Air Pollution Management from Construction

Significance and Management Approaches

Air pollution is one of the leading causes of health issues for construction workers and people living in nearby communities. It is also a major cause of climate change. Therefore, real-estate development must have measures and approaches to effectively manage air pollution and foster good health for all concerned.

The Company focuses on the reduction of the impact of dust at project sites. It appointed a working group under the supervision of the Housing Projects Division for the management of dust-reducing measures at construction sites. The working group studied the main sources of dust and concluded that the dust comes from 2 sources, namely:

1. Outdoor dust such as project access roads and landfilling
2. Dust generated in the interior-construction process such as ceiling sanding, wall sanding, pipe cutting, and tile cutting.

The working group formulated the management guidelines for reducing the impact of dust from before the start to the end of the project.

Dust-reducing measures in construction projects with “Reduce dust & tidy areas” Project

• Separate the types of road for the entrance and exit of the project to prevent the formation of dust from each type of roads such as concrete roads and gravel roads. Set up methods to take care of each type of road and clearly appoint the people in charge.
• All vehicles are required to pass through a wheel-washing pond before leaving construction sites. The Company conducts a comparative study to come up with suitable measures for each project. It ranks newly constructed projects that are dusty and muddy.
• Install dust barriers between construction areas and outside communities, and between construction areas and occupied houses to ensure sanitary safety and prevent dust from spreading to other parts of the projects.
• Install sprinklers along access roads during construction and spray water to prevent the spread of dust from vehicles running to and from construction sites.
• Request contractors to use dust collecting tools or equipment to minimize airborne materials from sanding, cutting, and grinding processes in all construction projects.
• Materials such as soil and sand must be piled on plastic canvas in designated areas only. Construction scrap must be kept in a separate waste bin from general waste. A recycling bin is provided and divided into 3 compartments for different waste, namely glass bottles, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans. The construction manager is responsible for construction waste management.
• Monitor and inspect all projects to ensure compliance with guidelines. The construction manager of each project must fill a dust reduction assessment form each month. Then, the results are reported at the working group’s meetings. In case of any issue found, the team members will jointly discuss solutions and seek preventive measures.

Air Pollution Management Goals