ATEX Directive & DSEAR: Essential Compliance Requiments throughout Europe for Leachate Management

This is an advertisement; - but if any reader's company (EU based) has yet to comply it could avoid them being proscuted later.

ATEX (DSEAR UK) Appplies to Landfills and Leachate Management: Since this June the ATEX and and UK's Dangerous Substance & Explosive Atmosphere Regulations have placed requirements on all landfill/leachate treatment plant operators. It is the Employers duty to ensure compliance.

Here is an important extract taken from the Statutory Instrument:-

Places where explosive atmospheres may occur

7. - (1) Every employer shall classify places at the workplace where an explosive atmosphere may occur into hazardous or non-hazardous places in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 and shall classify those places so classified as hazardous into zones in accordance with paragraph 2 of that Schedule; and that Schedule shall have effect subject to the notes at the end of that Schedule.

(2) The employer shall ensure that the requirements specified in Schedule 3 are applied to equipment and protective systems in the places classified as hazardous pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) Where necessary, places classified as hazardous pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be marked by the employer with signs at their points of entry in accordance with Schedule 4.

(4) Before a workplace containing places classified as hazardous pursuant to paragraph (1) is used for the first time, the employer shall ensure that its overall explosion safety is verified by a person who is competent in the field of explosion protection as a result of his experience or any professional training or both.

(5) The employer shall ensure that appropriate work clothing which does not give rise to electrostatic discharges is provided for use in places classified as hazardous pursuant to paragraph (1).

(6) This regulation is subject to the transitional provisions in regulation 17(1) to (3).

Is you organisation compliant?

Enviros Consulting has all necessary explosion protection experience, and can assist with compliance training, DSEAR explosion risk reviews, produce Explosion Protection Docuements, and gernally assist with ATEX (DSEAR UK) compliance issues. In fact they have been busy doing this work for many, mostly Local Authority, but also commercial clients, since early this year, for existing landfill sites.

Visit Enviros employee web site www.atexanddsear.co.uk for more information and contact Enviros for any further information needed via the ATEX & DSEAR Contact Page.

Amusing Conversion Factors

OK. These conversion factors may not have anything to do with anything to do with leachate, but it rained all day yesterday...

1. Basic unit of laryngitis? = 1 hoarsepower
2. 1 million-million microphones? = 1 megaphone
3. 1 million bicycles? = 2 megacycles
4. 2000 mockingbirds? = 2 kilomockingbirds
5. 10 cards? = 1 decacards
6. 1 kilogram of falling figs? = 1 Fig Newton
7. 1000 milliliters of wet socks? = 1 literhosen
8. 1 millionth of a fish? = 1 microfiche
9. 1 trillion pins? = 1 terrapin

If you would like to add any more "conversion factors" email us, or add yours in a comment on the Blog.

Philadelphia Solid Waste Conference 2007: Call for Papers includes Leachate Treatment

The 22nd International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.

March 18 - 21, 2007

Has put out a call For papers:

Researchers, educators, government officials, students, consultants, managers, community leaders, and others with expertise in solid waste are invited to submit papers for oral presentation at the Conference.

Abstracts are encouraged from all areas of solid waste technology and management, including: Landfilling topics, Recycling, Energy recovery and thermal treatment, Waste reduction, Economics, Policy, Regulations, Facility siting, Public involvement, EU Directives, Solid waste, dust, Ash, Education, Household hazardous wastes, Municipal wastes, Waste composition studies, Industrial wastes, Composting and biological treatment, Contaminated sites, Medical wastes, Chemical and biochemical treatment,

Mining and mineral wastes, Agricultural wastes, Scrap tires, Research topics, Modeling, Utilization of waste materials, Case studies, Innovative technologies, Waste collection , Waste generation studies, Integrated waste management, Equipment, Sludge, Environmental impacts, Use of waste materials in construction, Geotechnical topics, Environmental equity, Construction and demolition wastes, Liners, caps, gas and leachate, Waste in Developing Regions. All other related topics.

More information is available here, and you have until 30 October to submit your abstract.

CIWM Welsh Centre Tour of German Waste Facilities

Waste Facility Study Tour including anaerobic digestion facilities:

The following tour is being offered to Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM) Members. There may be some spaces available for non-members.

More information: There is a planned study tour in Germany (Siegen) from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 October 2006. Return from Birmingham £250 pounds all included. The tour includes: aerobic and anaerobic digestion of green and kitchen waste, collection systems, weighing & identification of wheeled bins, underground storage, MRF, German legal system and cost. If interested, please contact Celine Anouilh on 02920210710 or email celine.anouilh@ciwm.co.uk

If you have been thinking of joining the CIWM and are a waste professional then perhaps now is the time to do this! If you need someone to provide a referral/act as your sponsor then contact your Blog Master (who is an existing CIWM Member) by email at steve.last@enviros.com for more information.