Civil Engineering & Groundworks Across Herefordshire, Midlands, South Wales & Beyond

In Construction Since 1956

Environmental Management System

Environmental statement in brief

At Golden Valley Construction, environmental performance is built into how we plan, procure and deliver every project. We operate a tailored Environmental Management System with daily on-site monitoring of noise, dust and vibration; robust controls to prevent water pollution (including spill-response plans, mats at refuelling points and wheel washes where required); and proactive waste minimisation and segregation from site to office.

We reduce greenhouse gas emissions by upgrading plant on a three-year cycle, maintaining our fleet to high standards, planning work and deliveries efficiently, and encouraging green travel and vehicle sharing.

All suppliers and subcontractors are briefed on our expectations, and we prioritise responsibly sourced materials—such as BES 6001 concrete, CARES/eco-reinforcement steel and FSC timber—while supporting local suppliers and using EPDs where available.

A whole-business Resource Management Plan guides each scheme from pre-start through delivery, tracking materials, labour and costs to cut waste and keep projects efficient. Guided by DEFRA’s waste hierarchy, we also champion practical reuse solutions on site and early client collaboration to avoid over-design and reduce resource use.

Environmental Management System

As a small business we do have our own EMS policy.

We have environment risk assessments in relation to Noise, Dust and Vibration. (These activities are also monitored on site daily by management).

We are committed to preventing water pollution when working near water courses and have thorough spillage event plans in place. We have mats also near refuelling areas. We look to obtain details of companies we can contact in the event of a major incident out of our control that would be within 10 minutes of any particular site we are working on.

Our aim is to minimise waste, segregate waste for example, timber, metal and even in our offices, waste such as paper, card and tins are separated.

If our site is large, we discuss green travel plans to reduce excessive fuel consumption on a daily basis.

Staff are encouraged to share travel to and from work and works vehicles are also shared to site.

Wheel washes have been used on certain sites where entering the highway from site is required.

Ground and surface water is also considered on sites we work at.

All suppliers and subcontractors are notified of our expectations prior to entering our sites.

Responsible sourcing of materials to be requested from our suppliers and subcontractor.

We look at concrete supplies to be BES 6001, steel  eco-reinforcement or CARES SCS and FSC for timber supplies for example.

Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Targets

  1. Re-invest approx. every 3 year in plant/machinery upgrades for latest emissions upgrades
  2. Fleet maintenance/up-keep – daily/weekly/monthly/12weekly checks
  3. Well managed work plans and material orders to prevent errors/waste/additional deliveries
  4. Car share to and from work and share works vehicles in day

 

Achievements

  1. Currently, we run JCB DIESELMAX engines. They can run on lower-grade fuels as an option. The engines allow for added efficiency. JCB’s efficient design looks at every aspect of the machines, applying innovative technologies to squeeze the absolute maximum out of every drop of fuel and making the 3CX ECO their most efficient backhoes ever. The result of these innovations is that in typical roading, loading, excavating and idle cycles the backhoe loaders deliver an average fuel saving of up to 16%, plus lower emissions and noise levels. High back-off brakes reduce viscous drag during roading and rehandling, which in turn improves economy by up to 2%. Innovative hydraulics are also a feature. EcoLoad has a Hydraulic Speed Control (HSC) switch which – combined with high torque at low engine speed from our DIESELMAX engine – gives more tractive effort, faster cycle times, excellent pushing power and hill climbing performance. All the ECO backhoes have low noise levels, with our 63kW (85hp) engine model offering the quietest operation.
  2. Daily checks are conducted by drivers of vehicles to ensure tyres are inflated correctly and oil leaks are not apparent for example. Weekly cleaning of vehicles with an appropriate interceptor to prevent any harmful wash/dirt off the vehicles is not let into the environment. Monthly checks conducted my a qualified mechanic to ensure vehicles are acceptable and no new issues have occurred that could impact the environment such as fuel/oil leaks etc. 12 weekly checks to HGV vehicles by a qualified mechanic to also ensure compliance.
  3. Remaining as a small business and predominantly 1 person ordering materials and organising the work plans ensures that we are very efficient with deliveries coming to site and there are not wasted journeys or incorrect materials or subcontractors arriving when they should not be.
  4. Staff are recruited locally and will most days where possible travel to the yard together. We then ensure only the minimum number of works vehicles are taken to site. Reducing fuel usage/waste.

Environment Product Declarations (EPD’s)

As a small business, we aim to use and support as many local suppliers as possible. This has been our focus.

Resource Management Plan

To ensure resources are managed correctly, GVC will take a whole business approach from office to site workers. A clear plan prior to works starting will enable efficiency across the project. These will include, raw materials used, equipment, labour, facilities/ welfare & financial resources.

A list of materials and quantities are compiled for the project. Scope of works and estimates of costs of labour, materials and equipment are taken into consideration. A budget of the project is now possible to produce. Resources are then acquired and project can commence. Allocation of resources and tracking of utilisation is monitored along the project to ensure project is kept at or under budget.

We have used this system to manage our resources and schemes at a successful delivery rate to date.

Waste Hierarchy

We follow DEFRA’s waste hierarchy as a guide in our everyday activities on and off site – please see graphic below:

Examples

  1. Screening bucket: GVC use this attachment on projects when it’s time to mix different soil materials. It proves to be an invaluable tool for soil stabilisation. It allows for a uniform mixing of materials and ensures their optimal distribution within the soil in a practical and effective manner.  The screening bucket can be easily relocated to desired areas, using an excavator, enabling precise control over the quantity of materials being mixed. This facilitates not only quality work but also saves time and resources in construction projects. The efficiency and versatility of the screening bucket can make it an indispensable tool for earthmoving professionals. Its use isn’t limited solely to soil stabilisation; the screening bucket demonstrates its value in many other tasks such as excavation, crushing rocks, and handling other materials. The screening bucket doesn’t just enhance the efficiency of soil stabilisation; it has broader implications for the entire construction project. Using the screening bucket helps save time, money, and resources while simultaneously reducing environmental impacts.
  2. Stockpile hardcore, crush and re-use: GVC make every effort on all projects to stockpile hardcore. This is then crushed and re-used within the project to limit waste and additional coast of removing from site and tipping.
  3. Work closely with customer in design: GVC like to have a hands on approach with customers from as early on in the project as possible. With a vast amount of experience we are able to help customers achieve their target and minimise over design and waste of resources within a project period by giving input and offering expertise and experience to the design and how best we could complete the project.