Author: zone_admin

Energy efficiency

Posted on by zone_admin

The adequate or necessary consumption of energy is a type of measure that must be adopted in the use of said resource, incorporating more efficient electrical devices, that is, they consume less energy than the average electrical device, obtaining the same result; as well as making use of spaces with greater lighting, for the adequate use of sunlight.

For the Economic Commission of Latin America (ECLAC), the sectors that must implement energy efficiency are the sectors with the highest greenhouse gases (GHGs); Residential, Industrial, Services, Agriculture, Transport and Energy.

The importance of energy efficiency is based on four points;

  1. Increased energy consumption due to global growth.
  2. Increase in the cost of energy.
  3. Reality of climate change.
  4. Medium and long-term economic savings, implementing adequate energy consumption measures.

Energy efficiency encourages the consumption of renewable energies, to achieve a balance in the emissions produced, since it is estimated that the growth of the world population will increase by 1,000 million by the year 2030 according to the United Nations Organization. Without a doubt, there will be a greater demand for energy and therefore a greater generation of GHG emissions. Hence, it is absolutely necessary for future generations to incorporate energy efficiency activities into their way of life.

Below we will mention some of the most effective measures to achieve efficient energy consumption:

  1. Improve ventilation environments in the infrastructure.
  2. Change traditional lamps for LED or saving bulbs.
  3. Implement low consumption electronic devices.
  4. Carry out an Energy Efficiency Plan, to know the real consumption of electrical appliances.
  5. Implement solar techniques for heating water.
  6. Incorporate air conditioning systems with greater efficiency.
  7. Promote energy efficiency in public lighting, implementing saving lights.
  8. Promote the implementation of energy efficiency in education.

These are measures that have to be incorporated in order to achieve energy efficiency. To achieve significant effects, it is necessary to implement them in all sectors and establish energy saving policies in order to achieve sustainability.

Carbon Bonds and REDD Strategy

Posted on by zone_admin

The Kyoto Protocol (2005) aims to force developed and developing countries to fight for climate change through international action to reduce emissions of Greenhouse Gases -GHG- that are responsible for global warming. .  

In this way, the famous “carbon bonds” arise, considered an international mechanism to offset carbon emissions to the environment.  

These bonds consider the right to pollute as an exchangeable good and with a price established in the international market. The transaction of carbon credits allows mitigating the generation of polluting gases.  

Specifically for the forest issue in 2007, the Strategy for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation (REDD+) was created in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which seeks to recognize and provide positive incentives to developing countries to protect their forest resources, improve their management and use them sustainably, especially conservation of carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and the increase of forest reserves in developing countries.  

At the governmental level, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, together with the institutions that seek the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and support from the international community, seek to create a framework of policies, actions and activities that allow the reduction of emissions by promoting the conservation and sustainable use of forests.  

Currently in Guatemala, there are projects dedicated to these actions, such as Guatecarbon, located in the multiple use zone of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve in the department of El Petén, seeking to reduce deforestation, reducing river sedimentation, preserving the biodiversity that is being produced by the expansion of the agricultural and livestock frontier.  

Guatecarbon integrates the private initiative, foreign investment, government entities, community associations, which is an action of great importance of inter-institutional work to achieve the conservation of the environment and prevent its contamination.

    

Recycling duties increase for consumers and businesses in Costa Rica

Posted on by zone_admin

Recently, Law 10031 entered into force, which modified the General Law for Comprehensive Waste Management (LGIR), expanding the recycling duties of the population in general and of companies that produce goods whose recycling is determined as a priority.

Let us remember that according to the LGIR, the application of the 3 R scheme (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) is mandatory for the entire population, since article 43 of the Law establishes that it is the duty of every person or company:

  • Reduce waste generation whenever possible.
  • Separate waste from its source, classify it and deliver it to an authorized manager. In the case of domestic waste, it must be delivered to the Municipality, also separately for recovery.

Under the new reform, these duties are reinforced through the new article 24, which establishes that all potentially recoverable waste must be used for that purpose. In particular, the new text of the Law creates the classification of “priority products” and establishes that the producers of these must guarantee the collection of the waste generated from them, free of charge and without the collection depending on the purchase of another product.

