The scale of the pollution is mind-boggling. The government's national oil spill detection and response agency (Nosdra) says that between 1976 and 1996 alone, more than 2.4m barrels contaminated the environment. "Oil spills and the dumping of oil into waterways has been extensive, often poisoning drinking water and destroying vegetation. These incidents have become common due to the lack of laws and enforcement measures within the existing political regime," said a spokesman for Nosdra.
The sense of outrage is widespread. "There are more than 300 spills, major and minor, a year," said Bassey. "It happens all the year round. The whole environment is devastated. The latest revelations highlight the massive difference in the response to oil spills. In Nigeria, both companies and government have come to treat an extraordinary level of oil spills as the norm."
The spokeman for the Stakeholder Democracy Network in Lagos, which works to empower those in communities affected by the oil companies' activities, said: "The response to the spill in the United States should serve as a stiff reminder as to how far spill management in Nigeria has drifted from standards across the world."
The voices of protest point out that the world has overlooked the scale of the environmental impact. Activist Ben Amunwa, of the London-based oil watch group Platform, said: "Deepwater Horizon may have exceed Exxon Valdez, but within a few years in Nigeria offshore spills from four locations dwarfed the scale of the Exxon Valdez disaster many times over. Estimates put spill volumes in the Niger delta among the worst on the planet, but they do not include the crude oil from waste water and gas flares. Companies such as Shell continue to avoid independent monitoring and keep key data secret."
Worse may be to come. One industry insider, who asked not to be named, said: "Major spills are likely to increase in the coming years as the industry strives to extract oil from increasingly remote and difficult terrains. Future supplies will be offshore, deeper and harder to work. When things go wrong, it will be harder to respond."
With Kimerling, a professor of law and policy at the City University of New York and author of Amazon Crude, a book about oil development in Ecuador, said: "Spills, leaks and deliberate discharges are happening in oilfields all over the world and very few people seem to care."
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Agony of Oil spill 3
Last month Shell admitted to spilling 14,000 tonnes of oil in 2009. The majority, said the company, was lost through two incidents – one in which the company claims that thieves damaged a wellhead at its Odidi field and another where militants bombed the Trans Escravos pipeline.
Shell, which works in partnership with the Nigerian government in the delta, says that 98% of all its oil spills are caused by vandalism, theft or sabotage by militants and only a minimal amount by deteriorating infrastructure. "We had 132 spills last year, as against 175 on average. Safety valves were vandalised; one pipe had 300 illegal taps. We found five explosive devices on one. Sometimes communities do not give us access to clean up the pollution because they can make more money from compensation," said a spokesman.
"We have a full-time oil spill response team. Last year we replaced 197 miles of pipeline and are using every known way to clean up pollution, including microbes. We are committed to cleaning up any spill as fast as possible as soon as and for whatever reason they occur."
These claims are hotly disputed by communities and environmental watchdog groups. They mostly blame the companies' vast network of rusting pipes and storage tanks, corroding pipelines, semi-derelict pumping stations and old wellheads, as well as tankers and vessels cleaning out tanks.
Shell, which works in partnership with the Nigerian government in the delta, says that 98% of all its oil spills are caused by vandalism, theft or sabotage by militants and only a minimal amount by deteriorating infrastructure. "We had 132 spills last year, as against 175 on average. Safety valves were vandalised; one pipe had 300 illegal taps. We found five explosive devices on one. Sometimes communities do not give us access to clean up the pollution because they can make more money from compensation," said a spokesman.
"We have a full-time oil spill response team. Last year we replaced 197 miles of pipeline and are using every known way to clean up pollution, including microbes. We are committed to cleaning up any spill as fast as possible as soon as and for whatever reason they occur."
These claims are hotly disputed by communities and environmental watchdog groups. They mostly blame the companies' vast network of rusting pipes and storage tanks, corroding pipelines, semi-derelict pumping stations and old wellheads, as well as tankers and vessels cleaning out tanks.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Agony of Oil Spill in Nigeria 2 (Culled from The Observer, Sunday 30 May 2010)
"This has gone on for 50 years in Nigeria. People depend completely on the environment for their drinking water and farming and fishing. They are amazed that the president of the US can be making speeches daily, because in Nigeria people there would not hear a whimper," he said.
It is impossible to know how much oil is spilled in the Niger delta each year because the companies and the government keep that secret. However, two major independent investigations over the past four years suggest that as much is spilled at sea, in the swamps and on land every year as has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico so far.
One report, compiled by WWF UK, the World Conservation Union and representatives from the Nigerian federal government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, calculated in 2006 that up to 1.5m tons of oil – 50 times the pollution unleashed in the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster in Alaska – has been spilled in the delta over the past half century. Last year Amnesty calculated that the equivalent of at least 9m barrels of oil was spilled and accused the oil companies of a human rights outrage.
According to Nigerian federal government figures, there were more than 7,000 spills between 1970 and 2000, and there are 2,000 official major spillages sites, many going back decades, with thousands of smaller ones still waiting to be cleared up. More than 1,000 spill cases have been filed against Shell alone.
Last month Shell admitted to spilling 14,000 tonnes of oil in 2009. The majority, said the company, was lost through two incidents – one in which the company claims that thieves damaged a wellhead at its Odidi field and another where militants bombed the Trans Escravos pipeline.
Shell, which works in partnership with the Nigerian government in the delta, says that 98% of all its oil spills are caused by vandalism, theft or sabotage by militants and only a minimal amount by deteriorating infrastructure. "We had 132 spills last year, as against 175 on average. Safety valves were vandalised; one pipe had 300 illegal taps. We found five explosive devices on one. Sometimes communities do not give us access to clean up the pollution because they can make more money from compensation," said a spokesman.
"We have a full-time oil spill response team. Last year we replaced 197 miles of pipeline and are using every known way to clean up pollution, including microbes. We are committed to cleaning up any spill as fast as possible as soon as and for whatever reason they occur."
These claims are hotly disputed by communities and environmental watchdog groups. They mostly blame the companies' vast network of rusting pipes and storage tanks, corroding pipelines, semi-derelict pumping stations and old wellheads, as well as tankers and vessels cleaning out tanks.
