Assessing Construction Site Pollution And Waste Management In Malaysia: A Case Study Essay.

Construction sites produce waste and debris resulted from the construction activities as well as demolition works. The waste and debris consist of hardened concrete, surplus from raw materials, rubbish disposed by humans, etc.Managing the waste by deposing them from the site is important in keeping the construction sites clean and preventing the breading of mosquitoes. In this task, you are required to:
(i) Select ONE (1) construction site where you can study the site’s waste management.
(ii) Identify the types of waste and debris produced by the construction site.
(iii) Study the ways in managing the waste and debris in the construction site.
(iv) Determine the difficulties in handling the waste or debris in the construction site.
(v) Provide recommendation in enhancing the waste management in the construction site.

Scope and Objective of the Case Study

The construction site chosen is that of an industrial construction site.  The site is basically that of an industrial set up. This is basically the ongoing construction work of an industry in Malaysia. As soon as I was assigned this project I felt that this would be a good place for finding the pollution that is caused by the different activities that are taking place in the construction site. Each and every industry has to pay attention to the waste management of the construction projects that they are undertaking.

Waste management is one of the most important things that the industries must pay attention to[1]. They have to make sure to make a thorough EIA or environmental analysis to make sure that none of their activities are creating any harmful impacts on the natural flora and fauna located in and around them[2]. They have to keep in mind various aspects like the location of residences near their close vicinity.

The scope and the objective of the case study

The scope and objective of the case study are to be a part of the ongoing factory construction in Malaysia in order to assess the effects of the construction waters[3]. The objective is to warn the people about the major threats that might arise from the indiscriminate disposal of the factory wastes. The second most important objective of this case study is to assess the waste reduction methods being used by the company and also recommending them with some useful tips. 

Site overview

The site was the production or the manufacturing units of the famous automobile manufacturing industry of Malaysia. This is the construction site of an automobile industry. As a result of this, the construction area that has been undertaken is huge about 1080 square meters. This is one of the biggest projects that is being undertaken in the current scenario. The construction includes a large number of activities. Several buildings are being constructed along with chimneys, pipes. Apart from these, several paints and dyes are also being used for the purpose of the coloring the buildings after they are made. There is also some water bodies located near the construction site. They are getting polluted because of the sewage discharges. These discharges involve materials like diesel, wax, glue and other such elements.

Methods used

In order to conduct this case study, both the qualitative and the quantitative methods have been used. In order to get a clear idea about the construction wastes an in-depth study was undertaken. This was mainly done from the books, journals and other such materials that are available online. So, the quantitative approach has been useful in this respect. Apart from this, there were also many survey questions that were given out to the residents of the localities located in the close proximity of the construction site. The qualitative method also has been used for taking the individual interviews from the workers at the construction site to get better and authentic information.

Types of wastes produced in the construction site

Site Overview

There are varied kinds of wastes that are being generated by the construction site. They suffer from the lack of proper waste treatment plans. As a result of this, the waste generated is not devoid of the waste materials. One of the wastes is the asbestos. There are many bricks, rock debris, cement, concrete and ceramics being disposed of without proper treatment[4]. These chemicals are highly poisonous in nature and can cause serious damage to the health of the people living in the nearby areas of the construction site. Plastics are also being disposed of on the land and in the nearby water bodies as well[5].

Ways in managing waste and debris

It has been seen that the construction site is trying to understand the large-scale pollution that is being caused by the wastes that are being discharged by them. They are trying to use the eco-friendly paints, dyes, glue, and other such materials in their construction process[6]. This ensures that the construction wastes are not causing harm like air pollution, water pollution. They have also started appointing more specialized planners and engineers who are helping to construct the buildings in accordance with the standard dimensions.

In other words, the engineers' are trying to make sure that less amount of walls are being cut. They are also trying to recycle and are use the wasted materials for constructing something new. This is really very useful as it helped in cutting down the cost and at the same time helps in reducing the amount of pollution that is being created by the construction wastes[7].

Difficulties in handling waste or debris in the construction site

Lack of sufficient amount of finds is one of the major difficulties that the company might suffer. In order to purchase and use the eco-friendly paints, glues and other materials the company will have to bear a huge amount of money. Many of the workers may be careless and might not follow the waste management techniques properly. This in turn really becomes a major problem.

Recommendation

So, it is recommended that the construct arranges for many seminars and workshop where they would ask all the employees to participate. These seminars and workshops will be on based on construction wastes, their impact on nature and human health. There must be trainers who would explain the importance of recycling and reuse. This would help all the workers to undertake their work in a serious and efficient manner. Apart from using the chemical-free liquids, they must also use the solid raw materials in an efficient manner. For an instance, rather than dumping soil and stone chips in and around the construction site, they can store them for being used in the construction of some other future projects. They must get the expert advice and the guidance from the professionals.

The professionals will surely guide the workers in the best possible way so that they can minimize the harmful impacts of construction wastes. The construction company must also keep the idea of social works in their mind. They can use the concept of deconstruction in place of demolition[8]. They can store all their wasted materials like stones, debris, rock particles and many other such materials to be used in social housing projects. 

References

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