Dorin Construction Case Study

The Environmental Academy was approached by Dorin Construction in the summer of 2007, requesting whether we could assist them with the implementation of their Environmental Management System (EMS).

They decided to work towards the international standard, ISO 14001.

Work began in October 2007, the first step being to establish a "Green Team", i.e. the key members of staff who would contribute to the EMS.  Over the next year, staff from The Environmental Academy had a series of meetings with the Dorin Green Team to write, review and implement their procedures.  These covered such areas of the business as purchasing of goods and services (for both sites and offices), training of staff, document control and project environmental plans.  One of the most complex procedures was the management of waste.

The implementation of the EMS coincided with the introduction of Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) Regulations (England) - new legislation for the construction sector which came into effect in April 2008.  For Dorin, this was an ideal opportunity to integrate this new requirement into their EMS and working practices.  The team were given training and a template for their SWMP by The Environmental Academy which was trialled at their site on Green Lane in Felling.  It was found that the document needed to be amended to suit Dorin's procedures, however after a few working drafts were trialled, the team agreed on a format.

The EMS documents were completed in March 2008 and then rolled out to Dorin's staff.  While the staff had previously been advised of the EMS, Dorin decided to launch the programme in October with a "Green Day".  The Environmental Academy were invited along to give on overview of the EMS, which was followed by a lunch of all things green!

In January 2009, they had their final audit and the auditor was very impressed with their system and no non-conformances were found. The auditor commented:

"A very well implemented system has been assessed.  Particularly well designed, with excellent evidence of implementation and understanding of requirements at site level.  The Site Managers assessed and in particular the Environmental Management Representative is to be commended."

The Environmental Management Representative is Paul O’Brien who demonstrated exceptional drive and enthusiasm for implementing environmental good practice and promoting Dorin Construction as an exemplar organisation within their industry. Paul’s dedication has been second to none and has seen him progress through a whole suite of environmental courses from the Level 1 (NCFE) Introductory Certificate to Environmental Awareness and Sustainability for Construction, through the Level 3 (NCFE) Certificate for the Environmental Practitioner (leading to Associate level membership of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) to the Level 4 (ILM) Environmental Management NVQ.

Paul has shown real commitment to increasing his own environmental knowledge and to the environmental training of employees at all levels within the organisation. The integrated approach of training whilst developing their accredited ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) ensured that environmental good practice was embedded firmly in the company culture.  It’s fantastic to see that Paul and his team of environmental champions have taken their responsibilities seriously.  By completing these training courses whilst working with consultants to develop their full EMS has meant that they have a full understanding and ownership of their EMS.  This has resulted in an effective and efficient EMS that works for the organisation and brings true environmental and business benefits.  The success hasn’t gone unnoticed and the external certification auditor has stated that Paul is to be commended for his commitment.

As Paul works towards continual improvement of his system he has now focussed his attention on greening Dorin’s supply chain and has engaged the Environmental Academy in the delivery of awareness sessions for his subcontractors and suppliers.

Mick McHugh, Managing Director of Dorin, commented on their accreditation:

This is a fantastic achievement for the Company; it will undoubtedly raise our profile and help us stay ahead of the competition."
Mick McHugh, MD of Dorin Construction