If you’re working on an outdoor project, there are a number of questions you need to ask yourself in the planning stages. If you can’t answer these questions, there could be trouble on the horizon!
Is what I’m doing legal?
To be fair, this is probably a question you should know the answer to before you do anything. But some areas are so vague and tricky that it can be understandable when you don’t know everything about it. Outdoor work is definitely one of those areas. Construction, renovation, forest work, waterworks… There are so many laws protecting various elements that you need to do a lot of research. The first thing you should be doing is finding out if you need permission to do what you’re planning to do. And if you do, then the next step should be obvious enough. (Hint: it’s “get the permission required”!)
Is everyone safe?
Is it more dangerous to work indoors or outdoors? Well, I guess it really depends on the specific work you’re doing. But there’s no denying that there are several conveniences in most indoor work environments. Water is easy to get. The temperature is easier to regulate. The employees are usually prone and thus easier to manage. They’re shielded from the sun and from the wind. All of these things should be considered when you’re overseeing an outdoors project. You’ll probably also want to make sure someone with medical training is on-site.
What am I going to do with the waste?
For some projects, dealing with the waste requires fairly obvious solutions. You hire some help to do it for you, or you rent yourself some heavy-duty waste transport. But it’s not always so clear-cut. How do you know for sure that the method you’re using is safe, sustainable, and ethical? There are some areas where people tend to make mistakes quite often. Dealing with natural waste from the environment, for example, is often done incorrectly. If you’re dealing in this area, you may want to work with organic, liquid, and soil waste consultants.
Have the locals been informed?
So you got the permissions you needed to get for the work you’re going to do. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone who should be informed has been informed. Outdoor projects often cause a lot of inconvenience. There’s noise to worry about, of course. They can also cause problems when it comes to public facilities or venues. So you should do your best to make sure the locals are informed of the upcoming project. You can mail leaflets door-to-door, or put posters up in nearby community areas.
What about the wildlife?
Again, this is usually something that is covered when you deal with permissions. Societies that oversee the protection of wildlife often require companies to have permission to work on certain areas of land. But not all towns have such concerns.
This doesn’t mean, however, that dangers to wildlife are non-existent. You should try to find out as much as possible about the wildlife that resides in the area you plan to work in. Find out how your work will affect them and what you can do to prevent problems.