The scale of the pollution is mind-boggling. The government's national oil spill detection and response agency (Nosdra) says that between 1976 and 1996 alone, more than 2.4m barrels contaminated the environment. "Oil spills and the dumping of oil into waterways has been extensive, often poisoning drinking water and destroying vegetation. These incidents have become common due to the lack of laws and enforcement measures within the existing political regime," said a spokesman for Nosdra.
The sense of outrage is widespread. "There are more than 300 spills, major and minor, a year," said Bassey. "It happens all the year round. The whole environment is devastated. The latest revelations highlight the massive difference in the response to oil spills. In Nigeria, both companies and government have come to treat an extraordinary level of oil spills as the norm."
A spokesman for the Stakeholder Democracy Network in Lagos, which works to empower those in communities affected by the oil companies' activities, said: "The response to the spill in the United States should serve as a stiff reminder as to how far spill management in Nigeria has drifted from standards across the world."
Other voices of protest point out that the world has overlooked the scale of the environmental impact. Activist Ben Amunwa, of the London-based oil watch group Platform, said: "Deepwater Horizon may have exceed Exxon Valdez, but within a few years in Nigeria offshore spills from four locations dwarfed the scale of the Exxon Valdez disaster many times over. Estimates put spill volumes in the Niger delta among the worst on the planet, but they do not include the crude oil from waste water and gas flares. Companies such as Shell continue to avoid independent monitoring and keep key data secret."
Worse may be to come. One industry insider, who asked not to be named, said: "Major spills are likely to increase in the coming years as the industry strives to extract oil from increasingly remote and difficult terrains. Future supplies will be offshore, deeper and harder to work. When things go wrong, it will be harder to respond."
Judith Kimerling, a professor of law and policy at the City University of New York and author of Amazon Crude, a book about oil development in Ecuador, said: "Spills, leaks and deliberate discharges are happening in oilfields all over the world and very few people seem to care."
There is an overwhelming sense that the big oil companies act as if they are beyond the law. Bassey said: "What we conclude from the Gulf of Mexico pollution incident is that the oil companies are out of control.
"It is clear that BP has been blocking progressive legislation, both in the US and here. In Nigeria, they have been living above the law. They are now clearly a danger to the planet. The dangers of this happening again and again are high. They must be taken to the international court of justice."
It is impossible to know how much oil is spilled in the Niger delta each year because the companies and the government keep that secret. However, two major independent investigations over the past four years suggest that as much is spilled at sea, in the swamps and on land every year as has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico so far.
One report, compiled by WWF UK, the World Conservation Union and representatives from the Nigerian federal government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, calculated in 2006 that up to 1.5m tons of oil – 50 times the pollution unleashed in the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster in Alaska – has been spilled in the delta over the past half century. Last year Amnesty calculated that the equivalent of at least 9m barrels of oil was spilled and accused the oil companies of a human rights outrage.
According to Nigerian federal government figures, there were more than 7,000 spills between 1970 and 2000, and there are 2,000 official major spillages sites, many going back decades, with thousands of smaller ones still waiting to be cleared up. More than 1,000 spill cases have been filed against Shell alone.
Last month Shell admitted to spilling 14,000 tonnes of oil in 2009. The majority, said the company, was lost through two incidents – one in which the company claims that thieves damaged a wellhead at its Odidi field and another where militants bombed the Trans Escravos pipeline.
Shell, which works in partnership with the Nigerian government in the delta, says that 98% of all its oil spills are caused by vandalism, theft or sabotage by militants and only a minimal amount by deteriorating infrastructure. "We had 132 spills last year, as against 175 on average. Safety valves were vandalised; one pipe had 300 illegal taps. We found five explosive devices on one. Sometimes communities do not give us access to clean up the pollution because they can make more money from compensation," said a spokesman.
"We have a full-time oil spill response team. Last year we replaced 197 miles of pipeline and are using every known way to clean up pollution, including microbes. We are committed to cleaning up any spill as fast as possible as soon as and for whatever reason they occur."
These claims are hotly disputed by communities and environmental watchdog groups. They mostly blame the companies' vast network of rusting pipes and storage tanks, corroding pipelines, semi-derelict pumping stations and old wellheads, as well as tankers and vessels cleaning out tanks.
The scale of the pollution is mind-boggling. The government's national oil spill detection and response agency (Nosdra) says that between 1976 and 1996 alone, more than 2.4m barrels contaminated the environment. "Oil spills and the dumping of oil into waterways has been extensive, often poisoning drinking water and destroying vegetation. These incidents have become common due to the lack of laws and enforcement measures within the existing political regime," said a spokesman for Nosdra.
The sense of outrage is widespread. "There are more than 300 spills, major and minor, a year," said Bassey. "It happens all the year round. The whole environment is devastated. The latest revelations highlight the massive difference in the response to oil spills. In Nigeria, both companies and government have come to treat an extraordinary level of oil spills as the norm."
A spokesman for the Stakeholder Democracy Network in Lagos, which works to empower those in communities affected by the oil companies' activities, said: "The response to the spill in the United States should serve as a stiff reminder as to how far spill management in Nigeria has drifted from standards across the world."
Other voices of protest point out that the world has overlooked the scale of the environmental impact. Activist Ben Amunwa, of the London-based oil watch group Platform, said: "Deepwater Horizon may have exceed Exxon Valdez, but within a few years in Nigeria offshore spills from four locations dwarfed the scale of the Exxon Valdez disaster many times over. Estimates put spill volumes in the Niger delta among the worst on the planet, but they do not include the crude oil from waste water and gas flares. Companies such as Shell continue to avoid independent monitoring and keep key data secret."
Worse may be to come. One industry insider, who asked not to be named, said: "Major spills are likely to increase in the coming years as the industry strives to extract oil from increasingly remote and difficult terrains. Future supplies will be offshore, deeper and harder to work. When things go wrong, it will be harder to respond."
