This guidance is for businesses involved in the surface treatment of metals.
Environmental impacts of surface treatment of metals businesses
Businesses involved in surface treating metals can have a number of impacts on the environment:
- air emissions, for example from grit blasting, organic solvent cleaning, furnaces, rinse and process baths, painting and coating
- land contamination, for example from the accidental spillage of solvents and oils and, potentially, the past use of the site
- noise pollution, for example from the movement of materials, surface preparation and metal fabrication activities
- waste disposal, such as rejected components, obsolete coatings and chemicals, swarf, cutting oils, tank sludges, waste grit blasting materials and wastewater treatment residues (filter press cake)
- water discharges, for example from cooling towers, abatement equipment, surface preparation, finishing, contaminated cleaning water and chemical effluent treatment plant.
How can NetRegs help you?
Our guidance could help you to:
- avoid prosecution and receive fewer visits from environmental regulators
- increase efficiency and productivity
- reduce your operating costs
- be more likely to obtain business from government bodies and large businesses that require their business partners to manage their environmental impacts effectively
- improve your reputation amongst staff, customers and the public
- increase the chance of securing funding to expand your business by demonstrating that your environmental impacts are well managed.
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