How Environmental Compliance is Necessary to Ensure Sustainable Construction
The construction industry is one of the largest industries and uses ample resources from building materials equipment to machines and natural resources. Apart from ensuring the construction of modern design infrastructure, there is one growing concern on the impact of construction on the environment.
A few decades ago, there was not much awareness, and there was also little research on the impact of construction on the soil and surroundings. However, the increasing number of floods, hurricanes, rain, forest fires, and volcanic eruptions is due to climate change caused by unsuitable construction methods.
In recent times, there has been a major emphasis on renewable materials and methods in construction. Apart from the sustainable techniques, there is a certain focus on removing waste and the extravagant use of natural resources.
The Importance of Environmental Courses
Contractors are responsible for managing every small and big construction task and ensuring that the process complies with federal rules and regulations. There are dozens of courses that a contractor needs to enroll and pass to manage government and private contracts.
Environment compliance is one major component of construction that calls for the use of sustainable practices that ensures
- Minimum waste
- Improved operational efficiency
- Less use of natural resources
The environmental compliance course helps a contractor know all the laws, codes, and regulations proposed by the government to protect the environment. The purpose of the course is to let the contractor ensure all the standards and requirements are followed that do not harm the environment.
The construction company and contractors must adhere to the regulations and follow safe operating measures. The environment includes soil, air, and water. Enrolling and passing the environment compliance course allows a contractor to
- Know about the existing environmental codes and regulations
- Identify the environmental rules
- Determine a compliance plan according to the scope and extent of a particular construction contract
- Develop a checklist that includes all the essential codes, and permits along with the amount of material, labor, and equipment required for the construction
- Make a calendar to track all the progress, contract renewals, and permits
The main advantage of environmental compliance courses online is to provide additional and valuable knowledge to the contractors and environmental managers involved in managing the construction process. The program helps individuals know all about the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), compliance rules, and regulations.
Titan University is one established name that offers a wide range of certified online environmental compliance courses such as
- Turbidity Monitoring for Dredging Operations
Dredging is an essential process for construction in ports and coastal harbors. The process involves the removal and treatment of large volumes of sediments. This course aims to provide an individual with the information to identify and mitigate the impacts of turbidity that can impact the marine ecosystem. The Certificate completion will allow you to gain vital knowledge, effectively monitor, and take timely decisions to ensure safe water quality levels for wildlife and ecosystems.
- Sea Turtle Monitor for Construction
This course was designed to allow students to get all the requirements and information required to become a Qualified Sea Turtle Monitor on Construction Projects. Some of the valuable aspects of the course include
- Identifying the type of Sea Turtles
- Knowing living and feeding habits of the turtles
- The existing threats to the natural turtle habitat
- Monitoring the impact of dredging on the sea turtle activity
This course is developed by USACE (U.S Army Corps of Engineers) and dredging experts to consider all the protocols to minimize dredging impacts on the sea turtle population.
- West Indian Manatee Observer
The West Indian Manatee is regarded as one of the most endangered marine mammals along the US coastal waters. The course includes all the details and requirements for becoming a Qualified Manatee Observer.
The course consists of three modules
- Module 1- Background and details on Manatee
- Module 2- The threat and dangers to the Manatee population
- Module 3- The Manatee Observer requirements
This course is mandatory for those individuals looking to get a certificate and monitor the activity of the West Indian Manatee Observer during dredging and construction along coastal waters.
- Eastern Indigo Snake Observer
The Eastern Indigo Snake is found in Georgia and Florida but is categorized as an endangered species due to habitat loss. The course complies with the updated USACE environmental regulations and helps an individual become a Qualified Observer of Eastern Indigo Snake. The topics covered in the course include
- Information and background on Eastern Indigo Snake and its habitat
- How to locate and protect the Eastern Indigo Snake
- Displaying posters and distributing brochures on construction sites
- The environmental requirements Pre-Construction, During Construction, and Post-Construction
This course is valuable to Site Safety and Health Officers (SSHO), Quality Control Managers, and Superintendents who look to improve their career portfolio. For many, this course is compulsory, such as contractors working on government contracts in Georgia and Florida.
- Piping Plover Monitor for Beach Construction
Apart from sea and land animals, the environmental regulations also cover endangered birds. One such is a Piping Plover bird that is threatened due to changes in the environment.
The Piping Plover Environmental Consideration course is carefully developed for contractors and individuals associated with government contract projects. The modules of the courses include
- Detail information about the Piping Plover
- Living and Eating habitat of the bird
- Classification between Endangered and Threatened specie
- Growing concern on declining Piping Plover population
- Critical habitat and steps to improve it
The course is best for Environmental Managers, SSHO and also useful for workers who are responsible for dredging and also those workers who manage waste disposal.
Final Thoughts
The government-backed regulatory organizations are constantly monitoring whether the construction complies with the environmental rules or not. The biggest cause of concern is removing waste and if any pollutants get added to the lake or river waters.
The way the construction company disposes of hazardous materials is also crucial, and the compliance rules must be checked to see in which category the construction falls. The environmental managers need to also provide necessary training to the workers and employees
It is necessary to know about the environmental compliance rules, particularly for those individuals working in the construction field. Titan University offers online courses that you can take and complete your training. You can easily make an account and take the lesson at your convenience. Once you take all the classes and complete the course, you can download and print the certificate.
