Sustainable Manufacturing Toolbox
Quiz for Comply with environmental laws
About the quiz
This quiz will help you to find out whether you understand the key issues in Comply
with environmental laws.
If you get all the quiz answers correct, complete the activity in Workplace.
If you don't get all the answers correct, review the areas that you're unsure about
before you go to Workplace.
Quiz questions
Question 1
What is the difference between regulatory requirements and efficiency
improvements? (choose the correct statement):
Choice
A: they are both the same
B: they are both mandated by government
C: regulatory requirements are compulsory for all business, while efficiency
improvements are not
D: regulatory requirements are not compulsory for all business, while efficiency
improvements are.
Question 2
Environmental laws throughout the states and territories (choose all the correct
statements):
Choice
A: impose on the business a duty to report to the environmental agency if an incident
has occurred that could cause harm to the environment
B: are only reactive, in that they do not have mechanisms for the business to reduce
its impact on the environment
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Sustainable Manufacturing Toolbox
Quiz for Comply with environmental laws
C: have steeper penalties if an individual or organisation knowingly pollutes the
environment compared to if the pollution occurred as the result of an accident
D: imposes on the business a duty never to release any pollutants into the
environment.
Question 3:
It is important for workplaces to have measures in place to not only prevent pollution
but also to demonstrate due diligence. This might mean (choose the two most
correct answers):
Choice
A: measures for preventing pollution include: having pollution prevention equipment
in place, maintaining the equipment, ensuring that staff know how to prevent and
manage spills, assessing the risk of pollution on a regular basis
B: measures for demonstrating due diligence include: keeping records of staff
training, reporting all pollution incidents and near misses and demonstrating that
corrective actions were followed up, keeping records of maintenance of pollution
control equipment, documenting risk assessments and audits
C: measures for preventing pollution include: reporting incidents to the environmental
regulatory authority, ensuring safety equipment is up to date
D: measures for demonstrating due diligence include: taking photographs of
environmental incidents and keeping records of safety equipment replacement
E: measures for preventing pollution include: spill kits, air scrubbers, water treatment
units, sumps and bunding.
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Sustainable Manufacturing Toolbox
Quiz for Comply with environmental laws
Feedback to quiz questions
Question 1
A: This is not correct. Regulatory requirements are mandatory. If the business fails to
meet their obligations they can be fined and the individual operator fined or in
serious cases gaoled. Efficiency improvements are not mandated by law, they are at
the discretion of the business. Go back to Support materials in the Training room
and look at the fact sheet for your state or territory: 'What environmental regulations
are there …'.
B: This is not correct. Businesses do not have a choice whether to comply with
regulatory requirements, however they do have choice if they wish to implement
efficiency improvements. Go back to Support materials in the Training room and
look at the fact sheet for your state or territory: 'What environmental regulations are
there …'.
C: This is correct.
D: This is not correct. Regulatory requirements are compulsory while efficiency
improvements are not. Go back to Support materials in the Training room and
look at the fact sheet for your state or territory: 'What environmental regulations are
there …'.
Question 2
A: This is correct. For example in the Australian Capital Territory people have a duty
to the Environmental Protection Authority if they believe that their actions have
caused or might cause serious environmental harm.
B: This is not correct. For example in Queensland some businesses can be subject
to a waste management program or in Tasmania a business may have to enter into
an environmental improvement program. Go back to Support materials in the
Training room and look at the fact sheet for your state or territory: 'What
environmental regulations are there …'.
C: This is correct. For example in South Australia if a person is found to have
polluted the environment that causes serious environmental harm they can be fined
up to $250,000. If the person is found to have intentionally or recklessly caused
serious environmental harm they can be fined up to $500,000 and be subject to a
prison sentence.
D: This is not correct. The business can release pollutants provided it complies with
the terms of their licence issued by the environmental agency. Go back to Support
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Sustainable Manufacturing Toolbox
Quiz for Comply with environmental laws
materials in the Training room and look at the fact sheet for your state or territory:
'What environmental regulations are there …'.
Question 3
A: This is correct.
B: This is correct.
C: This is not correct. This answer does not prevent pollution from occurring. The
first answer is correct.
D: This is not correct. Due diligence is about exercising a certain standard of care.
Workplaces need to do more than this to demonstrate that they have ensured that
their activities comply with the standard of care required of them. The second answer
is correct.
E: This is correct, however the first answer is a better one.
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