Judith Kimerling, a professor of law and policy at the City University of New York and author of Amazon Crude, a book about oil development in Ecuador, said: "Spills, leaks and deliberate discharges are happening in oilfields all over the world and very few people seem to care."
There is an overwhelming sense that the big oil companies act as if they are beyond the law. Bassey said: "What we conclude from the Gulf of Mexico pollution incident is that the oil companies are out of control.
"It is clear that BP has been blocking progressive legislation, both in the US and here. In Nigeria, they have been living above the law. They are now clearly a danger to the planet. The dangers of this happening again and again are high. They must be taken to the international court of justice."
Agony of Oil Spill in Nigeria 2 (Culled from The Observer, Sunday 30 May 2010
"This has gone on for 50 years in Nigeria. People depend completely on the environment for their drinking water and farming and fishing. They are amazed that the president of the US can be making speeches daily, because in Nigeria people there would not hear a whimper," he said.
It is impossible to know how much oil is spilled in the Niger delta each year because the companies and the government keep that secret. However, two major independent investigations over the past four years suggest that as much is spilled at sea, in the swamps and on land every year as has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico so far.
One report, compiled by WWF UK, the World Conservation Union and representatives from the Nigerian federal government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, calculated in 2006 that up to 1.5m tons of oil – 50 times the pollution unleashed in the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster in Alaska – has been spilled in the delta over the past half century. Last year Amnesty calculated that the equivalent of at least 9m barrels of oil was spilled and accused the oil companies of a human rights outrage.
According to Nigerian federal government figures, there were more than 7,000 spills between 1970 and 2000, and there are 2,000 official major spillages sites, many going back decades, with thousands of smaller ones still waiting to be cleared up. More than 1,000 spill cases have been filed against Shell alone.
It is impossible to know how much oil is spilled in the Niger delta each year because the companies and the government keep that secret. However, two major independent investigations over the past four years suggest that as much is spilled at sea, in the swamps and on land every year as has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico so far.
One report, compiled by WWF UK, the World Conservation Union and representatives from the Nigerian federal government and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, calculated in 2006 that up to 1.5m tons of oil – 50 times the pollution unleashed in the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster in Alaska – has been spilled in the delta over the past half century. Last year Amnesty calculated that the equivalent of at least 9m barrels of oil was spilled and accused the oil companies of a human rights outrage.
According to Nigerian federal government figures, there were more than 7,000 spills between 1970 and 2000, and there are 2,000 official major spillages sites, many going back decades, with thousands of smaller ones still waiting to be cleared up. More than 1,000 spill cases have been filed against Shell alone.
Agony of Oil Spill in Nigeria (culled from The Observer, Sunday 30 May 2010)
We reached the edge of the oil spill near the Nigerian village of Otuegwe after a long hike through cassava plantations. Ahead of us lay swamp. We waded into the warm tropical water and began swimming, cameras and notebooks held above our heads. We could smell the oil long before we saw it – the stench of garage forecourts and rotting vegetation hanging thickly in the air.
The farther we traveled, the more nauseous it became. Soon we were swimming in pools of light Nigerian crude, the best-quality oil in the world. One of the many hundreds of 40-year-old pipelines that crisscross the Niger delta had corroded and spewed oil for several months.
Forest and farmland were now covered in a sheen of greasy oil. Drinking wells were polluted and people were distraught. No one knew how much oil had leaked. "We lost our nets, huts and fishing pots," said Chief Promise, village leader of Otuegwe and our guide. "This is where we fished and farmed. We have lost our forest. We told Shell of the spill within days, but they did nothing for six months."
That was the Niger delta a few years ago, where, according to Nigerian academics, writers and environment groups, oil companies have acted with such impunity and recklessness that much of the region has been devastated by leaks.
In fact, more oil is spilled from the delta's network of terminals, pipes, pumping stations and oil platforms every year than has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico, the site of a major ecological catastrophe caused by oil that has poured from a leak triggered by the explosion that wrecked BP's Deepwater Horizon rig last month.
That disaster, which claimed the lives of 11 rig workers, has made headlines round the world. By contrast, little information has emerged about the damage inflicted on the Niger delta. Yet the destruction there provides us with a far more accurate picture of the price we have to pay for drilling oil today.
On 1 May this year a ruptured ExxonMobil pipeline in the state of Akwa Ibom spilled more than a million gallons into the delta over seven days before the leak was stopped. Local people demonstrated against the company but say they were attacked by security guards. Community leaders are now demanding $1bn in compensation for the illness and loss of livelihood they suffered. Few expect they will succeed. In the meantime, thick balls of tar are being washed up along the coast.
Within days of the Ibeno spill, thousands of barrels of oil were spilled when the nearby Shell Trans Niger pipeline was attacked by rebels. A few days after that, a large oil slick was found floating on Lake Adibawa in Bayelsa state and another in Ogoniland. "We are faced with incessant oil spills from rusty pipes, some of which are 40 years old," said Bonny Otavie, a Bayelsa MP.
This point was backed by Williams Mkpa, a community leader in Ibeno: "Oil companies do not value our life; they want us to all die. In the past two years, we have experienced 10 oil spills and fishermen can no longer sustain their families. It is not tolerable."
With 606 oilfields, the Niger delta supplies 40% of all the crude the United States imports and is the world capital of oil pollution. Life expectancy in its rural communities, half of which have no access to clean water, has fallen to little more than 40 years over the past two generations. Locals blame the oil that pollutes their land and can scarcely believe the contrast with the steps taken by BP and the US government to try to stop the Gulf oil leak and to protect the Louisiana shoreline from pollution.
"If this Gulf accident had happened in Nigeria, neither the government nor the company would have paid much attention," said the writer Ben Ikari, a member of the Ogoni people. "This kind of spill happens all the time in the delta."
"The oil companies just ignore it. The lawmakers do not care and people must live with pollution daily. The situation is now worse than it was 30 years ago. Nothing is changing. When I see the efforts that are being made in the US I feel a great sense of sadness at the double standards. What they do in the US or in Europe is very different."
