Being Neighbourly on Construction Sites

For employers that have a duty to monitor hazards such as dust and noise that escape from the perimeter of their construction sites, how do they effectively comply to legislation, appease local communities and protect their people whilst operating their projects?

Construction companies are required by law to conduct business without subjecting the public to unnecessary health risks. Physical boundaries must be defined and are usually protected with fencing to prevent curious members of the public accessing the worksite. The issue however is how to deal with the invisible hazards that a construction site presents to the public, like dust and noise.
Generating dust and other airborne particulates is often unavoidable during construction with the right controls and actions in place. Large clouds of dust become an instant and sometimes dangerous nuisance to local communities and regulatory headache for those in charge.
Noise at a high level can be an annoyance to site neighbours and in some cases can present a risk to their health. Vibration presents a unique challenge to those managing a construction site as excessive vibration can also disturb local residents to such a degree they complain, and excessive vibration to nearby structures can cause damage.
Many sites will have limits for particulate, noise and vibration imposed on the site by a local government authority. If these limits are exceeded it may mean the site has to stop work which will always be costly from a financial perspective, but reputational damage also presents risk to future projects.
Boundary monitoring is therefore an essential part of the management on construction sites which helps to control and mitigate potential environmental, health, and reputational risks.

What is boundary monitoring

Boundary monitoring is the use of dedicated systems that detect and analyse levels of noise, vibration, dust through sensor technologies at the perimeter of a construction site. Depending on the size of the construction site, multiple units may be required around the boundary to ensure full coverage of all contaminants leaving the site and accounting for the receptors near a site. the receptors being local buildings, such as houses, schools, commercial and other buildings. This covers changes in wind direction, emissions from particularly active parts of the site and will identify areas where concentrations are higher than others, allowing for changes in working practices where necessary.
Real-time monitoring systems also replace the labour-intensive practice of manual monitoring conducted by on-site experts. This allows site management to react immediately to any levels of pollutants exceeding standards, preventing violations and community complaints. Easy to set-up and requiring little maintenance, modern boundary monitoring devices are a cost-effective solution to the requirements of monitoring.

Boundary monitoring units

Monitoring units come in a variety of solutions, with some dedicated to individual hazards and others combining hazards to provide a comprehensive idea of emissions and risks. Site managers are increasingly favouring systems that offer combined results for ease or deployment, management of data as well as their cost effectiveness.
Boundary monitoring systems can be programmed to send alerts via SMS or email when certain thresholds are reached.  Limits for each worksite pollutant can be set by companies, including decibel (dB) limits for noise and concentration levels for dust. By setting alerts blow permitted thresholds, intervention can be achieved before the issue becomes a problem. For example, this may take the form of starting dust suppression or changing work patterns to reduce noise levels.
Boundary monitoring systems are often also used in conjunction with other technologies, integrated with wind speed and direction sensors, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of environmental conditions. This integration can help in adjusting construction activities based on weather changes to minimise the effect on surrounding communities.
Many modern boundary monitoring devices are designed to be energy-efficient, often powered by solar panels, which makes them adhere to sustainability goals and easy to maintain in remote or off-grid construction sites.
When mounting boundary monitoring units, installers should consider how the immediate surroundings will affect the results of the recorded data. Microphones, dedicated to monitoring noise escaping the confines of the site should not be mounted against a flat surface, which will reflect sound back towards the device, increasing the recorded level. They should also be mounted higher than the casing of the boundary monitoring unit with a clear line of sight to the nearest receptor. Noise monitors should meet the IEC 61672 Class 1 standard and be calibrated regularly with an acoustic calibrator to ensure ongoing accuracy.
Inlets for any real-time dust measurements should also be 1.5 to four meters above the ground and must be unobstructed, because any object between the source and the dust monitor can ‘shield’ particles from entering the device causing measurement inaccuracies. When measuring vibration, the sensor should be mounted firmly attached to the ground to ensure measurements remain accurate and unaffected by the instability of the mount.

Setting boundaries

It’s essential for site management to understand the surrounding area of the site, especially taking into consideration any ‘vulnerable buildings’ and densely populated urban areas. For example, sites with nearby receptors such as schools, hospitals, or housing, will host individuals more sensitive to disruption and require extra monitoring points. You may also have to measure vibration to avoid disruption or damage if less structurally sound buildings or if people are often present around the site.  
It’s crucial to monitor the prevailing wind conditions around your site. Ideally, place dust monitors both upwind and downwind to track dust levels entering and exiting the site. By pairing these monitors with a wind speed and direction sensor, you can gather precise data to address and mitigate potential complaints, providing clear evidence on whether excessive dust is a result of your site’s activities.
 

Compliance

Regulation varies with different countries as to the requirements to monitor around construction sites, what instrumentation may be required and the standards those instruments should adhere to, so care should be taken to check before implementing any measurement technology.
It can be difficult to understand which parts of these regulations apply to individual construction projects and some companies may not have a dedicated professional on site, so it is always recommended to consult environmental experts for as needed. Local authorities and environmental agencies may also impose specific restrictions that site management must be aware of as failure to comply can lead to significant penalties.
Modern boundary monitors can produce automated reports that display the level of emissions escaping the site with locational data, automatically sent at specific time to individuals of choice. These reports can be used in conjunction with other reporting methods to prove compliance with the standards listed above ensure limits have not been breached.
 

Educate your staff

Site operatives must receive clear instructions on managing noise and dust, including knowledge of site limits and performance standards. In addition to basic training on the operation of monitoring equipment, operatives should be educated on proper maintenance practices, such as how to prevent damage to units and how to conduct regular calibration to sensors like noise monitors. If any equipment is accidentally damaged, it’s crucial that staff understand the reporting procedures to ensure timely repairs or replacement.
Those in charge of boundary monitoring procedures should be experienced and trained on the implementation of a comprehensive boundary monitoring network with an understanding of the unique risks that individual projects will present. Once they have conducted a reasonable assessment, proper working practices, such as control and mitigation measures should be distilled to other employees to prevent issues with the monitoring systems that may lead to a pause in construction activity until rectified.

Being proactive

Traditional monitoring techniques such as dust deposit gauges limit a company’s ability to be proactive. Boundary monitors can now provide real-time noise, dust and vibration level analysis, meaning that site operators can be proactive when they receive immediate alerts that prescribed levels have been exceeded, and act rapidly before any legal limits have been passed.

Why?

A robust boundary monitoring program is essential for any project committed to compliance and the safety of the public, as well as environmental responsibility. Implementing an appropriate boundary monitoring program will ensure environmental limits and guidelines are met while safeguarding your finances and reputation.
Where necessary, always employ the services of an external consultant and read the latest guidance and advice from regulatory bodies and industry experts. Ensuring employees understand the correct boundary monitoring procedures allows operations to proceed efficiently and safely, benefiting everyone on and off site.