included the two existing venturi scrubber systems and three production lines. Our results showed a requirement for an alternative extraction system that would meet ATEX/DSEAR requirements. After having established the original design concepts and subsequent changes we put forward our recommended design and developed the RFQ for a new extraction system.
Noise Surveys & Resolutions
It only takes one complaint from a resident in your vicinity to prompt a visit from the Environment Agency and potentially cause serious problems for your business.
We provide assessments of noise and vibration that impacting both workers and the surrounding community.
We follow the Environment Agency’s Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) guidance when carrying out our surveys. Employers, especially in manufacturing and industrial environments with high noise areas, have a legal obligation to ensure that workers’ hearing is protected through the Control of Noise at Work Regulations.
Our environmental surveys service also include recommendations to reduce and maintain noise at adequate and compliant levels and we can design and install these solutions if required.
Typical applications:
- Steel forges and foundries
- Automotive
- Manufacturing plants
- Metal shredders
- Commercial laundering
- Food processing and packaging
- Waste water treatment and pumping stations
Noise services:
- Community noise complaints
- Worker comfort
- Noise control
- Industrial noise reduction
- Noise surveys
- Acoustic barriers
- Vibration isolation
- Fan analysis
- Boundary noise assessments
McVitie’s in Carlisle had received a noise complaint from the Environment Agency due to a surging noise from fans on the roof. As factory capacity had increased, so had the speeds of the fans, resulting in noise pollution to nearby residential areas.
Our engineers carried out noise surveys using different fan speeds during planned production shutdown. Following the report we designed and installed a full solution using cowls and creating no extra pressure on the existing fans.
Temperature & CO2 Surveys
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions can build up in the workplace from manufacturing processes such as carbonated drinks bottling, brewing/fermentation processes, chemical manufacture, in bakeries and silos as well as in welding, water treatment, fire extinguishing/suppression systems and leaks from storage tanks.
Combined with warm temperatures and insufficient ventilation it can cause drowsiness in employees. Continued exposure can produce signs and symptoms of increased/laboured respiratory rate, lethargy, sleepiness, headache, convulsions, sweating, dizziness and unconsciousness.
Employers must ensure that workplace areas that are prone to high ambient temperatures and possible CO2 emissions are monitored and effectively ventilated to ensure employee health and safety. FEG environmental surveys include temperature and CO2 Monitoring services carried out in accordance with Health and safety Executive (HSE) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommendations.
Filter Plant Condition Surveys
The correct and efficient running of air handling equipment, air conditioning and air filter systems is vital not only to ensure product quality during manufacture but also to protect the health and safety of plant workers, operators and the environment. We can carry out environmental surveys on ventilation equipment used in manufacturing and production applications in a wide range of industrial processes.
We ensure that all Filter Plant Condition Surveys & Reports are carried out in accordance with HSE COSHH guidelines.
Typical applications:
- Air handling units
- Air conditioning
- Fans
- Ventilation equipment
- Manufacturing and production environments
Surveys include:
- Assessment of the condition and performance of all filtration plant components and ductwork
- Fault identification during the survey and suggested actions
- Adequacy of the installed controls and control settings
- Size and capacity review
- Comprehensive reports with key recommendations
- Ventilation hygiene improvements suggestions
- Recommendations for improved energy efficiency
- Recommendations for performance improvements and/or refurbishment
Do you have an existing issue with worker comfort or a local complaint? We can help in all cases and also provide scheduled surveys as part of your ongoing HSE requirements.
Associated Services
In addition to environmental surveys, we offer a full environmental technologies service, including dust and odour control and project management.