"We see frantic efforts being made to stop the spill in the US," said Nnimo Bassey, Nigerian head of Friends of the Earth International. "But in Nigeria, oil companies largely ignore their spills, cover them up and destroy people's livelihood and environments. The Gulf spill can be seen as a metaphor for what is happening daily in the oilfields of Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
The farther we traveled, the more nauseous it became. Soon we were swimming in pools of light Nigerian crude, the best-quality oil in the world. One of the many hundreds of 40-year-old pipelines that crisscross the Niger delta had corroded and spewed oil for several months.
Forest and farmland were now covered in a sheen of greasy oil. Drinking wells were polluted and people were distraught. No one knew how much oil had leaked. "We lost our nets, huts and fishing pots," said Chief Promise, village leader of Otuegwe and our guide. "This is where we fished and farmed. We have lost our forest. We told Shell of the spill within days, but they did nothing for six months."
That was the Niger delta a few years ago, where, according to Nigerian academics, writers and environment groups, oil companies have acted with such impunity and recklessness that much of the region has been devastated by leaks.
In fact, more oil is spilled from the delta's network of terminals, pipes, pumping stations and oil platforms every year than has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico, the site of a major ecological catastrophe caused by oil that has poured from a leak triggered by the explosion that wrecked BP's Deepwater Horizon rig last month.
That disaster, which claimed the lives of 11 rig workers, has made headlines round the world. By contrast, little information has emerged about the damage inflicted on the Niger delta. Yet the destruction there provides us with a far more accurate picture of the price we have to pay for drilling oil today.
On 1 May this year a ruptured ExxonMobil pipeline in the state of Akwa Ibom spilled more than a million gallons into the delta over seven days before the leak was stopped. Local people demonstrated against the company but say they were attacked by security guards. Community leaders are now demanding $1bn in compensation for the illness and loss of livelihood they suffered. Few expect they will succeed. In the meantime, thick balls of tar are being washed up along the coast.
Within days of the Ibeno spill, thousands of barrels of oil were spilled when the nearby Shell Trans Niger pipeline was attacked by rebels. A few days after that, a large oil slick was found floating on Lake Adibawa in Bayelsa state and another in Ogoniland. "We are faced with incessant oil spills from rusty pipes, some of which are 40 years old," said Bonny Otavie, a Bayelsa MP.
This point was backed by Williams Mkpa, a community leader in Ibeno: "Oil companies do not value our life; they want us to all die. In the past two years, we have experienced 10 oil spills and fishermen can no longer sustain their families. It is not tolerable."
With 606 oilfields, the Niger delta supplies 40% of all the crude the United States imports and is the world capital of oil pollution. Life expectancy in its rural communities, half of which have no access to clean water, has fallen to little more than 40 years over the past two generations. Locals blame the oil that pollutes their land and can scarcely believe the contrast with the steps taken by BP and the US government to try to stop the Gulf oil leak and to protect the Louisiana shoreline from pollution.
"If this Gulf accident had happened in Nigeria, neither the government nor the company would have paid much attention," said the writer Ben Ikari, a member of the Ogoni people. "This kind of spill happens all the time in the delta."
"The oil companies just ignore it. The lawmakers do not care and people must live with pollution daily. The situation is now worse than it was 30 years ago. Nothing is changing. When I see the efforts that are being made in the US I feel a great sense of sadness at the double standards. What they do in the US or in Europe is very different."
"We see frantic efforts being made to stop the spill in the US," said Nnimo Bassey, Nigerian head of Friends of the Earth International. "But in Nigeria, oil companies largely ignore their spills, cover them up and destroy people's livelihood and environments. The Gulf spill can be seen as a metaphor for what is happening daily in the oilfields of Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Landfills
This is the last stage of the waste management priority. Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste, and this remains a common practice in most countries. Landfills were often established in abandoned or unused quarries, mining voids or borrow pits. A properly-designed and well-managed landfill can be a hygienic and relatively inexpensive method of disposing of waste materials.
Older, poorly-designed or poorly-managed landfills can create a number of adverse environmental impacts such as wind-blown litter, attraction of vermin, and generation of liquid leachate. Another common byproduct of landfills is gas (mostly composed of methane and carbon dioxide), which is produced as organic waste breaks down anaerobically. This gas can create odor problems, kill surface vegetation, and is a greenhouse.
Older, poorly-designed or poorly-managed landfills can create a number of adverse environmental impacts such as wind-blown litter, attraction of vermin, and generation of liquid leachate. Another common byproduct of landfills is gas (mostly composed of methane and carbon dioxide), which is produced as organic waste breaks down anaerobically. This gas can create odor problems, kill surface vegetation, and is a greenhouse.
Design characteristics of a modern landfill include methods to contain leachate such as clay or plastic lining material. Deposited waste is normally compacted to increase its density and stability, and covered to prevent attracting vermin (such as mice or rats). Many landfills also have landfill gas extraction systems installed to extract the landfill gas. Gas is pumped out of the landfill using perforated pipes and flared off or burnt in a gas engine to generate electricity.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Incineration
Incineration is a disposal method that involves combustion of waste material. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are sometimes described as "thermal treatment". Incinerators convert waste materials into heat, gas, steam and ash.
Incineration is carried out both on a small scale by individuals and on a large scale by industry. It is used to dispose of solid, liquid and gaseous waste. It is recognized as a practical method of disposing of certain hazardous waste materials (such as biological and medical waste). Incineration is a controversial method of waste disposal, due to issues such as emission of gaseous pollutants.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Waste recycling
Waste recycling-
This is the next stage in the priority. It involves the recovery of materials. This involves the waste materials to be processed back into raw materials and then reprocessed into finished products. The processes involved include:
- Melting
- Re-pulping
- Chemical processes
- Biological processes
Advantages of waste recycling includes
- Its makes it easier to get raw materials
- Job creation
- Saves energy
- Reduces pollution
- Reduces waste volume for landfill disposal and incineration
- Conserves resources for future generations
Monday, May 10, 2010
Waste reuse
Waste reuse
This is the next on the priority list. It involves the use of product and material after some cleaning and refurbishing. It also reduces the adverse effect of waste and its processing on human health and environment.
