Having recently been ranked as 1st in The Construction Network's RICS Chartered Surveyors on Twitter, Ive reflected on what Twitter has meant to me:
T - Timely
W - Worldwide
I - Instant
T - Transparent
T - Timesaving
E - Economical
R - Responsive
Thanks to all who have followed @DIEMLtd
RICS Chartered Surveyors on Twitter #tCnRICS100 list can be found at:
http://www.peerindex.com/tcntweets/group/tcnrics100_top_50_chartered_surveyors_on_twitter?auto=1
QHS Solutions and DIEM Ltd Environmental Consultants, have worked together for several years delivering related services. Our firms share the same values in the delivery of high quality and cost effective services to Client.
We are now offering this new half day
“Environment and Waste Management Explained”
course on Friday 25th May from 0930 to 1230 in Burnley.
Course Aims
This half day course is designed and delivered by Environmental Consultants DIEM Ltd to enable delegates to understand Environment and Waste management systems and legal requirements to help give your business the environmental advantage.
Course Content
· Introduction to the environment –
· Managing our environment,
· ISO 14001 Environmental Management and supply chains and includes:·
o Winning work with good environmental management
o PAS 91
o Sustainable procurement
o PAS 2030 (including introduction to the Green Deal)
Part 1: Environmental management on sites - Minimising the risks:
· Noise & vibration
· Waste (brief overview - full waste training to follow)
· Contaminated land
· Water
· Dust and Air quality
· Ecology
· Spill incidents
· Organising for site work
This section culminates with a short multiple-choice assessment
Part 2: Effective waste management
· What is waste?
· Duty of care and legal requirements
· Handling and storage of waste
· Pricing for waste
· Reducing the cost of waste within the law
This section concludes with a practical duty of care waste transfer note exercise.
A Certificate will be awarded following successful assessment.
This training will be delivered by David Inman of DIEM Ltd. David is a Chartered Environmental Surveyor, Chartered Environmentalist and Lead EMS Auditor. Across the UK, he supports companies and organizations ranging from widely known “superbrands” to small family run companies in reaching their environmental management potential.
Course fees are just £75.00 per delegate (plus VAT) to include course handouts, certificate and refreshments.
We are expecting a high demand for this course to book, please contact Alison on 01282 839 103 or a.stansfield@QHS-Solutions.com
We look forward to seeing you there!
The RICS APC (Assessment of Professional Competency) pathway guide for Quantity Surveying describes the discipline as:
Quantity surveyors are the cost managers of construction. They are initially involved with the capital expenditure phase of a building or facility, which is the feasibility, design and construction phases, but they can also be involved with the extension, refurbishment, maintenance and demolition of a facility.
They must understand all aspects of construction over the whole life of a building or facility. They must have the ability to manage cost effectively, equating quality and value with individual client needs.
Looking at the term "cost", QSs hold the key not just to costing financially, but in terms of waste quantities and diverting this from landfill plus more critical, carbon accounting right through projects from design and construction to long term maintenance and eventual disposal. The information QSs hold is invaluable for analysing material, including waste, quantities and carbon.
From a Chartered Environmental Surveyor who interprets and manages carbon, waste and materials data for environmental and sustainability reporting, my advice to trainee QSs is embrace the wider sustainability applications which you skills can unlock and you’ll be the stars of the future.
Green Drinks Lancashire returns!
Friday 25th May 2012
Please register at
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/3506769843/autohome?ebtv=C
I'm delighted to say that after helping relaunch RICS Lancashire Local Association, our new Linkedin group being at:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4422000&trk=anet_ug_hm
a few likeminded individuals are resurrecting Green Drinks Lancashire, again our Linkedin group page is at:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2051847&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
However, we are not doing this in isolation, but in an open and colaborative manner, including other groups such as the Lancashire Construction Best Practice Club.
I think a network of networks can deliver more and duplicate less is we work together and not network to get a headcount or generate profit.
The word on the street is that Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP), which are statutory waste management plans for construction projects in England, however they are still with us.
I'm not going into details of SWMP and details can be found at
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/businesses/construction/62359.aspx
but I'm undecided whether they should end.
On the side who wants rid of SWMPs, their diabolically poor implementation by the previous government, meant that they were a good idea badly implemented. They now have seemed to vary in quality and accuracy across projects which is a shame as they are useful, but they have lost their way and maybe it's time for a new start.
When they were brought out, I attended many (state funded) training sessions which were very poor in quality. Also, they were attended by environmental professionals in the main not estimators, quantity surveyors, designers, project managers and the like. People who cost, agree and drive projects from their conception.
SWMP if done right, ie start at the design phase, have been proven to save projects money, but their mandatory nature can make them a formality instead a chance to save money and identify waste minimisation opportunities starting at design.
They are not dead yet, so why not rethink their potential.
When I with clients being audited for ISO 14001 I pay very good attention to the auditor. This is mainly as a lead EMS auditor I'm interested in seeing how other auditors work, but secondly I'm fascinated about the differences between auditors.
However, what doesn't change is that the have to audit against the clauses of the standard.
Personally, when writing an EMS I like to keep it simple and follow the organisation of the clauses of the standard. I speak to colleagues who look at the activities carried out by the organisation and write the EMS to those. We all must be right if our clients are getting through ISO 14001 accredited certification.
What I have noticed with external auditors that if the EMS manual is in the same order as the standard's clauses, then it's easy for them to follow and can find parts of the manual if only auditing certain clauses of the standard.
I also believe in keeping it simple as all you have to do is meet the minimum requirements of the standard. Now, this sounds defeatist, but being pragmatic you want to meet the requirements as a minimum as diversions into other avenues may distract you from meeting the basic requirements...of the standard you are being audit against.
Often I hear people starting out or thinking of starting ISO 14001 that CSR or sustainability can drive it. Whilst they can, I think get the basic systems and legal requirements right and the rest will follow.