According to the Law, the priority products are:

  • a) Lubricating oils.
  • b) Electrical and electronic devices.
  • c) Batteries.
  • d) Tires.
  • e) batteries.

For their part, consumers of this type of product have the duty to separate priority waste from all other waste and deliver it to the places designated by the municipalities or their producers.

The practical application of this type of duties entails various challenges, but for this the Law provides for the possibility of adopting economic mechanisms such as deposit and reimbursement systems or collection schemes for waste collection services based on the generation of each person, which they can serve as economic incentives for recycling.

Finally, it should be noted that the correct management of waste is of vital importance for the conservation of ecosystems, the fight against climate change and even the implementation of a circular economy where the production costs of goods and services are reduced by use waste as raw material.

International quality standards in food safety management FSSC 22000 Standard

Posted on by zone_admin

FSSC 22000 is a Food Safety Management System certification scheme recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative). It can be obtained by organizations that participate in the food chain processing or manufacturing animal products, perishable vegetables, with a long shelf life, food ingredients such as additives, vitamins and organic crops, as well as materials for food packaging. 

 Category of companies to which it applies : 

  • Perishable products for animals. 
  • Vegetable perishables. 
  • Processed foods and products with long shelf life at room temperature. 
  • (Bio)chemical manufacturing. 
  • Pet food. 
  • Food packaging manufacturing. 

FSSC 2000 implies a focus on food safety risk management throughout the supply chain, being  the result of the union of the ISO 220000 Food Safety Management Standard and PAS 220  (or ISO/TS 22002-1) , the scope has been extended to packaging through the inclusion of the new technical specification  PAS 223  (or ISO/TS 22002-4), the program of technical and design prerequisites for food safety in the manufacture and supply of food packaging .  

In application of the standard, a series of Prerequisite Programs (PPR) must be established, which are described as basic conditions and activities that are necessary to maintain, throughout the entire food chain, an appropriate hygienic environment for the production, handling and provision of final products, taking into consideration the following: 

  • The construction and design of buildings and related facilities. 
  • Distribution of premises and work space. 
  • Supply of air, water, energy and other services. 
  • Waste disposal. 
  • The suitability, cleanliness and maintenance of the equipment.  
  • Management of purchased materials. 
  • Measures for the prevention of cross contamination. 
  • Cleaning and disinfection.  
  • Pest control.  
  • Personal hygiene and facilities for employees.  
  • Reprocessed. 
  • Product recall procedure. 
  • Storage. 
  • Consumer information/awareness. 
  • Food defense, biovigilance and bioterrorism. 

The Standard establishes a reference framework for food safety requirements through a  Food Safety Management System , the incorporation of  Good Practices , and  considers the principles for hazard analysis and critical control points ( HACCP ). 

 Benefits of an FSSC 22000 Certification 

  • Compliance with international food standards. 
  • Improves food safety. 
  • Optimizes the quality of your products and processes. 
  • Liability risk reduction. 
  • Increase in international market opportunities. 
  • Protect the brand. 

Why is FSSC 22000 important to your organization? 

An FSSC 22000 certification demonstrates compliance with legal requirements and companies’ commitment to identify, control and manage food safety risks, building trust with their business partners.  

FSSC 22000 provides flexibility and being a standard based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) allows the company to integrate with other management systems already implemented within a company, such as ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management). 

  

The importance of an environmental regency

Posted on by zone_admin

In the business environment, there is a diversity of obligations and requirements that must be developed and fulfilled, both at the national and international legal level, internal requirements of the company or of the parent companies, among others.  

One aspect that is generally the least attended by companies is that related to environmental aspects. Because it is an unknown, new, different and unusual subject, the collaborators, directors or managers in charge have a large amount of work, various areas and tasks in charge or little experience in the subject.  

This lack of knowledge and little attention can generate carelessness and breaches of environmental legal requirements by companies, generally related to wastewater treatment plants, final disposal of solid and hazardous waste, groundwater management, environmental instruments, control of noise and emissions, which can result in: fines, license suspensions, closures, administrative and criminal complaints. 

