topic guide 1.2: identify and make recommendations on ... · 3 unit 1 ensure compliance with legal...

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Unit 1: Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements

Having looked at the areas for compliance (legal, regulatory, ethical and social) and at methods for compliance monitoring from an environmental perspective in Topic guide 1.1, we will now examine how to identify non-compliance, the possible reasons for non-compliance and how to make recommendations to ensure compliance.

This topic guide will cover: • identifying areas of non-compliance • examining reasons for non-compliance • making recommendations for corrections to ensure compliance.

Identify and make recommendations on areas of non-compliance1.2

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1.2: Identify and make recommendations on areas of non-compliance

1 Identifying areas of non-complianceBS EN ISO 14004 identifies nonconformity as non-fulfilment of a requirement in relation to the management system or in terms of environmental performance. Nonconformities could be due to either system performance or environmental performance. System performance nonconformities might include a failure to establish the environmental objectives or targets while performance nonconformities might include not achieving operating criteria (for example waste or emissions targets).

Environmental Management Systems (EMSs)There are a wide variety of operational tools and systems available to an environmental officer to help him or her monitor and ensure compliance. A structured system which monitors and manages the environmental impacts of an organisation’s activities is referred to as an Environmental Management System or EMS. As well as overseeing any environmental impacts, an EMS should also help in the planning, organisation and review of the environmental performance of a company’s activities. An EMS does not have to be managed solely by one individual in an organisation; often it will be the joint responsibility of a number of people, including at least one person at senior director level. There is a wide range of assistance and guidance available on management and implementation of an EMS from a variety of external sources.

Many of the environmental regulations looked at in Topic guide 1.1 require an EMS to be in place in order to gain a permit to carry out activities which may have an environmental impact.

An effective EMS should: • be implemented at a strategic level and integrated into corporate plans

and policies, thus indicating senior-level commitment and ensuring senior management understand their role in ensuring the success of an EMS

• identify the organisation’s impacts on the environment and set clear objectives and targets to improve management of these environmental impacts and the organisation’s overall environmental performance

• be designed to deliver and manage compliance with environmental laws and regulations on an ongoing basis, and will quickly identify any areas of non-compliance and instigate corrective and preventative action in such cases

• allow for efficient resource management and provide financial benefits • incorporate approved performance benchmarks that demonstrate the above • provide for recording and communication in a transparent manner in reports.

External agencies provide certification of internal EMSs and in turn they are accredited by the relevant International Standards Organization. The BS EN ISO 14000 series is the overarching set of standards for the organisation of an EMS and it is this standard which will be referred to in this topic guide when setting out advice on meeting the requirements for an EMS.

Key termEMS – Environmental Management System – a structured system which monitors and manages the environmental impacts of an organisation’s activities.

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The BS EN ISO 14000 seriesThe BS EN ISO 14000 series is a set of standards covering environmental management for use by companies. Here is a summary of the standards in the series.

• ISO 14001 – the basis of the ISO 14000 series – specifies a framework for an EMS against which an organisation can be certified by a third party.

• ISO 14004 provides guidance on the development and implementation of EMSs. • ISO 14010 provides general principles of environmental auditing, ISO 14011

provides specific guidance on auditing an EMS and ISO 14012 provides guidance on qualification criteria for environmental auditors and lead auditors. These have all been superseded by ISO 19011.

• ISO 14013/5 provides audit programme review and assessment material. • ISO 14020 provides guidance for the development and use of environmental

labels and declarations. • ISO 14030 provides guidance on performance targets and monitoring within

an EMS. • ISO 14040 covers life cycle issues.

The 14000 series is based on the plan-do-check-act principle. Further examination on the standards, in particular 14004, will be included later in this topic guide.

Case study: FirstGroup PLC – reducing costsAs a leading public transport operator, FirstGroup PLC responded to the challenge of reducing carbon emissions from travel by implementing ISO 14001 across its different operating units to demonstrate that the company is proactive in identifying environmental aspects and impacts and driving down risks. Today every one of FirstGroup’s UK bus companies across its five operating regions and First Group’s five train operating companies have been successfully audited and assessed by BSI to the standard.

