A snap inspection program in Melbourne’s west by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has found gaps in the way warehouses and logistic facilities handle their environmental obligations.
Carried out on Wednesday 22 October in the Altona, Derrimut, Tottenham and Laverton areas, the EPA visited 15 sites, dropping in without warning.
High on the inspection agenda was determining not just how they managed storage of dangerous goods, but their preparedness in case there was a spill or a fire.
EPA west metropolitan regional manager Julia Gaitan said the Environment Protection Act exists in Victoria to make all businesses take reasonable steps to ensure they don’t cause environmental harm.
“This includes how businesses managing flammable and reactive dangerous goods plan to prevent fire wash-waters from entering the surrounding environment should a fire occur,” she said.
“It’s important that businesses think about the impact they could have beyond their own boundaries and controls they can put in place to prevent harm from occurring.
“We were looking at things like bunding, material separation processes, fire prevention controls, fire suppression systems, and drain protection measures.”
She said the EPA found many facilities still need to improve liquid storage and handling practices more generally to prevent spills and to prevent them spilling into stormwater drains.
“We’ll now review what we found from the inspections and decide appropriate actions on a case-by-case basis, which could include notices to make improvements,” she said.