The environmental regency can be defined as the series of actions aimed at carrying out control, compliance and monitoring of environmental obligations by companies. It must be carried out by an expert, with experience in both technical and legal matters. First of all, these environmental obligations must be those established in current national and international environmental laws and those set internally by companies to meet quality standards or internal management standards.  

From this account, the environmental regency practically becomes a crutch or key support towards the collaborators, directors or  in  – house managers  of the companies and guarantee in an effective, professional and comprehensive way that the company is in compliance with national and international standards in environmental issues.  

Risk Prevention Management Programs in El Salvador

Posted on by zone_admin

The General Law on Risk Prevention in the Workplaces of El Salvador is intended to establish responsibilities that guarantee a minimum level of protection of the safety and health of workers against the risks inherent to their activity. This law is in turn the result of the approval of the Convention on Safety and Health of Workers and the Work Environment, known as the ILO Convention 155.

As of April 28, 2012, the Law was mandatory in all private or public workplaces. For this reason, no Autonomous Institution of the public sector can allege the existence of a special or preferential legal regime on this same subject. As of the date indicated, employers have been obliged to guarantee protection in terms of health and safety of workers against occupational hazards. The entity that enforces the law is the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, through the General Directorate of Labor Inspection and the General Directorate of Social Welfare.

One of the essential points of the law is that every employer must have an Occupational Risk Prevention Management Program, guaranteeing the effective participation of workers in its formulation and implementation. Thus, article 8 of the Law in reference, states only in a general way what the content of the Program could be. This situation gives rise to the inspectors of the General Directorate of Labor, when evaluating the implementation, to impose fines for considering that the Management Program is formulated but not properly implemented. By virtue of the foregoing, it is considered important to develop with due precision the required elements of the Management Program established in article 8 of the aforementioned law:

    1. Mechanisms for periodic evaluation of the Occupational Risk Prevention Management Program: this section must define the policy, objectives, goals, evaluation methods such as audits, management indicators, including psychological and social risks in particular.
    2. Identification, evaluation, control and permanent monitoring of occupational risks: this section must include a map of general risks of the company, risk identification sheets for jobs, hygienic study reports, psychological and social risks must be included in particular. .
    3. Updated register of accidents, professional illnesses and dangerous events: within this section, the existence of an accident, dangerous events and professional illnesses record chart will be verified on a monthly basis; notification form submitted to the MTPS, accident investigation meeting, recommendations made to the employer and response to the committee, among others. All data must be sorted by sex.
    4. Design and implementation of your own emergency and evacuation plan: within this section it will be necessary to consider the organization for emergencies, evaluation of internal and external threats, communication and alert mechanisms, response equipment and means, response procedures, training plan for brigade members, scheduling, registration of drills and methods; Evacuation plan; Map or sketch of the company that identifies the routes, emergency exits and safe concentration points.
    5. Theoretical and practical training, in an inductive and permanent way for workers on their skills, techniques and specific risks of their job, as well as the general occupational risks of the company: this section must include an annual training plan, list and theme, evidence of attendance at training, diplomas, photographs.
    6. Establishment of the program of medical examinations and first aid care in the workplace: in order to develop this section, it will be necessary to define which examinations will be required by job, their frequency and evaluation of results.
    7. Establishment of complementary programs on the consumption of alcohol and drugs, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, HIV AIDS, Mental Health and reproductive health: this section requires elements such as inclusive language, awareness of sexual and workplace harassment, as well as methods of raising awareness that can be carried out through talks, articles on billboards, posters, videos, among others, of all of which a documentary or photographic record will be required.
    8. Planning of the activities and meetings of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee: this requirement must contain a work plan for the committee; monthly meetings, training they will receive.
    9. Formulation of a program for the dissemination and promotion of preventive activities in the workplace: the Instructions or prevention signs that are adopted in the company will be placed in visible places for the workers, and must be understandable. This element must be documented with the existence of safe work procedures, verification of delivery of Personal Protective Equipment, billboards; warning, mandatory and danger signage, safety manuals, among others, it is required to include prevention related to psychological and social risks.
    10. Formulation of preventive programs, and awareness about non-violence against women, sexual harassment and other psychological and social risks: these elements can be developed through techniques, surveys, awareness talks, among others.