By doing so, FirstGroup has benefitted from enhanced operational effectiveness, reduced costs and improved profits. Moreover, ISO 14001 now plays an integral role in ensuring transparency across the organisation and allowing each business unit to link carbon targets to their business plans. As a result of the activity, the company has achieved:

• 18% reduction in energy consumption across the UK property portfolio in 2012 • 7% reduction in water usage in 2012 • 5% increase in waste recycling levels in 2012 – leading to a 58% diversion of waste from landfill • 3% reduction in CO

2 equivalent emissions (per passenger km) since 2010/11 baseline within UK

Bus operations • 2.3% fuel efficiency improvements in the UK Bus division due to DriveGreen technology • 23% reduction in air emissions from their UK Bus operations since 2008/09.

Private firms offer independent toolkits and software to help implement an EMS. These may be available for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) or specialist versions may be available for use by specific industries such as engineering and construction. The Environment Agency provides a number of free toolkits for use by SMEs and specialist industries, while the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) offers lots of detailed advice to many industries, including specialist areas within construction and waste management.

Non-compliance is identified through the systematic implementation of a well-managed and thorough EMS, ideally one which is based on the requirements set out in EN 14001.

Key termSME – small to medium-sized enterprise.

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The EMS will include recommendations for an internal audit system which, when properly implemented and maintained, will highlight areas of non-compliance with the system’s own targets or operating parameters. The audit would take place within the ‘check’ phase of the ‘plan-do-check-act’ system. The internal audit system can also highlight high functioning parts of the system, or opportunities for improvement.

A programme of audits should be established and internal or external personnel nominated to carry out the audit. Personnel should be trained in the auditing process and should be technically competent in the company’s field of operation.

Audits of company performance will not be reliable without accurate records of operations and performance towards environmental targets or objectives. The correct, accurate and timely keeping of records is therefore a key part of the process of identifying non-compliance.

Recorded information should include: • information on compliance with applicable legal requirements and other

requirements to which the organisation subscribes • details of nonconformities and corrective and preventative actions • results of EMS audits and management reviews • information on environmental attributes of products (e.g. chemical

composition and properties) • evidence of fulfilment of objectives/targets • information on participation in training • permits, licences or other forms of legal authorisation • results of inspection and calibration activity • results of operational controls (maintenance, design, manufacture).

As compliance is measured by checking actual operations and procedures against legal and regulatory requirements, as well as internal targets, organisations are often unaware of when exactly they may be in non-compliance with regard to legal and regulatory requirements due to the changing nature of these benchmarks. Some areas of legal compliance are subject to frequent amendments and updates, with changes in regulation often following.

In manufacturing, engineering, construction and building services engineering, likely areas of non-compliance would include energy and fuel use, waste products, transportation and environmental impacts of activities.

Local authority monitoring of construction work complianceEvery local authority has a well-established system of monitoring and ensuring compliance with the building regulations. This is referred to as ‘building control’ and monitoring takes place through local authority appointed building inspectors who visit and inspect building work as it proceeds. Construction work which does not comply with environmental or other standards such as structural safety will not be approved and the completed building may ultimately be unsaleable if it does not have a ‘completion certificate’ verifying that construction has met the building regulations standards. Non-compliance is avoided by submitting plans and structural information to the building control department in advance and incorporating advice from the building control officers before and during works.

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Role of the HSE in identifying non-complianceThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing body for health and safety legislation and regulations in the UK. The HSE has a mandate to inspect any workplace, including building sites, and it is one of the responsibilities of the contractor to inform the HSE that work is taking place at a particular address prior to the commencement of the project. The HSE will inspect any site and provide advice on areas of non-compliance. If there are serious breaches of compliance, or if the site is deemed to be unsafe, then the HSE has the power to close the site until compliance is met.

Environment Agency monitoring and compliance toolsAny business which is responsible for any type of emission to air, water or land requires a permit to operate from the Environment Agency (EA). The EA operates a compliance ‘framework’ known as the Monitoring Certification Scheme, or MCERTS.

The MCERTS qualification covers: • continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) • manual stack emissions monitoring • continuous ambient air quality monitoring systems (CAMS) • portable emissions monitoring equipment • continuous water monitoring equipment • self-monitoring of effluent flow • chemical testing of soil.

Under this scheme, the EA issues advice on how businesses should monitor and manage their emissions to land, water or air. MCERTS qualified personnel then monitor and record emissions data for the operator to EA approved standards. Detailed technical guidance on monitoring and sampling requirements is provided by the EA on a range of emission types, including emissions from stacks, ash, discharges to water and sewers, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Operator Monitoring Assessments (OMAs) are guidance and training documents available from the EA which assist the operator in monitoring their emissions. OMA report sheets standardise monitoring and reporting to EA regulations and further ensure the operator is acting within regulations and the law.