Advantages of waste re-use includes
- It saves money
- It saves energy
- It reduces pollution
Policies should also be enacted to explore the advantanges of waste re-use
- Make policies to give incentives on return of used of products.
- Make policies for companies to produce products that will last long.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Waste reduction
This is the highest in the priority whereby it seeks to reduce the amount of waste produced. If this is done, it will positively affect the other stages because there will be few wastes that will be produced. This will reduce the effect of waste and its processing on the environment and the health of human beings.Some simple reduction activities that individuals within a community can do are backyard composting
Waste reduction can be encouraged by:
- Making policies that will discourage waste production e.g sanitary inspection, surcharging people on amount of waste produced.
- Making policies that make discourage production companies to produce disposable materials and also products containing unnecessary packages.
- Making policies that encourages company to produce useable and recyclable products.
- Making take-back laws. This works more with electronic wastes. This should make manufacturers to take back products that are not in good condition, repair or use its part to repair others.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Integrated Waste Management
Integrated waste management is defined by the US EPA as a process that uses a combination of techniques and programmes to manage the municipal waste streams. It is based on the fact that the 'waste' stream is made up of distinct components that can be managed separately.
The emphasis in modern solid waste management is on reduction, reuse, and recovery before disposal. These three words are at the center of the discussion of integrated waste management systems. Reduction is using fewer disposable goods. Reuse is using items again after their initial consumer use is past. Recovery is recapturing the material or energy value of the item at its highest point. Others include Incineration and the ultimate final result which is Landfill Disposal.
Integrated waste management consist of hierarchical and co-ordinated set of actions that reduces pollution, seek to maximize recovery, re-use and recyclable materials and protect human health and environment.
The emphasis in modern solid waste management is on reduction, reuse, and recovery before disposal. These three words are at the center of the discussion of integrated waste management systems. Reduction is using fewer disposable goods. Reuse is using items again after their initial consumer use is past. Recovery is recapturing the material or energy value of the item at its highest point. Others include Incineration and the ultimate final result which is Landfill Disposal.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Horseplay on Site
lHorseplay is rowdy or boisterous play; gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement or distraction, typical on the construction site between fellow workers, usually within a familiar team or crew.
lThe following examples were pulled of a jobsite tool box talk:
l- Distracting a worker who is performing a job.
l- Startling your fellow worker.
l- Playing tricks on young or new workers. They may become confused to the point where they injure themselves or someone else.
l- Wresting, Indian style or tag team. Wrestling matches can be held after working hours, not on the jobsite.
l- Showing off with feats of strength. You may drop something on yourself-or someone else.
Actions to prevent horseplay includes:
l1. Don’t play into horseplay. Don’t initiate it. Don’t get pressured into participating in it. Don’t ignore it.
l2. Work defensively. Watch out for other people. Be aware of how their unsafe acts might affect you. At the same time, be aware of how your actions might affect others. It’s a lot like driving defensively.
l3. Stop it or report it. If you see horseplay, try to stop it. If you can’t, report it to your supervisor. You are not being a kill-joy or a snitch. You’re taking responsibility for safety. You could be saving a life.
l4. Set a good example. People will respect you if you take a stand against horseplay and come down firmly on the side of safety. And others will follow your lead. The result will be a safer workplace for all.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Waste
Waste is defined as anything i.e. solid, liquid and gas that is of no uses and is disposed off. It is also an inevitable by-product of natural as well as man made activities arising from social and economic processes.
Waste is classified into
Household waste- these are waste that are produced by households e.g. food waste, papers, nylons, plastics, glasses, papers etc.
Industrial waste- these are wastes produced by industries and companies e.g. woods, plastics, rubbers etc.
Agricultural waste- these are wastes produced through agricultural inputs e.g. fertilizers, pesticides, dried plants, animal dung.
Commercial waste- these are wastes produced in commercial places like market, schools, galleria etc
Medical waste- these are waste produced medically e.g. syringe, needles, gloves etc
Municipal or domestic waste- these are waste produced in municipalities or localities. This includes combination of several household wastes.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Conducting Job Hazard Analysis ( Tips on Conducting the JHA)
- Be sure to record enough information to describe each job action without getting overly detailed at this point. You will include more detail later in the safe job procedure.
- Avoid making the breakdown of steps so detailed that it becomes unnecessarily long. On the other hand, don't make it so broad that it does not include basic steps.
- Get input from other workers who have performed the same job.
- Review the job steps with the employee to make sure you have not omitted something.
- Point out that you are analyzing the task, not evaluating the employee’s job performance.
- Include the employee in all phases of the analysis—from reviewing the job steps and procedures to discussing hazards and solutions.
- It may be helpful to photograph or videotape the worker performing the job.
Conducting Job Hazard Analysis (Job review process)
Employees are prone to use their "own" procedures when not being supervised
It is very important to involve your employees in the JHA process because they have a unique understanding of the job, and this knowledge is invaluable for finding hazards. Involving employees will help minimize oversights, ensure a quality analysis, and get workers to "buy in" to the solutions because they've helped in some way to develop the procedures. If they are not involved in developing the JHA, they will not be as likely to "own" the safe job procedures. As a result, they may not want to use safe procedures and practices that they believe have been "imposed" on them.
Look for Hazardous Conditions and Unsafe Behaviors
During the job review process, focus on identifying hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors. Remember, it takes a hazard and exposure to the hazard before an accident can occur. So, it makes sense to look for them during the review. Sources to help identify hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors include:
It is very important to involve your employees in the JHA process because they have a unique understanding of the job, and this knowledge is invaluable for finding hazards. Involving employees will help minimize oversights, ensure a quality analysis, and get workers to "buy in" to the solutions because they've helped in some way to develop the procedures. If they are not involved in developing the JHA, they will not be as likely to "own" the safe job procedures. As a result, they may not want to use safe procedures and practices that they believe have been "imposed" on them.
