Compass get their Wings!

Compass Environmental are pleased to announce our new capability, Commercial Drone Operations.

Our small light weight drones enable us to fly in spaces that are off limits to larger, heavier drones. We are able to fly within areas used for residential, commercial, industrial and recreational purposes. There are many applications for our drones from inspecting roof water drainage to providing context to large oil spillage incidents.

Compass operators have obtained qualifications beyond the requirements of our operating category to ensure all our flights are conducted in a safe and professional manner with each operator holding a Civil Aviation Authority Flyer ID and the A2 Certificate of Competency supported by EC 785/2004 compliant insurance.

Harry Ower, our commercial drone pilot, says “The advantages of using drones are obvious, no working at height, no hire of platforms, reduced cost and speed of deployment. The ultra-HD 4K quality of the camera and the ability to zoom into areas of interest allows us to provide detailed footage and interpretation to our clients”.

If you believe you have projects or initiatives that could benefit from our drone services, please do get in touch.

Compass Awarded ISAS Accreditation

Spill Consultancy/Management Services

Compass Environmental Consultancy has been awarded accreditation by the International Spill Accreditation Scheme (ISAS) for Spill Consultancy & Management Services.

This new Accreditation Category has been developed by ISAS for those individuals and consultancies who are involved in providing environmental consultancy input and solutions into spillage incidents where human health, property or the environment may be at risk. 

Compass has been recognised as having the capability to facilitate the most appropriate emergency response to a spillage incident and manage the emergency phase to direct actions, manage cost and liaise with stakeholders including environmental regulators. Our nationwide network of ISAS accredited spill responder partners support us through the delivery of on-site mitigation measures.

Where a spill has wider impacts requiring works beyond the emergency spillage response phase Compass has been recognised for having the following capabilities:

Operates on a 24/7 basis

Capability to determine and design the most appropriate spill response and remediation solution for soils, property or groundwater contaminated by a spill

Capability to design and execute investigation of groundwater contamination resulting from a spill

Capability to design and execute investigation of soils and property contamination resulting from a spill

Capability to validate remedial action (soils, property and groundwater).

“Operating from our locations at Wokingham, Telford and Cheltenham we are proud of this independent assessment and validation of our capabilities by ISAS, based on our extensive experience working in the field of spill response and management.

We are one of the first companies in the UK to receive this accreditation and we believe it is worthy recognition of the high standards and quality of service we strive to provide to our clients when they need us most.”

— Matt Thomas, Operations Director at Compass

Matt Thomas joins Compass as Operations Director

Compass Environmental Consultancy are pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Thomas as Operations Director.  Matt takes up his role and position on the Compass Board at an exciting time as the business develops and sets out its future growth plans.

Stewart Ower, Managing Director at Compass, said “We very much look forward to introducing Matt to our customers and promoting our enhanced capabilities. Matt is a fantastic fit for the business and brings a wealth of experience which will strengthen and broaden our offering”.

Matt added, “I am delighted to have joined the Compass team at this period in their growth. I am excited and enthused by the clear opportunities which lie ahead of us”.

Matt can be contacted on matthew.thomas@compassenviro.co.uk

Our first Tactical Spill Responder Training Course!

Earlier this week, we successfully delivered our first Tactical Spill Responder training course to delegates from CU Environmental, an accredited spill response company based in Gloucestershire.

In collaboration with our venue host, Tactical Hazmat, we have spent the last 9 months developing four complex spill scenarios for delegates to tackle in order to mould them into Tactical Spill Responders. Our delegates received a Hazmat masterclass from Dr Sean Pearce and Kevin Miller in the laboratory facility, highlighting the dangers that different hazardous materials can pose to spill responders.

Compass Managing Director, Stewart Ower, commented:

“ After developing and rigorously testing this course, we are extremely pleased with the positive feedback provided by our Tactical Spill Responder cohort.

One of the key learning objectives we wanted delegates to take away is being able to recognise the limits of their own Spill Response Capability in order to make informed decisions when assessing, planning and responding to a spillage involving Hazmats.

Responder safety has and will always be the number one priority when managing a spillage incident - the skills learnt on this course could make all the difference between delivering a safe response and one which ends up harming responders.”

Our next Tactical Spill Responder Course will be taking place on Tuesday 1st June 2021. To book your spaces, click on the button below and one of our team will be in contact to discuss your requirements.

Dates for our 2021 Spill Responder Training Courses are now live!

Our Spill Responder training course dates for 2021 are now live for bookings!

Whether you’re looking to take your first steps into the world of spill response or build on years of extensive experience, we have spill training courses that suit your needs! We’re proud to say that 100% of our delegates to date would recommend our training courses to their colleagues.

New for 2021, our Tactical Spill Responder course is our most advanced training yet. We look to actively challenge delegates’ current mindset by putting them through 4 complex scenarios to shape them into tactical spill response geniuses.

Speaking about the newest addition to our Spill Training programme, Compass Managing Director, Stewart Ower, said:

“The team at Compass and our venue partner, Tactical Hazmat, have been working hard behind the scenes to develop our most challenging course yet. Each scenario, differing in nature, setting and risk, has been carefully designed to provide delegates with a memorable experience to better prepare them for complex spill situations.”

In addition to our selection of public training course dates below, we are also able to deliver private courses for your company on a date that suits you. Get in touch with us to discuss your bespoke requirements.

All of our venues have adapted to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions to ensure a safe learning environment. We are also pleased to be able to offer our Spill First Responder course online. Contact us to find out more.