It is important to implement and develop the Risk Prevention Management Program, not only to comply with a legal requirement, but also to develop a culture of prevention for the benefit of the workers. The Risk Prevention Management Program should be a tool for continuous improvement, and as such it should be evaluated and updated year after year and made available to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

Current status of procedures for obtaining permits to operate a business in Guatemala.

Posted on by zone_admin

In Guatemala, for any work, project or industry, a series of permits is necessary to operate, among which we can mention:

  1. Environmental Impact Study, which must be approved by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources as established in the Law for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment.
  2. Sanitary License issued by the Health Centers, attached to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, as established in the Health Code;
  3. Occupational Health and Safety Plans, approved by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, as established in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
  4. Emergency Response Plan approved by the Disaster Reduction Coordinator, as established in Disaster Reduction Standard number two-NRD-2.
  5. Municipal permits that will depend on each municipal jurisdiction establishing the corresponding permit.
  6. Hydrocarbon licenses in general, approved by the Ministry of Energy and Mines, among others.

In the country there is a particular situation related to obtaining permits from the institutions, which consists in the fact that there is no established order or clear information to obtain permits. This creates a problem for companies since there is confusion, misinformation, disorder and government bureaucracy on the subject.

In this sense, the personnel in charge of verifying the obtaining and compliance with the permits to operate of a company are generally assigned a series of additional administrative tasks typical of what the company does and this implies an extra burden of attributions that has as a consequence the carelessness or inattention in the issue of permissions.

As a result of the situation experienced by the employees in charge of the issue of permits, it is recommended that they rely on companies that can advise them, take control and carry out the necessary procedures before public institutions to obtain permits and thus guarantee that companies are in compliance to operate.

For this, ZONE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES puts at your disposal the experience that is available for the processing of these permits before the aforementioned Public Institutions, so that companies can achieve compliance.

Having this service implies a benefit to the companies, because they avoid wear and bureaucracy before the institutions to obtain the permit, the employees can dedicate themselves to the assigned tasks of the company, and they have technical support staff that can solve Doubts or queries about the requirements, process, costs and time to obtain the permit.

Digitization of Comprehensive Waste Management.

Posted on by zone_admin

Decree 41525-S ” Regulation for the digital processing of records and authorizations of the Ministry of Health in the integral management of waste in the SINIGIR platform “ recently came into force , whose greatest novelty is to order all companies with a physical establishment to register and keeping a comprehensive waste management plan digitally updated.  

Both for incorporation into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization (UN), Costa Rica must adapt its internal legislation to a series of regulations, international standards and good practices aimed at sustainable production and consumption. And it is precisely for this reason that a digitized registration system is established that seeks to make Comprehensive Waste Management much faster and more transparent. 

The most important changes imposed by the new Decree 41525-S are the following: 

  1. The duty to register and annually update the waste management plans is established. These plans are a necessary requirement to obtain the Sanitary Operating Permit required by all work establishments to operate legally, therefore, any company that has a physical headquarters must enter the information into the SINIGIR system and update it before March every year. 
  2. Authorizations to import goods whose waste is considered special handling and the records of authorized managers will be made virtually. For any application before the SINIGIR, it will be automatically verified if the applicant company has the current Sanitary Operating Permit. 
  3. Additionally, for the authorization of importation of special handling goods, a compliance unit must be created, which is a mechanism to ensure that importing companies will be responsible for the special waste generated by the goods they bring into the country. Under the new decree, such compliance units must register and report their activities, also virtually. 
  4. It is established that all requests must be reviewed by the Ministry of Health within a period of 10 business days. In the event that it is determined that the documentation is incomplete, the applicant will be informed of this situation, and will have 10 working days to correct any lack. After that, the Ministry of Health will have 3 days to resolve the request. 
  5. Municipalities, which by law must have a comprehensive solid waste management plan, must now register them with the SINIGIR system managed by the Ministry of Health. This is an encouraging novelty, because in practice, few Municipalities have such plans and therefore many fail to manage waste recycling and revaluation. Under this new scheme, the Ministry of Health will be able to monitor that the Municipalities comply with their legal duty to have updated waste plans. 

