Definition of Environmental Safety:

Environmental safety has become a high priority issue within the United States and among other countries around the world. Ensuring the safety of an environment is key to productivity and function in a work or research setting.

Environmental safety is the practice of policies and procedures that ensure that a surrounding environment, including work areas, laboratories or facilities, is free of dangers that could cause harm to a person working in those areas. A safe place to work is the key element of environmental safety.



Enhanced Safety, Health and Environment Outcomes Through Improved safety, health and environment outcomes through better design are about eliminating or minimising risks in the preliminary planning stages of a product. Better design provides a foundation for improved outcomes in the development, use and maintenance of a product like plant and equipment or a building. Improved outcomes in design require the many stakeholders who contribute to the design process to critically review its safety, health and environment implications. Therefore, the client, or end user, must be actively involved in the review to ensure that operational requirements and maintenance issues, intrinsically known to the client, are considered by other design stakeholders. For example, safety, health and environment implications inherent in the design of a building project may exist in its construction, use, maintenance and demolition, i.e. its complete lifecycle. Similar implications exist for the design of other products such as plant or equipment, e.g. its manufacture through to decommissioning

How to safe our Environment

How to Save the Environment at Home

Edited by Danny, Sondra C, Andy Zhang, Eric and 44 others

There are plenty of little steps that people can take at home to help save the environment. While the eco-footprint of each step is small, thousands of people doing the same thing can make a difference. In making some small changes to the way that you do things at home, you are gradually making a difference, even as an individual. You will kill costs and improve your health at the same time, so helping to save the environment isn't a totally altruistic exercise!

EditSteps

Throughout the House

1. 1
   
   

    Turn off appliances when you are not using them.
   Turn off appliances when you are not using them. Up to 30% of power used by TV is used while they are turned off, so buy power strips and just flip the switch on the power strip, because they use far less energy while turned off.
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2. 2
   
   

    Lower the thermostat by a few degrees in winter.
   Lower the thermostat by a few degrees in winter. An extra layer or blanket will not only keep you cozy but will help to reduce your electricity bill significantly.
3. 3
   
   

    Make sure that the house is fully insulated.
   Make sure that the house is fully insulated. Insulation keeps the heat and cool on the correct side of your living space. Consider not only the ceiling but also the walls and under the floors.
4. 4
   
   

    Use windows to regulate the temperature.
   Use windows to regulate the temperature.
   
   
   • Keep windows and doors closed properly to avoid the loss of heat in winter.
   • Open the windows in summer. The cross breeze will often keep you cool and flushes out stale air (indoor air is often more highly polluted than the air outside). Importantly, the use of fresh air to cycle through your home saves the cost of running an air conditioner.
5. 5
   
   

    Install ceiling fans instead of air conditioning units to keep rooms comfortable in warm weather.
   Install ceiling fans instead of air conditioning units to keep rooms comfortable in warm weather.
6. 6
   Fill the gaps. Gaps reduce energy efficiency in a home. By caulking gaps around windows and doors, you increase the ability of your house to retain heat and cool at the right times of year, allowing your heating and cooling systems to work less.
7. 7
   
   

    Switch to compound fluorescent light bulbs.
   Switch to compound fluorescent light bulbs. They last longer and consume one-quarter of the energy. Lately, LED lamps have started to pick up the pace too -- they are up to ten times as effective as fluorescent, and totally blow incandescent bulbs off the charts.
8. 8
   Turn off the lights. Always turn off the lights when you are not using them. Rooms that are lit with nobody in them are wasteful.
9. 9
   Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.

In the Kitchen

1. 1
   
   

    Recycle, recycle, recycle.
   Recycle, recycle, recycle. Some cities already require people to sort their trash into paper, metals, glass, and organic waste. Even if your city doesn't, you can launch a growing trend. Set up four separate waste baskets, and make sure the contents end up in the appropriate recycle bins.
2. 2
   Air dry your dishes. Stop the dishwasher before the dryer cycle commences. Leave the door slightly ajar (or more open if you have the space) and let the dishes air-dry. The drying cycle of the dishwasher consumes a lot of energy.
3. 3
   
   

    Avoid Creating Trash.
   Avoid Creating Trash. Avoid disposable products, such as plates, cups, napkins and cutlery. Use reusable towels and dishwashing cloths in place of paper towels and disposable dish sponges.
4. 4
   Update your refrigerator. Fridges are the most energy intensive appliance in a house. This means that a poorly maintained and energy inefficient fridge is costing you money, let alone adding its burden to the atmosphere. Recent fridges use 40% less energy than fridges of 10 years ago. If you do decide to upgrade the fridge, make sure that you buy for its excellent energy rating, longevity and durability and that you have the old fridge recycled.

