Expect the Unexpected
As I’m typing this, I’m about 35,000 feet over Texas, flying toward a project that’s supposed to happen tomorrow, but in all likelihood isn’t. We’re often called for specialized environmental work, mostly in Louisiana, but sometimes in other parts of the country. In this case, I’m supposed to perform lead air sampling for a client who performs paint removal and coating services. So a couple of times every year we travel to different spots to help this client maintain their lead exposure assessment data. I’ll get to Kansas City today, and am supposed to be on the ground about 28 hours.
Due to an equipment scheduling glitch, it looks like all the contractor’s equipment won’t be on site, and if so there’ll be no blasting tomorrow. So there’s a very good chance that I’ll turn right around from Kansas City and go home. Or maybe I’ll sit around doing nothing for an as yet unknown amount of time, but I’m hoping that the unlikely happens – the equipment arrives at the site and I can get the job going on schedule. But it’s Monday, so I’m probably kidding myself.
Unfortunately, I didn’t learn of the scheduling problem until I got to Houston for my connecting flight to Kansas City. And I was about 20 minutes from boarding the connecting flight. So instead of bailing out and being stuck in Houston I decided that if I’m gonna get stuck, I might as well swing for the fence. Besides, I’ve never been to Kansas City. This has probably happened to you at some point.
Unknown Environmental Problems Can Lead to “Hurry Up and Wait”
We all have to deal with a certain amount of “hurry up and wait” in our professions, but hopefully not too much. Delays because of unfavorable weather or unknown site conditions are oftentimes unavoidable. In some cases, we may take for granted that we’ll get to start on time. But in the environmental hazard abatement and demolition field, the unknown, such as undiscovered asbestos and lead containing materials, unmapped underground utilities, underground storage tanks – you name it, can complicate projects. Hopefully delays (and not environmental releases or injuries – or worse) are all that result. Unknown environmental problems can take their toll – increased stress, difficulty, time, and costs.
A pile of debris, or hazardous waste hiding with regular construction debris?
If you’re about to start a renovation or demolition project, how can you avoid unknown site conditions and the unknown environmental problems that may pop up? First, think of the unknown environmental problems and other site conditions that could hinder your progress. Do you have comprehensive environmental survey data? Have all utilities been identified and marked? Maybe there are old drawings that show some of these items – or maybe your project team needs to do some exploratory work to identify potential problems and turn unknown environmental problems into known quantities that you can handle.
do your homework – investigate, and ask for help
Sometimes your project team does everything right – yet the project still encounters unknown environmental problems. Past project data may be incomplete or unreliable, so proceed with caution if you choose to use past data without screening to see if unknown environmental problems are present. And always remember to get utilities marked before beginning any excavation or demolition. Keep in mind that sometimes “hurry up and wait” may be unavoidable, and delaying work while you investigate environmental problems (and hopefully arrive at a workable solution) may be a good idea.
avoiding unknown environmental problems can help you avoid being Force choked by your client, or your boss
