A study into the implementation of S. I. no. 543 of 2002,

Abstract

The vehicle coating and refinishing sector are facing increased regulatory and environmental pressures. This is a relatively novel experience for proprietors o f workshops, who because o f their subdued existence and diminutive workforce have been overlooked in the past. However, the introduction o f the Council Directive 1999/13/EC on the Limitation o f Emissions o f Volatile Organic Compounds due to the use o f Organic Solvents in Certain Activities and Installations which was transposed into Irish legislation under the Emissions o f Volatile Organic Compounds from Organic Solvents Regulations 2002 (S.I. N o .543 2002), implied the requirement for significant change in the vehicle coating and refinishing sector. The introduction o f this Regulation meant that for the first time, small sized workshops would be regulated and would have to reduce their VOC emissions to a specified limit. For proprietors o f small sized spray paint facilities, this is the foremost experience they have had to interpret and comply with a major item o f legislation in Ireland. Therefore the manner in which this Regulation is approached, delivered and enforced by regulatory bodies, is essential to the success o f its implementation. The purpose o f this thesis was to examine the current information available, which is relevant to the introduction o f this Regulation and will determine if it is appropriate to the target audience who compile o f proprietors o f workshops and local authority employees who will be partially responsible for the compliance with this Regulation. This dissertation established that there was a significant lack o f understanding o f the main requirements o f this Regulation within the target audience and there was a great need for the provision o f a more comprehensive training document, which would inform the target audience o f these requirements. These training documents would be compiled as a result o f the findings o f this thesis.