SOURCE TESTING ASSOCIATION I Annual Guide 2017
Process Operators Task Group
The Process Operators’ Task Group generally meets to review developments in legislation and standards and to share practical experience of continuous monitoring, quality assurance and related issues, such as permitting and reporting. Process Operator representation within the STA is high and attendance at meetings is increasing as we combine these with site visits to members’ premises.
Health & Safety Task Group
The safety of those undertaking stack emission monitoring has always been a driving force within the Source Testing Association and the Health and Safety Task Group is the focus of this work. Since its inception those involved in this group have strived to produce guidance to the industry on safe working practices and the implementation of safety legislation.
One of the most recognised publications of this group is the Risk Assessment Guide for Industrial Emission Monitoring, commonly known as the ‘Yellow Book’. Its adoption as the safety guide for the industry has resulted in its inclusion in Environment Agency guidance and the MCERTS scheme and it has remained a clear and concise guide to the potential hazards of the work we do. Its annual revisions have kept it up to date with the ever changing legislation whilst the group has strived to keep it as a simple and practical guide for those working up the stack as well as a useful resource for managers, salesmen and process operators.
During the regular meetings, task group members review changes to existing legislation and proposed new legislation and where necessary advice STA members as to the potential implications of such legislation. Such advice is often provided as guidance notes published on the website. Accidents in the industry and in related industries are discussed and if lessons can be learnt then these are communicated through bulletins on the website or as e-mails.
Training of stack testers has become a fundamental role of the STA - none more so than through the long established safety training course. It has become a safety passport for stack testers incorporating the experiences and knowledge of many of the stack testers who have contributed to the health and safety task group. The task group will continue to feed into this essential training.
We have been fortunate in recent years that there have no serious accidents in the UK stack testing industry. This is a trend we all hope will continue but we must not be complacent. The work undertaken on stacks is ever more vital and demanding.
The risks are always present and as new staff enters the industry the lessons learnt by more experienced staff must not be lost. The Health and Safety Task Group provides an invaluable resource to the industry to help keep our focus on the serious issue of the safety of those involved in this work.
Equipment Suppliers’ Task Group
Representing the manufacturers and distributors of particulate and gas CEMs, portable instrumentation, sampling equipment and calibration gas suppliers, the group is a focal point on regulatory, certifi cation and standards issues relevant to emissions monitoring with particular focus on technical issues. The equipment suppliers’ group provides a technical input into UK regulatory consultations related to emissions monitoring, the MCERTS certifi cation process, European and Environment Agency Method Implementation Documents and is a forum for resolving issues common across equipment suppliers.
Small Business Task Group
Small businesses are innovative, enterprising and fl exible. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, they account for 51% of private sector turnover, 59% of the private sector work force and 60% of all commercial innovations.
The STA Small Businesses Task Force (SBTG) was formed to monitor developments in our industry, and to represent the interests of smaller companies at meetings of the other STA Task Groups.
Our principal objectives are: • To promote the interests of members • To protect members’ business • To identify the continuously changing needs of members
The cost of accreditation to EN ISO/IEC 17025 and the MCERTS Performance Standard is a signifi cant burden for small businesses; however most have achieved certifi cation/ accreditation to both standards and our members are to be commended for their efforts.
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