Environmental Effects

There are various activities in warehousing and distribution that can have a harmful effect on the environment and create pollution. They are,

• Hazardous waste: Hazardous materials are often found in a warehouse. These materials can be either raw materials or finished goods depending on the nature of your company’s products. However, a hazardous material is one that is capable of producing harmful physical effects such as a fire, sudden release of pressure and explosion or acute health effects, such as burns, convulsions and chronic effect such as organ damage and cancers. This also includes pesticides, flammable liquids, treatment chemicals etc.
• Distribution and Handling: Vandalism, failure of storage structures, fires and contaminated fire-water can all give rise to pollution. However, a large proportion of incidents involving drums occur during delivery and subsequent handling of containers, for example forklift damage or spillages. To minimise these risks where practical, delivery, handling and transfer or decanting areas should be designated, marked as such and isolated from the surface water drainage system, possibly with the use of ramps (sleeping policemen), sumps or drainage shut-off valves. As appropriate, use drum carriers, drum taps, funnels and containers with lids to minimise the risk of spillage during handling and transfer.
• Dealing with spillages: Spill kits containing materials such as leak-sealing putty, overdrums, drain seals, oil or chemical absorbents and personal protective equipment (PPE) should be located both within or near the storage area and also remote from it. Consider providing a ‘quarantine area’ where leaking containers can be placed safely. It is advisable to have a leak-sealing kit available at delivery and handling areas or other high-risk locations, to temporarily seal leaking drums.
• Waste disposal: A Waste Management Plan to outline measures to ensure the appropriate handling, storage and disposal of wastes generated during operations at the site. The plan shall be prepared in consultation with Council, and shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,
• identification of the types and quantities of waste that would be generated during operations, and the areas in which waste will be stored prior to removal
• standards and performance measures for dealing with this waste
• a detailed description of how this waste would be reused, recycled and, if necessary, appropriately treated and disposed of in accordance with the EPA’s guidelines on the Assessment, Classification and Management of Liquid and Non-Liquid Waste
• a description of how the effectiveness of these actions and measures would be monitored over time
• a description of what procedures would be followed to ensure compliance if any non-compliance is detected
• Design Consideration: The design features of any chosen storage option, be it a prefabricated system, purpose built or adapted system such as a converted freight container, should consider the following containment, security and safety measures
• means of containment and system integrity
• separation from ignition sources, process areas, occupied buildings and site boundaries
• fire resistance, including the effects of fire on the containment system
• fixed fire fighting systems
• security
• signage
• ventilation at high and low level (above bund)
• manual handling
• the need to segregate products
• Maintenance: Containment facilities should be inspected regularly, and checked at least weekly, to ensure that rainwater does not build up and that the bund or drip tray is clean and clear of product and debris. Keep a log of inspections and cleaning. Any accumulated rainwater should be pumped or bailed out only under controlled circumstances and, if contaminated, should be disposed of by a registered waste carrier. Any defects in the bund wall or lining should be repaired promptly, using the appropriate technique to ensure the bund retains its integrity.
• Forklift trucks: Forklifts are the key to keeping warehouses moving. In a conventional electric forklift, the energy used to drive the truck is stored as electricity in a lead-acid battery. In a fuel cell-powered forklift, energy is stored as hydrogen gas and converted into electricity as needed. Using fuel cells in high-throughput warehouse applications helps improve warehouse productivity, lower operating costs, and reduce waste products. Hydrogen fuel cells offer greater productivity because they can be rapidly refueled—in several minutes versus several hours for electric forklifts—eliminating the need to change batteries.

In a three-shift operation, three batteries plus a charger may be needed per forklift, as well as room to store and maintain them. Warehouses can reduce cost and labor by eliminating the need to purchase batteries and chargers. Another advantage to hydrogen fuel-powered forklifts is that the voltage delivered by a fuel cell remains constant. Unlike battery-powered forklifts, which slowly decrease in power as the battery weakens, fuel cell-powered vehicles do not experience performance degradation until the fuel runs out.