Industrial premises and wastewater treatment plants create odours as a by-product of operating. This can’t be helped. However, these unpleasant odours can be removed or controlled to reduce their presence in the environment.
Why would you want to do this? There are several reasons why it’s a good idea. Here are the benefits of implementing odour control:
Operate professionally
Wastewater treatment, chemical processing, waste incineration and food production are leading causes of industrial odours. If your business produces odours, quality control over your process dictates that odour control is necessary.
It probably won’t surprise you to know that there are reputable companies out there who do not have adequate odour control. These companies will have to get their houses in order eventually with a fit-for-purpose odour control system.
No complaints
Unpleasant odours generate complaints. This is bad for your reputation and it could be bad for business. If odours are not controlled, you will eventually attract attention from the local council who could serve an abatement notice.
An abatement notice requires whoever’s responsible for the odour to either eliminate it or restrict it. The only way to achieve this is with an odour control system. If complaints are not addressed then you could land yourself in legal trouble.
Keep your neighbours happy
No one wants to live with unpleasant odours and being subjected to them can cause resentment. Whether your neighbours are homeowners or businesses, you have a duty to minimise the impact of your operations on them.
Implementing odour control will keep your neighbours happy by allowing them to enjoy their homes and run their businesses. Ask yourself this: would you want to live or work near a place that produces noxious odours? Probably not.
Provide a good working environment
Your employees keep your operation moving. Providing a good working environment for them is essential for their health and wellbeing. Odour control will be necessary if employees work in places that are susceptible to odours.
It’s also important to point out that employers have a legal duty of care for their employees. Odours may appear to be nothing more than annoyances, however for people with asthma and underlying health problems, they could be hazardous.
Meet your health and safety obligations
Following on from our previous point (that employers have a duty of care for employees), the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations are designed to ensure that damage to health from hazardous substances is controlled.
VOCs and vapours are prime examples of hazardous compounds that have to be controlled under health and safety legislation. If you produce odours and compounds that are harmful to health, you have a legal responsibility to control them.
Want to find out more?
If you need to implement odour control in your business, OSIL can help with our industry-leading range of odour control systems and finance solutions. To find out more, call us today on (0) 1543 506 855 or email us at info@osiltd.com.