In the Bathroom & Laundry

1. 1
   
   

    Prefer showers over baths.
   Prefer showers over baths. Showers use less water. Don't forget to install an efficient showerhead.
2. 2
   Use soaps and detergents that contain no phosphates. Use a mixture of water and vinegar to wash your windows. Wash clothes in cold water to avoid consuming energy toheat the water. On sunny days, use a clothes line instead of a clothes dryer. Your clothes will smell fresher and the sun's rays ensure that germs are successfully sizzled.
3. 3
   Install low-flush toilets in your home. These use 1.6 gallons per flush, instead of 3.5 gallons, cutting water consumption by more than half.
4. 4
   For the ladies out there, consider using cloth (as in, reusable) tampons and pads, or using a menstrual cup. It may seem gross, but it can't be grosser than the thought of the amount of pads and tampons women use yearly piled up in a landfill, now can't it?

In the Home Office

1. 1
   
   

    Use recycled paper in your home office and printer.
   Use recycled paper in your home office and printer. Double side your printing and give scrap paper to the kids or turn it into note paper for the phone table.
2. 2
   Turn off the computer every day. Even if it feels like it is not making much of a difference, it is. You also reduce any risks of overheating or shortcircuiting by turning computers off overnight.

In the Garage

1. 1
   
   

    Leave the car at home.
   Leave the car at home. Let the car contribute less to the atmosphere by resting at home whenever possible. Walk to your local stores, take public transport to work and cycle to your friends' houses for dinner. Join a car pool and ferry others to work rather than driving in alone. You'll make new friends and you'll all share the costs.
2. 2
   Buy a fuel-efficient car if you are changing cars. Choose a compact car over an SUV. SUVs burn almost twice the amount of gas as a station wagon and yet can still carry around the same amount of passengers.
3. 3
   If you're really serious about going all-out green, consider living without a car -- not only it's green, but could also save you a lot of money!
4. 4
   Keep your bike well maintained. Take away at least one excuse that you cannot use your bike because it is in bad shape. Keep it in shape and then use it to keep yourself in shape.
5. 5
   Dispose of workshop items with care. Old paints, oils, pesticides etc. should not be tipped down the drain - the residues end up in our waterways. Dispose of these items through municipal disposal schemes or use the landfill option if there is no other choice.

In The Garden

1. 1
   
   

    Plant native species.
   Plant native species. They need less watering, are hardier (hence, less products needed to protect them) and they attract the local wildlife. Besides, they are used to the local weather conditions.
2. 2
   Plant trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and provide shade. Also, it reduces the soil and air temperature. They provide homes for wildlife and some trees can provide you with a bountiful harvest. What more incentive do you need?!
3. 3
   Reduce the lawn. Either reduce your lawn size or remove it altogether. Lawns are costly to maintain, the chemicals used on lawns are dangerous to our health and to that of the surrounding wildlife and lawnmowers emit high levels of pollution. Replace lawns with shrubs, ornamental garden structures, pavers for entertainment areas, native grasses and ground creepers etc. In addition, what's better than being able to step outside and pick a few strawberries or an ear of corn? Increase your own resilience by converting wasted lawn space into a vegetable garden. Consider using drip-irrigation systems or constructing or purchasing a rain barrel (it saves you having to pay to pump water back into the ground).
4. 4
   Compost. Compost the kitchen scraps and create beautiful garden matter to encourage better plant growth. Make sure the heap is warm and well-turned. Read a few books about composting. It's rare to find someone highly skilled in the area! Remember, soil is a living thing, it should not be powdery and dead. Life comes from the soil, and therefore the soil should be kept alive. Avoid highly invasive tilling if at all possible, but be sure to keep the soil aerated.
    

