Environment

Waste management

Successful waste management is decisive for ensuring that neither people nor the environment are exposed to risks or negative effects. All waste must be sorted and waste management must be tailored to the waste that arises. Guidelines can be found in LKAB's Sorting at Source Handbook.

Environmental stations for operational waste can be found at several locations within the industrial areas, and are marked. These are not intended for hazardous waste or household waste.

The environmental stores receive hazardous waste on weekdays between 06.00-15.00:

Kiruna - between the railway and the forklift workshop.
Svappavaara - at the service area.
Malmberget - at the service area.

The following applies:

• All waste must be sorted for correct recycling or destruction.
• Operational waste is waste from industrial processes and construction sites, for instance, such as flammable material, scrap metal, wood waste and landfill.
• Hazardous waste, for example batteries, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, waste grease, waste oil, oil filters, colouring agents, solvents and spray cans, must be stored and transported correctly.
• Containers holding hazardous waste must be marked and the waste must not be mixed.
• If hazardous waste is delivered to an unmanned Environmental store, instructions regarding where the waste is to be placed must be followed.
• Household or comparable waste, such as waste from coffee rooms and offices, is covered by a municipal monopoly and must be collected by the party that has the monopoly in the relevant municipality.

Responsibility:

The works management is responsible for ensuring that waste management works. To ensure correct handling, the appointed contact person at LKAB must be asked what applies for your particular work.

Chemical products

Nobody should be affected by ill health or accidents as a result of using chemical products. As a rule of thumb, select the chemical product that has as little impact on health and the environment as possible. Information about e.g. protective equipment, handling and exposure, as well as environmental impact, can be found in the safety datasheets accompanying the product.

The following applies:

• All chemical products must be documented in a chemicals register.
• The list of prohibited products at LKAB has to be controlled in order to control that prohibited products are not used. This list can be found here: Documents and templates.
• A copy of the chemical register must be submitted to LKAB's contact before the job starts. If other chemical products are to be used, the register needs to be updated immediately and be re-submitted to LKAB contact.
• If flammable products are used, the rules relating to fire protection in mines and underground constructions must be complied.
• Controls focusing on chemical products should be carried out continuously to ensure proper storage and handling as well as the use of appropriate protective equipment.
• Ensure that any remaining chemicals are disposed of or handled by a contact person.
• The supplier needs to carry out check-ups on site to ensure that storage and handling of chemical products is handled according to regulations.

The works management is responsible for ensuring that:

• Self-regulation, i.e. a systematic working method, exists for the safe handling of chemicals.
• Products with no or little negative impact on health and the environment are selected.
• To make sure that a person within the company is responsible for chemical products.
• All chemical products is documented in the register and is submitted to LKAB Contact.
• Relevant safety datasheets in Swedish are available and in other languages if the user does not understand Swedish.
• Suitable protective equipment, decontamination equipment and first aid are available at the workplace.
• All personnel have the proper competence and have knowledge of the hazards of working with chemical products.

Suspected confirmed pollution

An inspection needs to be carried out before starting any construction. Your LKAB Contact has a responsibility to inform if any suspected or confirmed pollutions are present. Excavation or digging in polluted areas carries a risk of contamination.

The following applies:

In excavation work or digging, all signs of contamination needs to be addressed, for example odour or color changes.
If a suspected contamination is found excavation och digging needs to be stopped and LKAB Contact needs to be informed immediately.

The works management is responsible for ensuring that:

• The work gets stopped if a contamination is suspected or confirmed.
• Notify LKAB contact immediately.

Handling spillages and emissions

Prevent! The risk of spillages and emissions of environmentally harmful substances to the land, water and air must always be prevented. Everyone is responsible for preventing emissions.

Rectify! Spillages and emissions are an environmental discrepancy that can result in a negative impact on people's health and the environment, which is why all emissions and discharges, large and small, must be quickly restricted and decontaminated. The degree of seriousness is determined by the substance's properties, volume, extent and duration.

Decontaminate! The choice of decontamination method depends on the substance and the extent of the emission or discharge.

The following applies:

• Prevent spillages and emissions.
• A risk assessment determines preventive measures.
• Stop the emission! Ensure that motors, valves, pumps, etc., have been turned off.
• Prevent spreading by embanking, using booms or suitable absorbents, covering street inlets, etc.
• Decontaminate using a suitable method, for example absorbent cloth, absorbents, sludge suction.
• In the event of discharges into water, booms should be used to prevent the spread.
• In the event of spillages and emissions, the works management/contact person must be contacted.
• In the event of spillages, emissions or discharges, the deviation must be reported via LKAB's deviation management system.
• In the event of major emissions and discharges, a decontamination company and if necessary the rescue services must be contacted.

The works management is responsible for ensuring that:

• Procedures are in place to prevent spillages and emissions, such as daily inspections of vehicles, embanking around chemicals, etc.
• The procedures are known to the personnel.
• The correct decontamination equipment is available, based on safety datasheets and a risk assessment.
• The emission or discharge is notified to the appointed contact person.
• A risk assessment and measures to prevent any repeat are carried out.

Kiruna, Svappavaara and Malmberget BDX Miljö:

Daytime (07:00-16:00): +46 970 777 00

Evenings, weekends: +46 70 617 77 01

Narvik: IUA Narvik – 110 

Uddebo oil terminal Luleå: STENA – 010-4458852 / 070-5182446

Staging and laydown areas and worksite establishment  

Orderliness must be maintained on LKAB's industrial sites. If there is a need for staging, laydown and worksite establishment areas, this shall be specified in the agreement for the contract work. LKAB conducts ongoing inspection of the industrial site. 

The following applies:

• If there is a need for staging and laydown areas (for vehicles, machinery, spare parts, etc.) and worksite establishment areas (tents, containers or other temporary buildings), agreement shall be made between the contractor and LKAB.
• Alteration of agreed areas is not permitted (ground, surface, trees, shrubs, etc.).  
• Orderliness must be maintained in agreed worksite establishment areas.
• Upon conclusion of the assignment, the area must be cleaned up and restored to original condition.