North Somerset Railway Company Limited

Wildlife & Ecology

Approach

The NSR will actively minimise the negative impact it has on the environment and seek opportunities to maximise the development opportunities for flora and fauna existent in its operating area.

Deployment

The NSR recognises that in order to operate and maintain trains a variety of chemicals and fuels will be required. It will be essential not only for the environment but also for the health and safety of our employees, volunteers and customers that we operate in a safe and controlled manner at all times.

The NSR will appoint a health and safety director who will be suitably qualified to oversee all activities which require access to and use of fuels solvents and chemicals both on and off site. The NSR will train all our non-qualified volunteers on COSHH requirements and undertake an audit regime to ensure compliance as per our company standard.

The NSR will ensure that all items covered by COSHH regulations are secure and safely stored at all times when not in use.

The NSR has recruited an environmental specialist who will undertake a variety of duties to cover off identification and assessment of existing species and the potential for new or additional ones. This may take the form of bird nesting boxes, or other supplied environmental items designed to support species and their habitats. They are equipped to undertake this task and will advise both the board and volunteers of ways and means to undertake all tasks which may have either a positive or negative impact on the environment.

In addition to avoid any possibility of support and advice not being fully taken into account during the decision making process at board level the NSR will also appoint an independent non-executive director to the board who will be advised of all board decision and have the opportunity to provide comment advice on the impact any decision may have. This will allow clearly aligned decision making between localised business objectives and environmental issues.

Schematic of the Environmental relationship with the NSR board
Schematic of the Environmental relationship with the NSR board