Look for Hazardous Conditions and Unsafe Behaviors
During the job review process, focus on identifying hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors. Remember, it takes a hazard and exposure to the hazard before an accident can occur. So, it makes sense to look for them during the review. Sources to help identify hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors include:
- Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)
- Experienced workers
- Accident and incident reports
- First aid statistical records
- Behavior Based Safety (BBS) reports
- Safety committee meeting minutes
- Safety inspection reports
- Previous JHAs
- Existing work procedures
- Equipment manuals
- Preventive/corrective maintenance records
Conducting Job Hazard Analysis (1)
Hazards
Hazard is any event that can cause injury or accident. If hazards that pose an immediate danger to an employee's life or health exist, take immediate action to protect the worker. Any problems that can be corrected easily should be corrected as soon as possible.
Some jobs may require potentially high-risk behaviors that should be identified in a JHA. High risk behaviors that might increase the probability and severity of an injury or illness include:
Hazard is any event that can cause injury or accident. If hazards that pose an immediate danger to an employee's life or health exist, take immediate action to protect the worker. Any problems that can be corrected easily should be corrected as soon as possible.
Some jobs may require potentially high-risk behaviors that should be identified in a JHA. High risk behaviors that might increase the probability and severity of an injury or illness include:
- Working at elevation, no matter what the job is
- Lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and other manual handling operations
- Others working above or below the work area
- Use of bridge cranes, man lifts, or other heavy equipment
- Working on or near energized equipment/components
- Working alone or in isolated workplaces
- Operating vehicles (i.e. trucks, forklifts, etc.)
- Working within a confined space or under temperature extremes
Friday, February 5, 2010
Reporting Nearmiss
Whether there is no injury, a small bruise or scratch, or an amputation, the consequences of unsafe acts and conditions are left to chance. A ratio showing a relationship between the number of near-miss incidents and injury incidents reported by researchers shows that for every 15 near-miss incidents, there will be one injury. In other words, there are 15 missed opportunities to prevent an injury.
Hundreds of near misses go unreported each month at our facility. Many of you may not think of an incident as a near miss, but it is more often human nature that keeps these lessons from being reported and improving the safety system. Reasons employees don’t report near misses include:
- They do not want to be blamed for problems or mistakes;
- They do not want to create more work;
- They do not want to be perceived as a troublemaker or careless.
It takes time to report a near miss and there are several reasons people don’t do it. However, it is truly important you report them. If not, what is lost is a free lesson in injury prevention. The few minutes spent reporting and investigating near-miss incidents can help prevent similar incidents, and even severe injuries. The difference between a near miss and an injury is typically a fraction of an inch or a split second.
Hundreds of near misses go unreported each month at our facility. Many of you may not think of an incident as a near miss, but it is more often human nature that keeps these lessons from being reported and improving the safety system. Reasons employees don’t report near misses include:
- They do not want to be blamed for problems or mistakes;
- They do not want to create more work;
- They do not want to be perceived as a troublemaker or careless.
It takes time to report a near miss and there are several reasons people don’t do it. However, it is truly important you report them. If not, what is lost is a free lesson in injury prevention. The few minutes spent reporting and investigating near-miss incidents can help prevent similar incidents, and even severe injuries. The difference between a near miss and an injury is typically a fraction of an inch or a split second.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Seven steps in conducting EIA on a project
1. Description of the project
- Description of actual project and site description
- Break the project down into its key components, ie construction, operations, decommissioning
- For each component list all of the sources of environmental disturbance
- For each component all the inputs and outputs must be listed, e.g, air pollution, noise, hydrology
2. Alternatives that have been considered
- Examine alternatives that have been considered
- Example: in a biomass power station, will the fuel be sourced locally or nationally?
3. Description of the environment
- List of all aspects of the environment that may be effected by the development
- Example: populations, fauna, flora, air, soil, water, humans, landscape, cultural heritage
- This section is best carried out with the help of local experts
4. Description of the significant effects on the environment
- The word significant is crucial here as the definition can vary
- 'Significant' needs to be defined
- The most frequent method used here is use of the Leopold matrix
- The matrix is a tool used in the systematic examination of potential interactions
- Example: in a windfarm development a significant impact may be collisions with birds
5. Mitigation
- This is where EIA is most useful
- Once section 4 has been completed it will be obvious where the impacts will be greatest
- Using this information ways to avoid negative impacts should be developed
- Best working with the developer with this section as they know the project best
- Using the windfarm example again construction could be out of bird nesting seasons
6. Non-technical summary (EIS)
- The EIA will be in the public domain and be used in the decision making process
- It is important that the information is available to the public
- This section is a summary that does not include jargon or complicated diagrams
- It should be understood by the informed lay-person
7. Lack of know-how/technical difficulties
- This section is to advise any areas of weakness in knowledge
- It can be used to focus areas of future research
- Some developers see the EIA as a starting block for good environmental management
Nigeria: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Decree No 86
This law states that before undertaking any project (public or private) which is likely to have a substantial impact on the environment, an Environmental Impact Assessment must be done in order to establish what these impacts will be and how best to cope with them.
These projects include construction of airports, oil refineries, sky-scrappers, and all projects embarked upon that has positive and adverse effects on the lives of human beings and the environment.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is defined as the measure of our activities as they affect our physical environment, habitats, flora and fauna, people and community and environmental quality.It is an assessment of the possible impact—positive or negative—that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects.
Environment is the external factors in which human beings live in. The environment is made up of biotic and abiotic factors. Abiotic factors include air, water, land,buildings etc while biotic factors include plants,trees, animals etc.
EIA is the measure of both beneficial and adverse effects of our activities on the environment.
Beneficial effects are not quite much, it includes
-generation of employment to the local people
-recovery of resources
-improves efficiency of the company
The adverse effect is what we deal with in EIA.It is to be reduced to the bearest minimum.We then introduce Environmental Management Plan in order to reduce the adverse effect and propose mitigation measures.
Environment is the external factors in which human beings live in. The environment is made up of biotic and abiotic factors. Abiotic factors include air, water, land,buildings etc while biotic factors include plants,trees, animals etc.
EIA is the measure of both beneficial and adverse effects of our activities on the environment.
