Blackwells are Christchurch’s only Holden, HSV and Isuzu dealer. The company has two sites in Christchurch, with the City site operating a large vehicle workshop as well as a vehicle sales yard. The Sockburn site has collision repair capabilities as well as a large vehicle workshop and vehicle sales yard, including heavy vehicles.
The presence of vehicle workshops means that both sites hold hazardous substances, including oils and fuels, and undertake activities such as vehicle washing, which may present risks to the environment if not carried out correctly.
Sue Anderson of Blackwells first contacted Environment Canterbury’s Pollution Prevention Team in October 2007. Both sites have since been actively participating in the Pollution Prevention Programme.
Starting the Pollution Prevention Programme
With an increasing emphasis on environmental management throughout the New Zealand industrial sector, Blackwells wanted to not only ensure that they were fully compliant with current legislation, but to look for ways to proactively reduce environmental risks from their business.
Ms Anderson thought that the Pollution Prevention Programme may be able to offer assistance and guidance to build on existing systems.
Issues Identified
A Pollution Prevention Officer visited both Blackwells’ sites to discuss current practices, identify potential risks and look at ways to make environmental improvements.
Following the visit and discussion of site practices with staff members, issues about site drainage, spill control, maintenance of stormwater systems, vehicle washing and hazardous substance storage and handling were identified. The Pollution Prevention Team were able to supply resources such as posters, spill procedures and a short spill training course to help the business improve systems and make staff more environmentally aware.
"The biggest change for us was awareness. The Pollution Prevention Officer explained how the stormwater system worked and that, eventually, the water is discharged to the environment untreated," says Sue Anderson.
"This made us realise how much our site activities could impact on the environment if left unchecked."
In order to pass this knowledge on to staff working on the floor, Blackwells set up a rotating system to involve workshop staff members in regular site walkovers and environmental meetings. This way, staff became both aware of, and involved in, environmental management and learnt how their activities could affect the environment.
Ms. Anderson said changes were surprisingly easy to implement into existing systems and all staff members were receptive.
Blackwells continues to work with the Pollution Prevention Team and is always looking for new ways to improve environmental performance to achieve best practice in their industry group.