selecting the right emissions monitoring contractor for you

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Selecting the Right Emissions Monitoring Contractor for You

How to Meet Your Needs & Exceed Your Expectations

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Adam May

• Business Development Manager – Envirocare Technical Consultancy Ltd.

• Eight Years experience in the stack emission monitoring industry

• MCERTS Level 2 Team Leader (Three Technical Endorsements

• Member of IES & IAQM

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Objectives when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

• Provision of accurate & reliable data• Meets regulatory requirements• On-time• On-budget • Clearly reported• Source a trusted partner• Development of an on-going relationship

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What Questions should I be Asking?

• What do I value most from my suppliers?• Do I want the best quality data at any cost?• Is my decision based solely on financial cost?• Do I want/need a knowledgeable partner?• Do I want to distance myself from the ‘hassle’

of monitoring?• Have you got experience of working in my

sector?

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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Health & Safety

• The single most important aspect to consider• Safe & sensible contractors on the host site– Safety of contractors– Safety of host employees– Damage to host property– Unnecessary time wasted on paperwork

• All contractors should have up-to-date and relevant health & safety training

• Risk Assessment & Method Statement

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

AccreditationCost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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Accreditations

• “Emissions monitoring from chimney-stacks should only be carried out by accredited test laboratories, using certified staff...”

• Environment Agency (EA) requires monitoring to be undertaken by ISO/IEC 17025 for MCERTS accredited organization

• Can the contractor honour what is required by your permit (legal document)

• Look for the contractors’ UKAS scope of accreditation (www.ukas.org – for more information)

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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Added Value

• Is accredited monitoring just a commodity?– UKAS & The EA put stringent requirements on what

contractors can and can’t report• What about added value to the service?– Liaise with your regulator– Negotiate on your permit– Project design

• Are you looking for a contractor or a project partner?– A good contractor will hold your hand as much or as little

as you would like

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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Experience

• Process & Sector knowledge– Applying methodologies can vary between processes– Whilst methodologies apply across the board, many

contractors have sectors of speciality• Talk to other companies in your industry– Referrals are an important source of new business– Relieve your own anxieties

• Reputation– What do other companies say about a contractor

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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Peace of Mind

• Confidence in your contractors’ abilities– Will the job get done safely?– Will the job get done properly?– Will you get the best quality data?– Is the contractor focussed on you or getting in & out and

on to the next job?• Will keep you in the loop at all times• There will be no come back• Will work with the minimum of inconvenience to you

and your staff & processes

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response &

Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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Response & Flexibility

• How quickly can you come in/report by?– When do you need us/it?

• How long will it take?– How much time have you got? Design a suitable schedule

to meet your needs

• Changes to agreed monitoring plan• After sales service– Do you continue to receive good service after the project

has concluded

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go

wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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When Things go Wrong!

• Emissions monitoring is not immune to difficulties.– Sample destruction/Accidental damage– Data loss/corruption– Process failure/Scheduling issues

• How will your contractor respond?

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation

Cost

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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The Fee!

• If your choice of contractor is based solely upon cost, everything I have said up until this point is largely irrelevant

• Cheap may be cheap for a reason• When comparing quotes, check that they are

like-for-like • Is the contractor offering anything over and

above that which is required?

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What to Consider when Choosing a Monitoring Contractor

Contractor

Accreditation Cost (of getting it wrong)

Added Value

Peace of Mind

When things go wrong

Ease / Convenience

Recommendation

Personal Relationship

Response & Flexibility

Technical Ability

Process Knowledge

Health & Safety

Reputation

Experience

After Sales Service

Integrity

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The Cost of Getting it Wrong

• Cost is clearly important, particularly if you make the wrong choice– Have you got value for money?– Do you need to pay again to correct a mistake?– Have you got accurate emission data? – What are the

implications • Costs may not just be financial– Has it taken away your valuable time?– Has it affected your regulators view of you?– Has it altered your perception of contractors?

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Summary

• There are many aspects to contemplate when making the right choice, but please consider:– 1. Health & Safety and accreditation status– 2. Not making your choice on costs alone– 3. Give yourself plenty of time

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Caring for the Environment & Creating Safer Workplaces

• MCERTS Stack Emission Monitoring• Ambient & Workplace Monitoring• Environmental Consultancy• Training• Health & Safety Monitoring & Consultancy• Telephone: 01274 738668• Website: http://envirocare.org