Beneficial effects are not quite much, it includes
-generation of employment to the local people
-recovery of resources
-improves efficiency of the company
The adverse effect is what we deal with in EIA.It is to be reduced to the bearest minimum.We then introduce Environmental Management Plan in order to reduce the adverse effect and propose mitigation measures.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Reasons why companies make commitment to safety
To fulfil Social Obligations
This is the first and very important reason. This means it is the obligation of everyone to protect himself and also assist in protecting others. It makes both managers and workers to interract and behave like one family.
It specifies as 'We must save lives'
'Do whatever it takes'
To fulfil Fiscal Obligations
This involves the financial benefits to be derived from safety programmes.Managers who are motivated to invest in safety understand the financial benefits derived from effective application of safety programs. The primary reason for "doing safety" shifts to maximizing profits. The goal is to fulfill the obligation to stakeholders to operate the business in a fiscally prudent manner. This deals with proactive and reactive action.
It specifies as 'We must save money'
'Do what we have to'
To fulfil Legal Obligation
This is the least effective strategy. The primary goal for managers is to fulfill the obligation to comply with safety rules. Managers want to stay out of trouble, so they do only what has to be done to meet minimum requirements.
It specifies as 'We must stay out of trouble'
'Do only what we have to do'
This is the first and very important reason. This means it is the obligation of everyone to protect himself and also assist in protecting others. It makes both managers and workers to interract and behave like one family.
It specifies as 'We must save lives'
'Do whatever it takes'
To fulfil Fiscal Obligations
This involves the financial benefits to be derived from safety programmes.Managers who are motivated to invest in safety understand the financial benefits derived from effective application of safety programs. The primary reason for "doing safety" shifts to maximizing profits. The goal is to fulfill the obligation to stakeholders to operate the business in a fiscally prudent manner. This deals with proactive and reactive action.
It specifies as 'We must save money'
'Do what we have to'
To fulfil Legal Obligation
This is the least effective strategy. The primary goal for managers is to fulfill the obligation to comply with safety rules. Managers want to stay out of trouble, so they do only what has to be done to meet minimum requirements.
It specifies as 'We must stay out of trouble'
'Do only what we have to do'
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene means cleanliness. As we know that cleanliness is next to Godliness.
-washing our clothes
-washing our hands before eating
-washing our hands after using toilet
-covering of our food
-eating of warm food
What did you bring for lunch today? And where have you stored your lunch until it’s time to eat it?
If it’s a salmon sandwich with a creamy homemade dressing, let’s hope it’s freshly made and kept cold. If it’s a container of leftover meat, it had better not be sitting in your warm truck cab until your lunch break.
To prevent food-related illnesses, you have to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. This advice is even more important in warm summer weather, when foods at room temperature can spoil even more rapidly.
Cleanliness is also vital to food safety. Washing your hands and cleaning food preparation surfaces, containers and utensils can also stop the spread of foodborne diseases. There are a number of good reasons for following food safety guidelines. They are as follows:
-washing our clothes
-washing our hands before eating
-washing our hands after using toilet
-covering of our food
-eating of warm food
What did you bring for lunch today? And where have you stored your lunch until it’s time to eat it?
If it’s a salmon sandwich with a creamy homemade dressing, let’s hope it’s freshly made and kept cold. If it’s a container of leftover meat, it had better not be sitting in your warm truck cab until your lunch break.
To prevent food-related illnesses, you have to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. This advice is even more important in warm summer weather, when foods at room temperature can spoil even more rapidly.
Cleanliness is also vital to food safety. Washing your hands and cleaning food preparation surfaces, containers and utensils can also stop the spread of foodborne diseases. There are a number of good reasons for following food safety guidelines. They are as follows:
· discomfort
· pain
· nausea
· vomiting
· diarrhea
· cramps
· dehydration
· weight loss
· fever
· and death.
Temperature determines how quickly foodborne pathogens will grow. The danger zone is between 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). In this temperature range, bacteria grow rapidly. Do not eat food that has been left at room temperature for more than two hours.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Safety Awareness
Safety Awareness is like almost everything else we do . . . it is learned, not instinctive. We are not born with awareness for safety concerns . . . in fact anyone who has a young toddler or grandchild knows this first hand as they see them going around doing unsafe things constantly.
Safety means 'freedom from accidents' and awareness means 'being concious'. It does mean that we should be concious of being free from accidents.
We learn through various means. Some learn by doing, others by watching, some by reading. Others learn by their mistakes or the mistakes of others which is one reason we post and talk about near misses and direct hits that we’ve had here and at other companies and locations throughout the country.
So how do you know you have developed good safety awareness? Here are some good examples of behaviors that suggest you have good safety awareness:
- Before you begin a job, you consider how to do it more safely
- You make sure you know how and when to use personal protective equipment
- Make sure you are provided with correct tool for the assignment
- As you work, you check you position to reduce strain on your body
- While you are working, you become aware of any changes in the area—people coming or going, jobs beginning or ending
- You start talking with others about safety
Monitor yourself today and see if you’ve got good safety awareness. If you don’t, one of the best ways to gain further awareness is to step back and take a hard look at your or a coworkers actions as they are performing a job. Watch for risky actions. You will learn and if you’re watching a coworker . . . share those observations with them to help them go home safely each and every day.
Safety means 'freedom from accidents' and awareness means 'being concious'. It does mean that we should be concious of being free from accidents.
We learn through various means. Some learn by doing, others by watching, some by reading. Others learn by their mistakes or the mistakes of others which is one reason we post and talk about near misses and direct hits that we’ve had here and at other companies and locations throughout the country.
