SOURCE TESTING ASSOCIATION I Annual Guide 2025


STA Task Groups: Driving


Technical Excellence To address the diverse needs of its members, the STA created a series of Task Groups. These groups focus on critical aspects of emission monitoring, ensuring that the industry operates to the highest standards in methodology, safety, and technical innovation.


1. Technical Task Group This group addresses technical aspects of emission monitoring, including methodology, standards, permitting, and equipment. The group provides vital updates on national and international standards and methods.


2. Quality Task Group Focused on improving the accuracy and reliability of monitoring results, the Quality Task Group delves into issues such as profi ciency testing, calibration techniques, and the development of guidance documents like the STA Guide to Uncertainty Calculations. This group plays a key role in ensuring compliance with CEN and ISO standards.


3. Process Operators Task Group This group meets three times a year to discuss legislation, continuous monitoring, quality assurance, and issues related to permitting and reporting, helping operators stay aligned with legal and regulatory developments.


4. Health & Safety Task Group Safety has been a cornerstone of STA’s work. The Health & Safety Task Group developed the renowned Yellow Book, a risk assessment guide for the emission monitoring industry. This guide has been adopted into EA guidance and the MCERTS scheme. The task group also plays a critical role in safety training courses, ensuring that both new and experienced testers adhere to safe working practices.


5. Equipment Suppliers Task Group


Representing manufacturers and suppliers of testing equipment, this group focuses on regulatory, certifi cation, and standards issues relevant to emissions monitoring. It plays a crucial role in MCERTS-related consultations.


6. Laboratory Task Group This group has been instrumental in aligning emission monitoring standards with laboratory analytical procedures, working closely with the EA to develop the MCERTS standard for analytical laboratories.


The STA achievement over the last 30 years


The STA has been the driving force behind the development of many of the industries achievements and guidance


The Source Testing Association (STA) has developed an extensive and comprehensive database of guidance notes that cover a wide range of topics essential for emission monitoring. These notes address critical areas such as health and safety, quality assurance, and technical procedures. To remain relevant and effective, these documents are regularly updated to incorporate the latest changes in legislation, standards, and best practices. Here is a brief summary of the topics covered by the STA’s guidance notes A complete list of guidance notes can be accessed on the STA’s website.


Health & Safety Guidance:


• HGA-001: Chemical exposure risks during stack testing operations.


• HGE-002: Guidelines on personal protective equipment. • HGE-003: Understanding and managing electrical supplies. • HGO-005: Overview of the Safety Passport Scheme.


• HGO-009: Instructions on completing risk assessment forms.


Quality Guidance:


• QGA-001: The use of blanks in manual stack sampling for quality assurance.


• QGE-003: Comprehensive calibration methodology. • QGU-001: A booklet explaining uncertainty in stack testing.


• QGU-006: Excel tool for calculating uncertainty in dust measurements.


Technical Guidance: • TGA-001: Procedures for monitoring oxides of nitrogen. • TGE-002: Best practices for gas analyser calibration. • TGO-009: Swirl test procedures.


• TGO-011: Guidance on measuring dioxin emissions from landfi lls.


Low Particulate Task Group: • LPM-2501-2022: Detailed insights on low particulate measurement and particle sizing.


EN14181 Task Group: • EN 1025 V2: Strategies to prevent and address AST failures.


Presentation from EMCERTS which became AQE from the 2000s


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These guidance notes serve as a vital resource for all STA members, offering practical advice and technical insights that support the industry’s dedication to precise and dependable emission monitoring.


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