H&S Environmental Impact Assessment

Description

The H&S Environmental Impact Assessment is a structured pre-construction risk evaluation focusing on the impact construction activities may have on an occupied building, its occupants, and shared infrastructure.

This assessment must be undertaken during the pre-construction phase to: 

  • Enable contractors to adequately plan mitigation measures
  • Inform selection of appropriate construction measures
  • Inform selection of appropriate construction methodologies
  • Influence sequencing and programming decisions 
  • Identify constraints arising from live environments 
  • Protect vulnerable occupants, critical research and operational continuity

The assessment evalutates how construction activities may impact: 

  • Building occupants (staff, students, visitors, patients where applicable)
  • Critical research environments (e.g. laboratories, clean rooms)
  • Shared building services and infrastructure
  • Adjacent buildings and external areas
  • Sensitive equipment and experiments

The assessment must be comprehensive and proportionate to the project complexity. It should identify forseeable construction impacts and define mitigation strategies early in the design process. Key areas to consider include (but are not limited to):

  • Noise
  • Dust and air quality
  • Vibration
  • Water (hot, cold, boosted systems)
  • Electricity (normal and emergency supplies)
  • Lifts (passenger and goods)
  • Fire detection and alarm systems 
  • Ventilation and pressure systems
  • Laboratory services (gases, extraction, specialist systems)
  • IT and data infrastructure
  • Access routes and emergency egress 
  • Waste management and logistics 
  • Working hours constraints
  • Security and segregation
  • Temporary works implications
  • Hazardous materials (e.g. asbestos, lead, chemicals)

The findings of this assessment must directly influence:

  • Phasing and sequencing strategy
  • Temporary works design
  • Communication plans with building users 

Where construction activities are expected to significantly affect building operations, a detailed mitigation and communication plan must be developed prior to tender issue.

Engagements

The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for initiating the H&S Environmental Impact Assessment at the earliest appropriate stage (ideally Stage 1).

The Principal Designer (PD) is responsible for coordinating the assessment and ensuring all designers contribute relevant impact information. 

A formal Impact Assessment Workshop should be held and to include:

  • Principal Designer (lead representative)
  • Project Manager
  • Health and Safety representative
  • Building Manager Maintenance Team
  • Laboratory or specialist user representatives (where applicable)

The assessment must be completed prior to the project is issued for tender

Forms & Links 

A standardised H&S Environmental Impact Assessment Template could be used to ensure consistency across projects. A standard impact assessment template structure should cover: 

  • Impact Category
  • Potential Impact 
  • Severity (1-5)
  • Likelihood (1-5)
  • Risk Rating 
  • Proposed Mitigation
  • Residual Risk
  • Responsible Party 

Approvals and Compliance

The completed Impact Assessment must be submitted to the Health and Safety Team for review prior to tender. The Impact Assessment must form part of the Pre-construction Information provided to contractors.

Repeated Subsequent RIBA Stages

The Impact Assessment should be updated at:

  • RIBA Stage 2
  • RIBA Stage 3
  • RIBA Stage 4