So how do you know you have developed good safety awareness? Here are some good examples of behaviors that suggest you have good safety awareness:
- Before you begin a job, you consider how to do it more safely
- You make sure you know how and when to use personal protective equipment
- Make sure you are provided with correct tool for the assignment
- As you work, you check you position to reduce strain on your body
- While you are working, you become aware of any changes in the area—people coming or going, jobs beginning or ending
- You start talking with others about safety
Monitor yourself today and see if you’ve got good safety awareness. If you don’t, one of the best ways to gain further awareness is to step back and take a hard look at your or a coworkers actions as they are performing a job. Watch for risky actions. You will learn and if you’re watching a coworker . . . share those observations with them to help them go home safely each and every day.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Improtance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) are that things we wear to protect us from our job hazards. These includes:
- Overall; this is worn on our body to protect our body from all kind of hazard
- Hand gloves; these are worn on the hands to perform jobs.This protects our fingers and hands from bruises that could arise from the kind of job we do
- Safety boots; these are worn on our feet when working on sites. This protects our feet from nails, falling tools that could bruise the feet
- Hard hat; this is worn on the head to protect the head from falling objects
- Welding goggle; this is worn on the face to protect the eyes from rays, sparks and flying metals during any welding activities
- Nose muff; this is used to cover the nose from dust
- Ear muff; this is used to cover the ear from noise greater that 90dB.
There is always a danger in the work we do, but in order to minimise the extent of the hazard, it is important to wear our Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs). Do you put on your PPEs?
- Overall; this is worn on our body to protect our body from all kind of hazard
- Hand gloves; these are worn on the hands to perform jobs.This protects our fingers and hands from bruises that could arise from the kind of job we do
- Safety boots; these are worn on our feet when working on sites. This protects our feet from nails, falling tools that could bruise the feet
- Hard hat; this is worn on the head to protect the head from falling objects
- Welding goggle; this is worn on the face to protect the eyes from rays, sparks and flying metals during any welding activities
- Nose muff; this is used to cover the nose from dust
- Ear muff; this is used to cover the ear from noise greater that 90dB.
There is always a danger in the work we do, but in order to minimise the extent of the hazard, it is important to wear our Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs). Do you put on your PPEs?
Monday, January 4, 2010
Safety Awareness
Safety Awareness is like almost everything else we do . . . it is learned, not instinctive. We are not born with awareness for safety concerns . . . in fact anyone who has a young toddler or grandchild knows this first hand as they see them going around doing unsafe things constantly.
We learn through various means. -
Some learn by doing; others by watching; some by reading. Others learn by their mistakes or the mistakes of others which is one reason we post and talk about near misses and direct hits that we have had here and at other companies and locations throughout the country.
So how do you know you have developed good safety awareness? Here are some good examples of behaviors that suggest you have good safety awareness:
-Before you begin a job, you consider how to do it more safely
-You make sure you know how and when to use personal protective equipment
-As you work, you check you position to reduce strain on your body
-While you are working, you become aware of any changes in the area—people coming or going, jobs beginning or ending
-You start talking with others about safety
Monitor yourself today and see if you have got good safety awareness. If you do not, one of the best ways to gain further awareness is to step back and take a hard look at your or a coworkers actions as they are performing a job. Watch for risky actions. You will learn and if you are watching a coworker . . . share those observations with them to help them go home safely each and every day.
We learn through various means. -
Some learn by doing; others by watching; some by reading. Others learn by their mistakes or the mistakes of others which is one reason we post and talk about near misses and direct hits that we have had here and at other companies and locations throughout the country.
So how do you know you have developed good safety awareness? Here are some good examples of behaviors that suggest you have good safety awareness:
-Before you begin a job, you consider how to do it more safely
-You make sure you know how and when to use personal protective equipment
-As you work, you check you position to reduce strain on your body
-While you are working, you become aware of any changes in the area—people coming or going, jobs beginning or ending
-You start talking with others about safety
Monitor yourself today and see if you have got good safety awareness. If you do not, one of the best ways to gain further awareness is to step back and take a hard look at your or a coworkers actions as they are performing a job. Watch for risky actions. You will learn and if you are watching a coworker . . . share those observations with them to help them go home safely each and every day.
Safe Habits
In most everything we do, we find a way to make the process go easier and faster. These processes we develop become habits and are used not only at work but in our everyday activities as well.
Habit is an automated way of behaviour that is inherited or acquired through frequent repetition.
Some say it takes 21 days of continual monitoring and reminding yourself to develop a habit. Some of us have very good habits, some of us could use a little work. Let’s look at a few tasks:
- Do you fasten your seatbelt every time you enter an automobile to drive or sit at the passenger seat?
- Do you wear your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during jobs onsite?
- Do you put in your hearing protection as you enter the production floor?
- Do you confirm the power is truly disconnected after you lockout a machine?
- Do you wash off dust of your entire windshield prior to getting in the car every mornings?
- Do you wear safety glasses and long pants when you use your weed wacker?
- Do you turn your head and check your blind spot prior to switching lanes?
- Do you make eye contact with the forklift drivers before walking near them?
- Do you utilize the handrail when going up or down stairs?
- Do you stop and look both ways before walking out into an aisle?
- Do you properly put off all appliances before sleeping at night and also before stepping out of the house?
- Do you use the correct tools for each activities you do onsite and at home?
- Do you take the pedestrian bridge when crossing the express?
These are just a few habits that safety conscious employees and people do each and every time they do the task. How about you?
Habit is an automated way of behaviour that is inherited or acquired through frequent repetition.
Some say it takes 21 days of continual monitoring and reminding yourself to develop a habit. Some of us have very good habits, some of us could use a little work. Let’s look at a few tasks:
- Do you fasten your seatbelt every time you enter an automobile to drive or sit at the passenger seat?
- Do you wear your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during jobs onsite?
- Do you put in your hearing protection as you enter the production floor?
- Do you confirm the power is truly disconnected after you lockout a machine?
- Do you wash off dust of your entire windshield prior to getting in the car every mornings?
- Do you wear safety glasses and long pants when you use your weed wacker?
- Do you turn your head and check your blind spot prior to switching lanes?
- Do you make eye contact with the forklift drivers before walking near them?
- Do you utilize the handrail when going up or down stairs?
- Do you stop and look both ways before walking out into an aisle?
- Do you properly put off all appliances before sleeping at night and also before stepping out of the house?
- Do you use the correct tools for each activities you do onsite and at home?
- Do you take the pedestrian bridge when crossing the express?
These are just a few habits that safety conscious employees and people do each and every time they do the task. How about you?
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