LAWR

Source TeSTing ASSociATion | Annual Guide 2014 8 W hy am I writing this article? If a process operator needs some emissions testing doing, isn't it just a question of ringing up a couple of companies and choosing the cheapest quote? I would argue that the first step is to decide what it is that you want from the whole process. If you just want some numbers you can give to the Environment Agency or your Local Authority to keep them off your back then this approach is a risky one. ere is the story, which I am assured is true and not apocryphal, where a testing team arrived on a site, duly inserted equipment into the stack and generated a report. It later emerged that the process feeding the stack was not operating at the time. e work had to be repeated and there was considerable loss of face all round. ere is a range of criteria that should be considered when making your choice. You might disregard some of them but I believe it would be good practice to consider them first. e first step is to establish the objectives of the monitoring exercise. On every occasion you will require the provision of accurate and reliable data. Why waste time and money on anything else. If the monitoring exercise is necessary to meet the requirements of your permit then you will need to satisfy your regulator. e Environment Agency requires that the monitoring is carried out by an organisation with MCERTS accreditation covering the methodologies re quired and is performed by staff with the relevant MCERTS qualification. If your permit is issued by your Local Authority they may or may not require an MCERTS orga nisation to be used. However, use of an MCERTS accredited company will yield monitoring results that are: • Legally robust • Of guaranteed integrity • Performed to appropriate safety standards • Performed by staff that are appropriately trained and qualified • Performed to the required methodology • Performed with equipment to correct specifications • Performed with equipment whose calibration is traceable to national standards • Performed by a company that is third party audited by UKAS ( the national accreditation body) and the EA • Reported to a standard format. Perhaps this is a periodic requirement where you will need this service again in the future. Do you want to part ner up and form a relationship with your contractor? Do you need or want to be heavily involved or do you want someone to take the pressure off you? Someone you can trust to get on with the job. e most important aspect where trust is required is safety. Stack emissions monitoring is a process that involves many hazards, not least working at height. Hazards are not necessarily prohibitive so long as their risk can be managed and mitigated to an acceptable level. If the job cannot be done safely it should not be done at all, independent of all other factors, irrespective of all other pressures. As an indus try we are pleased to report that there have been no fatalities associated with stack emission monitoring this century, but there have been accidents and plenty of near misses. e law tells us that the single most important priority for all parties is health and safety. Aside from the moral aspect of keeping people safe there is the financial cost of investigating accidents/incidents as well as any fines imposed. If that wasn't enough to motivate you then there is also the possi bility of going to jail! Please make yourself aware of the contractor's health and safety credentials. Any emissions monitoring contractor should be sending staff to your site who, as a minimum, have passed the Environment Agency Getting it right: what you need to know to select the right contractor Stack emissions monitoring is a process that involves many hazards, not least working at height ▲ » STA Article 3 WP.indd 8 05/02/2014 19:47 M1345 - STA Guide Emissions.indd 1 1/15/2014 1:31:05 PM STA p09.indd 9 05/02/2014 19:44

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