We’re looking forward to welcoming delegates onto our Spill Response courses, to make your booking click on a date below or visit our training page for more information,

Stewart Ower Appointed Chairman of International Spill Accreditation Scheme

We are delighted to announce that our Managing Director, Stewart Ower, has this week been appointed Chairman of the International Spill Accreditation Scheme (ISAS). With over 25 years experience of managing spill incidents, Stewart is a well recognised figure within this specialist sector.

The appointment comes after the recent merger of ISAA and the UK Spill Association to form the UK and Ireland Spill Association, a trade association representing professional spill response organisations, manufacturers of spill equipment and consultants working in the field of spill response and remediation.

ISAS is the newly formed accreditation body for companies and organisations involved in spill response and remediation activities.

Speaking after chairing his first meeting, Stewart said “I’m honoured to be asked to be the first chairman of ISAS. Our purpose will be to set, maintain and monitor standards within the spill response industry; develop best practice; promote the services of our accredited responders; encourage innovation and provide technical support and guidance to our members. The board of ISAS comprises of individuals with huge talent and experience within the marine and inland spill sectors and I am very much looking forward to working with the board to deliver on our objectives.”

To read the full press release from UK and Ireland Spill Association, please click the link below:

https://mcusercontent.com/9e553ae6aaac91e6095b77cc4/files/259b6a04-b0d7-4dca-97a4-aabb8853e14f/Merger_press_release_7_Oct_20.pdf

Working the Graveyard Shift!

GPS Surveying of target area.

Last week we spent the day working in a Hampshire graveyard assisting our new starter, Harry Ower,  with his MSc research project. The objective of the day was to use surveying techniques including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to map out areas of the graveyard.  Specifically, we were trying to establish whether apparently empty parts of the graveyard were actually locations of unmarked mass graves.

The survey required desk study review of historic maps and existing data, preplanning, attention to detail, meticulous information gathering, data interpretation and also impeccable behaviour and respect for our surroundings, all attributes we are well used to in our daily environmental surveying projects.

Early indications have highlighted several areas of significant soil disturbance which will be the subject of further targeted investigation.  If confirmed, the findings will hopefully result in the public acknowledgment of these rediscovered graves and will contribute to the overall understanding of funerary practices with regards to the mass burial of individuals who have died as a result of conflict, disease or poverty. Watch this space!

GPR Surveying.

Keeping Busy!

We know we post a lot about Spill Training and our insurance product, Oilshield, but underlying this activity are our core environmental consultancy services. Over the past two months we have been involved in a wide range of consultancy activities where we’re often viewed as problem solvers due to our innovative and adaptable approach to projects.  

Our team have recently provided solutions for domestic and commercial settings including:

• Completing Phase I & II Geo-environmental investigations at a West London council building for redevelopment into residential properties.

• Submitting a Phase I investigation for redevelopment of a commercial site into two four-bedroom luxury homes.

• Drilling a 100 metre borehole at a Petrol Station that will help form the next stage of our ongoing groundwater monitoring programme.

• Managing the loss of heating oil in a highly sensitive groundwater area at a domestic premises including drilling a number of groundwater monitoring boreholes and getting EA sign off.

• Carrying out a rainwater run-off management feasibility study for a large national distribution centre.

• Completing several Oil Depot Audits to identify environmental risk from site setting and processes.

• Attending a road traffic collision site to assess the loss of engine oil from an overturned vehicle on agricultural land.

• Investigating contamination arising from the failure of two plastic heating oil storage tanks which split during recent hot weather.

• Investigating the potential for habitat restoration of an old boating pond.

• Developing a spill incident response plan for a major manufacturing company.

• Proposing options for decommissioning and installation of a large refuelling facility.

• Liaising with the EA and Natural Resources Wales on a number of ongoing projects.

• Launching our online Spill Training courses and developing our practical scenarios to take our training to the next level – be sure to follow our LinkedIn page for announcements on this in the near future!

We’d consider the above activities to be our bread and butter as an environmental consultancy, you can find our main services in our updated brochure below!

When it comes to Environmental issues, Compass are Good People to Know. If you have anything that you’d like us to take a look at, do give us a call on 0118 901 7940.

Family Business Boosted!

It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Harry Ower has joined Compass Environmental Consultancy as a Graduate Environmental Consultant to further strengthen our family-run business.

He comes to us from the University of Winchester where last year he completed his Archaeology degree and is currently finalising his MSc qualification. The fields of Archaeology and Environmental Science share many common factors such as thorough understanding of soils, environmental setting and meticulous attention to detail when carrying out site investigation works.   

Harry is no stranger to the business having grown up with the smell of kerosene in his nostrils! He has always shown a keen interest in our work, in particular site investigations and fieldwork having taken plenty of opportunities to work with Compass during his holidays over the past couple of years. He has his SPA card for petrol station forecourt work and has already been put to good work supporting a number of our projects around the country.

We look forward to Harry working with us and meeting many of our customers over the coming months.

Compass Spill Training Courses Approved by International Spill Accreditation Scheme

We’re pleased to announce that our Spill Training courses have been formally approved by the International Spill Accreditation Scheme (ISAS).

The three-year approval covers our full range of Spill Responder Training Courses. The ISAS Approved Spill Training is a recent evolution of the previous UKSpill Approval scheme, ensuring the highest standards of quality, service and technical ability and sets truly international standards for Spill Response and Training.

Our next Advanced Environment Protection Techniques Spill Response Course will be taking place on 25th February 2020 at the Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh. To book your place click on the button below or give us a call on 0118 901 7940.