MAKE SURE YOU DON’T NEGLECT ODOUR TRAINING THIS AUTUMN
HOW TO KEEP AHEAD OF ODOURS IN THE AUTUMN
Managing odour is an important task, which you need to keep on top of year-round. Keeping emissions low helps you avoid complaints, fines and permit restrictions. That’s why we recommend having a plan, with specific items scheduled throughout the year. Hot weather marks the busiest time of year for managing odour. When Autumn arrives, smells are not so intense and travel less. People also tend to spend less time outside and with open windows. This means they don’t notice problematic odours as much. As a result, complaints calm down, and you are less likely to contravene your permit’s odour limits. With your odour management burdens decreasing, Autumn is a great time to update your team’s odour training. Here are our top tips to get your Autumn off to a great start.
ODOUR TRAINING
Any staff involved with monitoring odour should have annual training. This will ensure they are capable of effective monitoring. Without it, odour measurements do not comply with the European Odour Standard, EN13725. The standard suggests that staff complete odour sensitivity training every six months. However, staff must do it at least every year to be compliant. We recommend conducting this odour training in both the Autumn and Spring. But even if you only do it each Autumn, you ensure your team will comply with EN13725 for the busy season to come next year. You can then be confident in the quality of their on-site monitoring work.
What is Odour Sensitivity Testing?
Odour sensitivity testing assesses your sensitivity to odour and individual variability compared to the reference material, n-butanol. Your individual odour threshold must fall within the acceptable range (20-80 parts per billion). You must also have a standard deviation of no more than 2.3 to comply with EN13725. Approximately 40-45% of the population meet this criteria. Silsoe Odours offers odour sensitivity testing at our UKAS-accredited odour laboratory in Bedfordshire. We provide a certificate demonstrating your participation and results. You can use this to show compliance with your permit requirements. In addition, this odour training counts towards continuing professional development (CPD).
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Your next action is to finalise odour assessments to support your planning applications. Generally, the planning authority will stipulate that you complete them between May and September. So, get any outstanding assessments completed as quickly as you can. Otherwise, you may risk delaying the decision until next year. Having said that, there may occasionally be some flexibility on timings. So, if September has passed by the time you read this article, it is still worth checking.
SCHEDULE YOUR ODOUR TRAINING TODAY
To arrange your team’s odour sensitivity testing, please get in touch. Our specialist odour team can explain what’s involved and book a suitable time. We can also help you identify which odour tasks you should plan throughout the year. Just let us know if you have a challenge you would like help with. To get in touch, you can call us on 01525 860222, email info@silsoeodours.co.uk, or click the button below. You can also follow us on social media for helpful tips and advice and to see what our team are up to. You will find us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
