Sites initial assessments

Before work commences, an initial site assessment should be undertaken. This assessment should not only consider hazards associated with the site itself but also the hazards which may well be present during the construction phase. 

Knowledge of the history of the site is, therefore, important during the initial site assessment. Details will also be needed of any other activities, including non-construction ones, which are taking place at or near the site. 

If the project involves demolition and refurbishment, then information on the occupancy of the premises or nearby premises needs to be ascertained. A structural survey should be made of the building to investigate the types of structural defect that may be apparent during a visual inspection and explain the causes of those defects. Typical defects include corrosion of steelwork, cracking due to fatigue in structural steel and welds, cracked brickwork and concrete, concrete degradation (flaking), dropped lintels and 

The provision of temporary supports where required, suitable access equipment and barriers or covers to prevent falls through floor openings and the need to carry out an assessment of the manuai handiing operations are additional factors to be considered. Asbestos, vermin infestation and exposure to lead from paintwork and pipes are possible health hazards and evidence of any of these must also be included in any assessment. 

Also an emergency evacuation plan and the use of hot work permits may need to be considered at the initial site assessment stage. 

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Other site-specific requirements as identified in the initial site assessment (i.e., presence of contaminants or debris) (D109308, p. 2 D18976I, p. 5)... 

An initial site assessment focuses on initial data requirements from a specific perspective, for example, risk. It identifies current and potential future land use, receptors, and points of exposure. It identifies source areas and potential exposure (migration) pathways. 

Existing site information very likely comes from the initial site assessment or phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) done for that site. A phase I ESA normally includes a site inspection, a review of the relevant data, interviews, and a written report. When a phase II ESA is performed, more existing site information is obtained. A phase II contains (limited) soil sampling, done to determine the soil contaminants, or to determine the soil quality on- and off-site. Phase II ESAs have written reports including recommendations and have the extent of contamination delineated. 

Figure 2.5 Judgmental sampling. The placement of the tanks may have been recorded in documentary sources (e.g., from the initial site assessment). The zone sampled is only that around the known area.

A key component in the initial site assessment is the identification of human and environmental receptors potentially impacted by the site. An exposure pathway analysis relies on transport information to identify receptor or exposure points. For example, potentially significant transport and exposure pathways may include groundwater transport, vapor migration into buildings or utilities, etc. Current and potential future land use is identified as well as the potential for future installation of groundwater drinking water wells. If surface water has been impacted by the release, then appropriate surface-water exposure pathways will be identified. 

Develop the bioremediation process from initial site assessment to in situ treatment ... 

Initial/preliminary assessment of sites TT whole sediment B (Onorati et ah, 1998)... 

US EPA s support to brownfields cleanup started in 1995, just as the support to site assessments began. Although US EPA did not initially provide direct cleanup funds, it provided state and local governments with up to 1 million to create a revolving... 

Unit plans clearly assign primary responsibility for initial emergency assessment and reaction to the lead unit employee on site at the time of the event. Among the factors to be considered by that individual in making the initial assessment are ... 

A site assessment is the process designed to collect data necessary to evaluate whether contamination is present at the site and, if necessary, direct future work at the site. Under the ASTM RBCA process, limited data are collected to characterize the site with respect to the source area, location of actual or potential receptors, and any other information necessary to perform the Tier 1 screening analysis. By only collecting limited data, the site assessment focuses only on the information required to make an initial decision on the site. Additional data can be collected... 

The structure corresponds to the logical sequence of the analyses required for the definition of the design basis flood from the site survey stage up to the definition of the design basis and the periodic safety review on the basis of monitoring results. In particular. Section 3 deals with the preliminary investigation for site selection and Section 4 with final data collection for the site assessment up to the definition of the parameters (and probabilities, if required) for the cause of initiation of the flood (precipitation, tornadoes, earthquake and dam failures). 

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