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Environmental (waste) compliance control systems for UK SMEs

Environmental (waste) compliance control systems for UK SMEs
Environmental (waste) compliance control systems for UK SMEs
While the ‘environment’ is often perceived as a heavily regulated area of business, in reality, directly-regulated businesses represent a small proportion of the business community. This study aimed to evaluate and outline potential improvements to compliance controls for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly those involved in the waste sector. Forty-four SMEs from England were interviewed/audited between April-September 2008. Using a UK-based system as a case-in-point, the Environment Agency’s (EA) Operational Risk Appraisal (‘Opra’)/Compliance Assessment Report (CAR) system was analysed. Environmental compliance performance indicators and an initial assessment methodology for SMEs were developed. The study showed:
• Compliance with permitting legislation was poor in many areas.
• Regulatory authorities are either unable/failing to implement their enforcement policies or unable/failing to identify non-compliances due to the infrequency or limited nature of their inspections.
• Improvements are needed to the EA Opra/CAR system – control measures are not fully taken into account when calculating risk.
Recommendations to improve SME compliance controls include using internationally applicable general and specific compliance and non-compliance performance indicators, re-designing the Opra system and using an initial assessment methodology based on understanding the hazardousness of SME categories, compliance levels and operator competency.
contracts & law, risk and probability analysis, waste management & disposal
1747-6526
37-50
Wilson, Christopher D.H.
93952699-50db-452a-82e9-cb2c9661540b
Williams, Ian David
c9d674ac-ee69-4937-ab43-17e716266e22
Kemp, Simon
942b35c0-3584-4ca1-bf9e-5f07790d6e36
Wilson, Christopher D.H.
93952699-50db-452a-82e9-cb2c9661540b
Williams, Ian David
c9d674ac-ee69-4937-ab43-17e716266e22
Kemp, Simon
942b35c0-3584-4ca1-bf9e-5f07790d6e36

Wilson, Christopher D.H., Williams, Ian David and Kemp, Simon (2015) Environmental (waste) compliance control systems for UK SMEs. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Waste and Resource Management, 168 (1), 37-50. (doi:10.1680/warm.14.00007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

While the ‘environment’ is often perceived as a heavily regulated area of business, in reality, directly-regulated businesses represent a small proportion of the business community. This study aimed to evaluate and outline potential improvements to compliance controls for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly those involved in the waste sector. Forty-four SMEs from England were interviewed/audited between April-September 2008. Using a UK-based system as a case-in-point, the Environment Agency’s (EA) Operational Risk Appraisal (‘Opra’)/Compliance Assessment Report (CAR) system was analysed. Environmental compliance performance indicators and an initial assessment methodology for SMEs were developed. The study showed:
• Compliance with permitting legislation was poor in many areas.
• Regulatory authorities are either unable/failing to implement their enforcement policies or unable/failing to identify non-compliances due to the infrequency or limited nature of their inspections.
• Improvements are needed to the EA Opra/CAR system – control measures are not fully taken into account when calculating risk.
Recommendations to improve SME compliance controls include using internationally applicable general and specific compliance and non-compliance performance indicators, re-designing the Opra system and using an initial assessment methodology based on understanding the hazardousness of SME categories, compliance levels and operator competency.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 17 October 2014
Published date: 1 February 2015
Keywords: contracts & law, risk and probability analysis, waste management & disposal
Organisations: Centre for Environmental Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 373665
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/373665
ISSN: 1747-6526
PURE UUID: 069219ea-8e3f-49c5-9ce0-bf5bde4e0546
ORCID for Ian David Williams: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0121-1219

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 27 Jan 2015 16:53
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:22

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Contributors

Author: Christopher D.H. Wilson
Author: Simon Kemp

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