The EA also assesses risk for different industries or activities under its Operational Risk Assessment (OPRA) scheme.

The Compliance Classification Scheme (CCS) categorises potential to cause harm in the event of non-compliance with environmental regulations. The CCS is categorised as shown in Table 1.2.1.

CCS category Possible effects

1 major environmental impact

2 significant environmental impact

3 minor environmental impact

4 no environmental impact

Table 1.2.1: The Compliance Classification Scheme shows potential

effects of non-compliance at an EA permitted site.

The monitoring and compliance information referred to here is available from the EA’s website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/regulation/31821.aspx.

Key termsHSE – Health and Safety Executive – the enforcing body for health and safety legislation and regulations in the UK.

EA – Environment Agency.

MCERTS – the Monitoring Certification Scheme.

CEMS – continuous emissions monitoring systems.

CAMS – continuous ambient air quality monitoring systems.

VOCs – volatile organic compounds.

OMAs – Operator Monitoring Assessments.

OPRA – Operational Risk Assessment.

CCS – Compliance Classification Scheme.

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Non-compliance response

Official responses to non-compliance can vary from no action to heavy fines or custodial sentences for individuals. A hierarchy of responses is shown in Figure 1.2.1 below, ranked in severity from least to greatest.

Variation topermit conditions

Noaction

Prosecution

Regulator’s press release

Suspension / revocation of permit

Enforcement / improvement / prohibition notices

Additional inspections

Formal written warning

Informal site warning

Enforcement action can mean more than a financial penalty; it can lead to a loss of business because of poor publicity and damaged public perception of the company. It can also lead to reduced production because of workforce and other stakeholder concerns.

Case study: Brownfield sites and remediationOver 60 per cent of new housing developments are now made on previously developed, or brownfield, sites. These types of sites often include existing buildings which need to be demolished and the land is often mildly polluted by previous, often industrial, activities on the site. Therefore, brownfield sites often need to be cleaned up, which involves removing contaminants from the soil or groundwater.

A former hospital site in Kent was to be developed into a mixed use scheme including residential, recreational and school buildings and a significant amount of landscaping.

A detailed soil survey of the site led to the development of a soil resource plan for the project which would utilise existing low-grade topsoil, natural subsoil, demolition materials, waste sand and green waste. The soil resource plan was incorporated into the landscaping design and specifications resulting in savings of approximately £400,000 over importing topsoil. The project had reserves of topsoil which were used for other housing and infrastructure developments.

Figure 1.2.2: A brownfield site before it has been developed.

Figure 1.2.1: Official responses to non-compliance with environmental

regulations.

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ChecklistUsing the approved auditing process and with competent staff, regularly check actual

company environmental performance against the EMS targets and against the legal and regulatory limits for each area.

In England and Wales, using MCERTS and OMA recording sheets will help standardise complex data examination and highlight performance and level of compliance.

Local authority and other bodies such as the HSE will be able to help and advise on ensuring compliance with environmental performance.

ActivityDiscuss the following examples of compliance issues and highlight potential areas where the organisation may be in non-compliance with legal, regulatory, social or ethical requirements, or where they may be able to improve their performance.1 Your construction company is midway through a large refurbishment project; stripping out

and demolition is taking place alongside new construction and a lot of waste material is being generated. The waste materials consist mainly of timber, masonry and packaging, all of which are placed in a skip. Each day a licensed waste company takes away about three to four full skips of mixed waste.

2 Your heating installation company has recently been awarded the contract to replace all the hot water boilers in a block of 80 social housing flats. The contractual obligation as agreed is to disconnect the gas, remove the old boiler and fit the new one, test and ensure the new boiler is working and instruct the tenant in the use of the new boiler. The tenant is expected to dispose of the old boiler.

3 Your engineering factory uses surface water collected in a rainwater harvesting system in the cooling circuit of a manufacturing plant. The water in the cooling circuit is not mixed with any chemical coolant or any other material and is returned to a groundwater outlet without any additives but at a temperature of up to 38°C.

Portfolio activity (2.1)Research the BS EN ISO 14000 series. Retain copies of your company’s EMS documentation and make an assessment of how well the EMS meets the requirements of BS EN ISO 14000. If your company’s EMS is managed by an outside agency, ask for details on their procedure and how they meet BS EN ISO 14000. Retain records of all communication for your portfolio.