 

As we can see, this Decree 41525-S, in order to achieve greater fluidity, transparency and compliance with waste management regulations, created a new series of duties that affect most companies in the country; however, this is nothing more than the application of more efficient technological tools to legal obligations that already existed and is one more step towards a sustainable consumption scheme typical of a circular economy that uses its waste for the production of new goods and services.

  

Annual environmental compliance obligations in El Salvador.

Posted on by zone_admin

Individuals, companies, businesses or institutions whose activities are subject to environmental requirements must annually carry out a verification of environmental compliance with their obligations, which will have the purpose of collecting and analyzing information on the status of compliance, and will also allow detecting and correct possible violations of the law.  

In this opportunity we will analyze the Annual Operation Report, as a core part for the Supervision of Environmental Compliance in El Salvador. Art. 9 of the Special Wastewater Regulation establishes that the owners must prepare and submit to the Ministry operational reports on the wastewater treatment systems and the conditions of their discharges, reflecting the frequency of sampling and that this will form part of the annual report on the results of the application of the Environmental Management or Environmental Adaptation Programs. 

The Annual Operation Report (IOA) is the environmental compliance mechanism of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), by means of which companies and institutions that have the Environmental Permit for their work, activity or project, either in the construction or operation stage, they must report annually during the first three (3) months, the operational status of their activity, detailing key information on the generation, management and disposal of: 

  • Solid waste.
  • Sewage water.
  • Atmospheric emissions.
  • Use of hazardous materials and waste.
  • Consumption of water and other raw materials used in its production process. 

The Annual Operational Report, being prepared by the company or institution itself, provides much more complete information on the compliance of the company or institution than that which can be obtained through periodic inspections, and its main purpose is to provide the necessary information to carry out a mapping of the country’s environmental situation and determine the points of greatest problems, in terms of polluting stationary sources. Likewise, the information in these reports constitutes a source for identifying sectors of the productive activity that need to improve their environmental performance. 

The IOA must show the environmental performance information of the immediately previous year and must be complemented with proof of execution of the environmental measures and of the laboratory analyzes of the study period.  

Failure to comply with this annual obligation is sanctioned in article 87 of the Environmental Law, which classifies as Serious Offenses the breach of the obligations contained in numerals c) and i) of article 86 of the same legal body, allowing the initiation of an administrative sanctioning process and the imposition of fines.

Reports on Compliance with Environmental Control Measures Honduras

Posted on by zone_admin

The Environmental Control Measures Compliance Reports (ICMA) are necessary for the registration of environmental control and monitoring actions of  projects  with an Environmental License in Honduras. The reports are required throughout the life of the project, including its   construction, operation  and closure stages,  which have an Environmental License . This requirement is applicable when so provided by  MIAMBIENTE or  any Honduran   authority  with environmental competence .  The ICMA  serves as a periodic monitoring report  on control measures  established in the environmental instrument presented before MIAMBIENTE called  ” Manual of Evaluation  and Environmental Control”  

ICMAs are intended  to  document compliance  with the mitigation  measures assumed by the developer of a project with an Environmental License in its different stages and activities . The ICMA  allows   project operators to  monitor their actions and  document their duties ,  in order to  ensure adequate environmental management .   

The Reports of Compliance with Environmental Control Measures  must be prepared by a professional registered in the Registry of Environmental Services Provider of   the  Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment  

For the preparation of the ICMA, the following must be considered: 

  • Carry out periodic inspections on the site in order to verify compliance with environmental measures. 
  • Keep in contact with the personnel in charge of the execution of the project with the purpose of knowing the environmental measures and exchanging information to prevent, reduce or correct environmental impacts. 
  • Collection of data on environmental management. 
  • Take documentation and photographic record of the actions they perform. 
  • Survey of spatial data in order to georeference the location.