Businesses and construction sites closing for the Christmas holiday period should make sure they have properly secured their sites, facilities and equipment, says EPA Victoria.

Factories, warehouses, construction sites and many other businesses will need to take steps to make sure they have secured their operations so they do not pose an environmental risk.

“Everyone has to act to prevent pollution under the General Environmental Duty which is part of the Environment Protection Act 2017,” said EPA CEO Lee Miezis.

“That means taking the necessary steps to ensure machinery is properly turned off, chemicals are properly stored and there are no leaks escaping the site to stormwater drains.

“It also means security and fire management systems such as alarms and sprinklers are working and firewater containment systems are operational.

“Building sites should also be managing any litter they create. That can often be as simple as making sure the skip bin lid is closed and that waffle slab styrene in particular is properly tethered on site.

“EPA officers are working over the holiday period and will enforce compliance, with heavy penalties for anyone not talking their responsibilities seriously.

EPA has been in frequent contact with the construction industry and has published the Civil construction, building and demolition guide(publication 1834) for people whose role involves site planning or environmental management in supporting activities and projects of all scales and complexity. It will help builders and land developers manage their environmental and public health obligations, such as:

•Noise and vibration – scheduling works, community consultation, managing noise and vibration at the source, and managing noise using offsite controls

•Erosion, sediment and dust – managing stormwater flows, minimising dust, managing stockpiles and working within waterways

•Contaminated land and groundwater – identifying presence of contaminated land, and preventing contamination of stormwater and groundwater

•Chemical storage and handling – managing storage and handling of liquid and solid chemicals, spill response and cleanup, and managing volatile liquids

•Waste – managing different types of waste, storage, collection, transport and removal

For more information go to epa.vic.gov.au/for-business/find-a-topic/construction-industry-guidance/hazards-and-risks-in-construction

And for more information on managing stormwater runoff issues, visit epa.vic.gov.au/for-business/find-a-topic/prevent-water-pollution/urban-stormwater-management-guidance