Summary • You can identify areas of non-compliance by implementing a good EMS. • If you do not already have a well-defined EMS, then initiate one. • A good EMS will be supported by the principles outlined in BS EN ISO 014000.

2 Examine reasons for non-complianceHaving implemented and carried out one cycle of the EMS, the environmental officer or department may have identified areas of non-compliance and taken the necessary action to rectify performance. At this point it is important to consider why the company has failed in complying with the requirements, to prevent future lapses and to improve the EMS.

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There may be many reasons why non-compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical or social requirements is found during the EMS audit.

These may be linked to the operating culture of the company or workforce, who may require more education or training in the justification and methods for environmental compliance. For multinational companies, ambitious environmental goals set in one country may not be so highly regarded by other countries. There may be cost factors attached to educating staff or in purchasing specialist or better performing equipment. Often, cheap methods of production taking place away from the investor nation, coupled with well-established routines and a poorly educated workforce, combine to produce environmentally weak performance. This highlights the importance of a rigorous supply chain management system (discussed in Topic guide 1.1) and observation of international regulations. It may also be the case that there is already an EMS in place which is not rigorous enough or which does not set out responsibilities clearly enough, with the result that certain areas of compliance are neglected. If it is the first generation of a new EMS then it simply may not be effective enough, especially in complex cases with a lot of secondary parties or large organisations operating globally.

General reasons for non-complianceAssuming that there is an EMS in place and the review stage of the EMS has highlighted areas of non-compliance, general reasons for non-compliance may include:

• shortcomings in the EMS • changing business circumstances • changing economic situation/priorities • changing operating procedures • operations in new countries or regions • new laws or regulations • industrial action • health and safety breach – accidents • natural causes such as unpredictable weather or storms • poor initial target setting.

Root causes of non-complianceA study into environmental non-compliance by the United States Environmental Protection Agency found that the vast majority of non-compliance events were due to multiple reasons, the root causes being:

• operator unaware of where a regulation applies • human error • operating procedure not followed • equipment design or installation problem • procedure not followed by contracted services such as sub-contractors,

suppliers and handlers • poor communication between operator and regulatory agencies.

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In addition, a number of contributory factors have been identified, including: • management failure to identify environmental compliance aspects of

processes and operations • poor reporting or notification procedures • contradictory interpretation of regulations • insufficient audit programme and routine site and equipment checks.

After identifying areas of, and finding reasons for, non-compliance, the EMS must be amended to ensure similar breaches do not happen again. This is a natural part of the development cycle of an EMS and a new system may have a steep improvement curve when it is first put into place. Reasons for non-compliance must be examined and their root cause identified and classified according to whether capital, operating or training-based improvement is required (see the next section). Any contributory factors similar to those outlined above must also be considered and appropriate amendments made to procedures.

Case study: Company SA UK construction and civil engineering company was fined £4000 in February 2013 for carrying out illegal work, thus causing pollution to a nearby river. The company carried out work without the necessary licence under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) Regulations, 2011. The company’s permit did not include permission to construct certain works, including an access track, and it was found not to have taken adequate measures to prevent silt from entering the watercourse.

Portfolio activity (2.2)Select an area of operational compliance that you have some responsibility for, or are particularly interested in (for example transport, emissions monitoring or waste management). Research the common causes of non-compliance in your selected area including cases where companies have been prosecuted. Ensure your research is thorough, recent and, as far as possible, close to your own operating area. From this research draft a report outlining the common causes of non-compliance in other companies and what non-compliance has cost the operators, not only financially but in terms of publicity, supplier and customer confidence, and community relations.

Summary

Always examine the reasons for non-compliance by looking closely at procedures and operations leading to any incidences of non-compliance, including human factors such as bad practice or poor communication, and workplace factors such as outdated or incorrectly commissioned equipment.

3 Make recommendations for corrections to ensure compliance

Having identified the areas of, and examined the reasons for, non-compliance, the organisation needs to make recommendations for improvement. This can take place during a management review of an EMS; this review would take place within the ‘act’ phase of the ‘plan-do-check-act’ system, as set out in ISO 14000.

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The easiest recommendations to make are those which directly respond to issues highlighted as non-compliance and for which direct reasons have been found, such as the root causes listed in Table 1.2.2.