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environmental safety equipment

Personal Protective Equipment

Eyewear
Gloves
Respiratory Protection

A critical aspect of working safely with hazardous materials is the proper selection and use of personal
protective equipment (PPE). All PPE should be carefully selected to ensure that it is appropriate for the
hazards present and that the users will be able to perform their work in reasonable comfort wearing
the protective equipment. Please contact Environmental Health & Safety at 8-8182 in the event of ANY
questions regarding the proper selection of PPE for a given task.

Eyewear

Protective eyewear is required to be worn in any situation where there is a potential for damage to
the eye. These situations include protection from flying debris, protection from chemical splashes, and
protection from hazardous radiation such as lasers or ultraviolet light such as that often produced in
welding operations. It is critical that the proper protective eyewear be selected for use.
Protective eyewear must offer appropriate protection from the hazards presented. For example,
safety glasses do not offer sufficient protection from chemical splashes. Goggles or safety shields
are indicated for that use. When dealing with chemical splashes, be sure the eyewear offers NO
opportunity for chemical entry, such as often occurs with poorly placed ventilation holes.
In the case of protection from radiation, including and especially lasers, the eyewear must not only
address the specific wavelength of the radiation but also offer sufficient protection from the power or
intensity of the radiation.
Contact Environmental Health & Safety at 8-8182 for further assistance in selecting protective
eyewear.
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Gloves

Protective gloves should be worn whenever there is the potential for skin damage or absorption
through the skin when using a hazardous chemical. The gloves should be of a material appropriate
for the chemical in question. Information as to appropriate materials is available in safety equipment
catalogues from which gloves may be purchased. Care should be taken to ensure that the gloves fit
properly ("one-size-fits-all" seldom does!) Also, an individual's susceptibility to latex allergies should
be considered when selecting gloves.
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Respiratory Protection

Respirator use is strictly limited at Carnegie Mellon, permitted only for those approved for use by
Environmental Health & Safety. We strive to correct all potential exposure problems to hazardous
materials by other means, without having to use respirators. Refer to Respiratory Protection Plan for
further information.

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

OHSU requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to reduce employee exposure to hazards when
eliminating or controlling the hazards are not feasible or effective. Departments are required to determine all
exposure to hazards in the workplace and determine if PPE should be used to protect their workers.

Environmental Health & Radiation Safety can provide technical guidance in assessing hazards and recommending
PPE.

Contact Central Campus at 503-494-7795; for West Campus, call 503-690-5390.

PROTECT YOURSELF!

Eyes: many different sizes and styles of eye protection are available.
Face: use solid and screened face shields.
Hands: glove selection charts can ensure proper fit and protection.
Head: use where overhead hazards exist.
Hearing: provides protection from workplace noise.
Respiratory System: includes loose- and tight-fitting respirators and dust masks.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory requires that appropriate equipment be used to protect
employees from hazards in the workplace. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be issued
upon completion of a hazard assessment of activities or operations. However, PPE is not a
substitute for appropriate engineering controls. The Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S)
Division advises on the protective equipment required for a task, but it is the supervisor's
responsibility to obtain this equipment and ensure that it is used correctly.

Selection of PPE is based on the need to protect employees from specifically identified hazards. PPE
may be categorized by the type of protection provided, including eye and face, respiratory, head,
foot, and hand protection. PPE can include protective clothing, for example orange high-visibility
safety vests, kneepads, waterproof aprons, disposable suits or aprons, and chemical-resistant
clothing. Typical PPE might include safety shoes with protective toes, leather gloves, hardhats,
safety glasses, and earplugs. PPE is addressed inChapter 19 of Pub 3000, Berkeley Lab's Health and
Safety Manual.

Information on how to acquire, select, and properly use Respiratory Protection and Hearing
Protection Devices can be found in the Respiratory Protection and Hearing Conservation webpages.
Information on eye protection, including safety glasses, UV protection, and laser safety glasses,
is provided in the Eye Protectionsection of Chapter 19 of Pub 3000. The selection, care, and use
of PPE may also be covered within other IH Programs, such as the Chemical Hygiene and Safety
Program (CHSP). The CHSP addresses requirements forPPE in LBNL laboratory areas, including
training, use and disposal of PPE. For hazards that are typical for groups of employees, there may

environmental safety

ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY

Environmental safety is the practice of policies and procedures that ensure that a surrounding environment, including work areas, laboratories or facilities, is free of dangers that could cause harm to a person working in those areas. A safe place to work is the key element of environmental safety.