The Legal, Environmental and Social Constraints - Essay Example

Running head: Legal, Environmental and Social Constraints Legal, Environmental and Social Constraints s Q 1. Describe the KEY measures covered by three pieces of UK environmental legislation. a) Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/928) [SSI 2000/97 in Scotland and SI 2000/1940 in Wales] The Regulations provide objectives regarding seven air pollutants. This requires local authorities to keep on assessing the air quality in their respective areas and keep on planning and implementing measures to ensure air quality improvement. The reviews should be taken of the air quality at present and the steps taken to improve air quality in future if the steps taken are not satisfactory the authorities can take essential measures to achieve the desired air quality level. b) Control of Noise: The legislation addresses the control of noise pollution in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 [1997 in Scotland]. During planning, noise is considered as criteria to be assessed as a factor effecting the environment. The following legislation are aimed at controlling the noise pollution at construction sites and operating industries: a) Control of Pollution Act 1974, Part III (c.40). b) Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c.43), Part III and Environment Act 1995 (c.25), Part V. c) Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 (c.24) (and the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/1973)). Pollution emissions: Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991: The regulation aimed at controlling the most polluting processes such as at power stations. The following hydrocarbon processes, as prescribed by The Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991 (SI 1991/472), require authorization if they are likely to release prescribed substances." (Environmental legislation applicable to the offshore hydrocarbon industry (England, Scotland and Wales) References Environmental legislation applicable to the offshore hydrocarbon industry (England, Scotland and Wales) http://www.databydesign.co.uk/energy/ukdata/env_1.htm Q 2. Discuss the possible controversy surrounding an announcement of an airport expansion scheme. Your discussion should consider the advantages and disadvantages, with possible evidence by reference to a specific example. The proposed expansion of Stansted Airport faced a lot of controversy. A preservation group protested and stated that the expansion could lead to the destruction of many historic buildings. Although the Government assured that the listed properties could be rebuilt outside the new boundaries but the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings kept the stance that the airport expansion will lead to maximum damage to the country's heritage including two important monuments Waltham Manor and The Grange. The controversy also directed towards the lack of planning in order to deal with the increasing demand of future air travel. The pressure groups warned for the legal action against the airport authorities that presented the proposal to build another runway on Stansted Airport. The group took the stance that the costs attached to the expansion of the Stansted Airport are lot more than the benefits attached to the plan. Reference SSE News Archives, 27 December 2003 http://www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/news_archive06.html Q 3. Explain what is covered by EMC legislation, What part was played by the EU in this piece of legislation. "The word EMC does not include the influence of electromagnetic waves (either desired or undesired) on biological systems. This is a much larger field and is covered by the expression "EMCE" ("E" is for environmental), which is not the topic here and is also not the field in which EM TEST works." (Mohr) The EMC makes sure that all the electrical products shall work in their environment and will not generate electromagnetic disturbances, which can effect the performance of other products. The EMC also covers the problem of noise emission radiated emissions and electromagnetic disturbances as conducted interference. Although many efforts have been made to implement EMC but still there are no set rules of implementing EMC successfully. With every new product and electronic installation the technicians and engineers are faced with the same problem. These EMC compatibility roles cannot be taught they can only be achieved through years of experience. The European Union first formally announced the Directive in 1989(Council Directive 89/336/EEC). The planned enforcement in the year 1992 was delayed till 1996 in order to provide time to the industry to adapt to the requirements. In order to make the directive more comprehensives the European Union provided guidelines in 1997 (Guidelines on the application of Council directive 89/336/EEC). The main purpose of the guidelines was to make all the member states to keep more or less same approach to the directive. The interpretations were provided so that the manufacturers could understand the requirements. Reference Council Directive 89/336/EEC on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility (amended by Directives 91/263/EEC, 92/31/EEC, 93/68/EEC, and 93/97/EEC). Diethard E.C. Mhr, EMC: three letters, Basics, retrieved as on June 14, 2006 from http://www.emtest-en.de/what/basics.php Guidelines on the application of Council directive 89/336/EEC on the approximation of laws of Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility. Q 4. A maintenance company for which you work has decided to purchase an electrically self-propelled elevating servicing platform to enable works to be carried out on the factory ceiling. You have been co-opted onto the company health and safety committee to oversee the introduction of this machine. Your remit is to produce a list comprising no less than ten considerations of possible implications under the Health and Safety Act to place before the next Committee meeting. The following are the possible implications under the Health and Safety Act to place which should be taken into consideration while introducing an electrically self-propelled elevating servicing platform. Use and Operation: Under the health and safety act regarding the elevating devices no elevating device should be used or operated with a load in excess of the load that it was designed and installed to move safely. Care should be taken that the load on the machine should not be more than as described in the design to avoid accidents. All the safety devices attached to the elevating devices should be in working condition otherwise the machine couldn't be used. Care should be taken for the proper maintenance of the machine to make the safety of the users achievable. None of the attachments with the machine should be altered. Intervention should not also be done with any attachment. Any of the replacement of inoperative attachment should be done with the same device after the official inspection. There should be a qualified person who can undertake the inspection and testing of the machine and will determine whether the machine is in safe operating condition and is capable of carrying the prescribed load in the design. . It should also be make sure that all the safety devices are attached with the installation of the elevation device. Official inspection should be undertaken after the alteration of the elevating device and the safety device attached. Or otherwise the inspection should be undertaken once in12 months. A record of the inspection will also have to be maintained in accordance with the section 2.4 which will be signed by the qualified person who have made the inspection and test. The record will also include the date of inspection, location of the elevating device and safety device that were inspected and tested; and the observations of the qualified person inspecting and testing the elevating device and safety device on the safety of the devices. The qualified person appointed by the company will undertake repair and maintenance of elevating devices and safety devices. Reference On Board Trains Occupational Safety and Health Regulations, retrieved as on June 15, 2005 from http://www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/GENERAL/c/clc/regulations/001/clc003/clc003.html Q5. What effect has the Disability Discrimination Act had upon the Company that you work for, or College you attend (Use college example) "The Disability Discrimination Act, passed by Parliament in 1995, is an important piece of legislation with the potential to protect the employment rights of people with disabilities. It covers people with physical or mental impairments that have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The Act has sections regarding protection from discrimination in employment, in the provision of goods, services and facilities, and in education." (Sayce and Boardman, 2003) Due to the disability discrimination act the students facing physical or mental disability have been provide with the equal opportunity to achieve education in the college with all other students with out any discrimination. The people with mental or physical disability have been facilitated with separate provision of paths in order to make their movement easy with in the college. Special curriculum programs are being designed for the students who have mental disability in order to eke them in understanding the subjects. The act has also provided with the disable people to have equal right to have jobs in the college. There is no discrimination regarding the physical and mental disability in the college for the job opportunities. The act has also make it essential that no one either student or any employee should be given unreasonable treatment on the basis of disability. References Sayce, L. & Boardman, J. (2003). The Disability Discrimination Act 1995: implications for psychiatrists, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2003) 9: 397-404, retrieved as on June 15, 2006 from http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/9/6/397 Read More