Root causes of non-compliance Recommendation for solutions

1 Operator unaware of where a regulation applies Education and training

2 Human error Education and training

3 Operating procedure not followed Education and training

4 Equipment design or installation problem Capital investment

5 Procedure not followed by contracted services such as sub-contractors, suppliers and handlers

Improved communication procedures

6 Poor communication between operator and regulatory agencies

Improved communication procedures

Table 1.2.2: Recommendations of solutions for cases of non-compliance

As you can see from Table 1.2.2, causes 1, 2 and 3 may be addressed by education and training of staff and improved staff monitoring. Companies implementing an EMS for the first time may have to provide extensive staff training if widespread new procedures are being integrated to an existing system. Ongoing training should also be provided for any staff with responsibility for the environmental performance of the company.

Causes 5 and 6 may be considered largely as communication issues and can be addressed with improved contact arrangements and clearly defined agreements about the areas of responsibility for each party. In the case of sub-contractor/supplier/handler failure then the adoption of more rigorous contracts and monitoring procedures may be required. Secondary parties such as sub-contractors may feel less ownership of, or responsibility for, the effective environmental performance of the main operator; this may also be addressed with improved training or education which may have to be provided by the operator.

Addressing cause 4 may be a simple matter of re-calibrating or commissioning equipment; if the equipment is outdated, or is no longer able to meet the requirements of current legislation, then additional investment may be required.

In general, recommendations for the improvement of environmental performance to meet compliance targets will consist of:

• capital investment (new equipment or adjustments to existing equipment) • staff investment (training existing staff and/or appointing new staff with skills

in environmental monitoring and management) • process review (operational changes, improved communication between

operator and regulatory agencies or operator and secondary parties).

Opportunities for improvement to the EMSISO 14004 recommends periodic review of the EMS to ensure that non-compliance does not occur due to a poor EMS. The standard recommends sources of information to aid improvement of the EMS. These are:

• experience gained from corrective and preventive actions • external benchmarking against best practices

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• intended or proposed changes applicable to legal requirements and other requirements to which the organisation subscribes

• results of environmental management system and compliance audits • results of monitoring of key characteristics of operations • results of progress towards achieving objectives and targets • views of interested parties, including employees, customers and suppliers.

ISO 14004 also provides basic practical advice on improving the EMS by: • establishing a process for evaluating new materials to promote the use of less

harmful materials • improving an organisation’s process for identifying applicable legal

requirements so that new compliance requirements are identified in a more timely fashion

• improving employee training on materials and handling to reduce an organisation’s generation of waste and/or introducing waste water treatment processes to allow water reuse

• implementing changes in default settings on reproduction equipment to print two-sided copies at a printing office

• redesigning delivery routes to reduce fossil fuel consumption by transportation companies, and setting objectives and targets to implement fuel substitution in boiler operations and reduce particulate emissions.

Case study: Wembley stadium access corridorAn access corridor to the new Wembley stadium consisting of a new three-lane road with bus lay-bys on both sides, a new 4 metre footway/cycle path and two new footbridges over the River Brent was to involve the demolition and removal of about 750 tonnes of concrete, masonry, steel and timber. Careful management of the demolition process and design of the proposed works ensured that 100 per cent of the concrete and masonry was used in the new scheme and 100 per cent of the steel was recycled off-site. Including timber, glass and other waste materials arising from the demolition, 96 per cent of the existing material was either reused or recycled, resulting in savings of about £24,000 in aggregates and the elimination of about 300 road vehicle journeys in transporting the demolition material.

ActivityUsing your own construction, building services or manufacturing engineering firm, or using tutor-supplied data, examine each of the practical advice points above as outlined in ISO 14004 and make recommendations where possible to improve the company’s environmental performance.

BiofuelA wide variety of small businesses are linking fuel efficiency with waste management by running vehicles on biofuel – a diesel fuel substitute made from used cooking oil. Localised collection schemes are set up to collect the waste oil from restaurants and fast food outlets; the oil is processed and is either sold on or used directly in modified diesel engine vehicles.

Good quality biofuels burn more cleanly and produce fewer emissions than fossil fuels. Using biofuel as a replacement for fossil fuel vastly reduces the potential carbon footprint of company transport and logistics. It also potentially supports local or start-up enterprises (thus reducing waste in another sector)

Key termCarbon footprint – in this instance, the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the activities of a business.

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A number of local authorities and London boroughs are working towards running their vehicles on biofuel, with Richmond council leading the way having begun to convert its fleet of vehicles in 2009.

The entire waste oil output from catering facilities at Heathrow airport is now collected and sent for reprocessing and there are collection schemes in most localities, as well as larger national collectors.

Activity1 Investigate biofuel suppliers and users in your local area, including your local authority.

Is there potential for a biofuel transition in your company?2 What are your company’s existing transport fuel costs? How would they compare to

using biofuel?3 What is your company’s existing carbon dioxide output due to transport? Investigate how this

could be reduced by using biofuels.

Summary

The most common areas of non-compliance in construction and engineering are likely to be the management of waste, emissions to air, soil and water, and wildlife and conservation issues. If a good EMS is already in place, then many of these issues may be addressed through better education and communication. In some cases additional investment may need to be made in plant and equipment.

Construction demolition waste was the biggest contributing waste type to illegal waste sites in 2011. However, with careful management, a lot of construction demolition waste can be reused, recycled or have energy recovered from it, thus creating a product from the waste as well as saving on its disposal.

Portfolio activity (2.3)1 Locate your company’s EMS documentation, including documentation associated with the most

recent review. If you are not already involved in the process, aim to become involved in the next review. Log and retain any activities you have been involved in concerning the EMS – this will include communication with colleagues and regulatory or government agencies. Highlight any amendments to the EMS which you have been instrumental in creating or implementing.

2 Using the research data gained in Portfolio activity 2.2, draft a further detailed report making recommendations to avoid non-compliance in the examples you have found for other companies operating in an area similar to your own. In your report make reference to how your company operates in the areas referred to and how your company may improve its environmental performance over the required minimum. Provide opportunities for cross-assessment by adding references to your detailed knowledge of legislation and regulations, your observations on social and ethical matters relating to non-compliance, and any first-hand experience you have of making changes in any of the operational areas being examined.

ChecklistAt the end of this topic guide you should be familiar with: during what stage of an EMS you would identify non-compliance issues what kind of information should be recorded and examined during an EMS audit the general reasons commonly found for non-compliance actions that could be taken in response to non-compliance what recommendations you could give for improving staff compliance with regulations.

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Further reading and resourcesThere are a number of useful pages in the extensive Environment Agency website:www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/regulation/31821.aspxwww.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/144678.aspxwww.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/permitting/default.aspx

Other useful sites include the following.www.epaw.co.uk/ept/welc1.htmlwww.netregs.org.uk/legislation.aspxwww.gov.uk/environmental-regulationswww.creative-choices.co.uk/develop-your-career/unit/cr59www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/management-standards/iso14000.htmwww.iema.net/environmental-management-audit-and-compliancewww.edie.net/index.aspwww.managers.org.uk/page/best-practice-environmental-management-guidance-managers

AcknowledgementsThe publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their photographs:

Alamy Images: Jeff Morgan 15 (7); Science Photo Library Ltd: Monty Rakusen (1)

All other images © Pearson Education

We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:

FirstGroup plc for an extract about FirstGroup plc energy savings from ISO14001 on p.3. Reproduced by permission.

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and we apologise in advance for any unintentional omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement in any subsequent edition of this publication.

About the authorDamian McGeary is a construction lecturer with over 15 years combined experience in teaching at secondary and tertiary levels and working in industry. He has honours degrees in engineering and architecture, a post graduate certificate in mathematics teaching and a post graduate certificate in sustainable architecture. Damian currently teaches construction and mathematics in the University Technical College system in a construction and engineering specialist college; previously he has taught construction theory to Level 3 and housing studies at degree level in a further education environment, as well as mathematics up to A Level within the secondary comprehensive sector.

Damian’s construction industry experience is within architecture and he has been involved in the design of large scale residential new builds, retail refurbishment and healthcare projects including design of units for mental health patients. He has wide experience in managing local authority planning applications, assessing and designing for improved environmental performance and managing the production of building regulations approval and construction stage specifications documents and drawing packages. Damian is also a co-director of a small architectural practice specialising in bespoke residential design and refurbishment projects.

Damian’s publishing work has included technically reviewing the recent editions of the industry standard texts Construction Technology and Advanced Construction Technology. He has also written materials for the Fundamentals of Environmental Technology and Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) and has worked on Level 2 BTEC material.

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