What are the benefits of on-site testing?

Stockpiling

The greatest benefit from on-site testing is the speed with which you get results; this can help you in several ways. In a remediation operation it would often have been the case that machinery remained idle or was taken off-site, excavations left open or even temporarily refilled requiring re-excavation, until laboratory results were received and subsequent decisions made. This need no longer be the case. Using QROS data decisions can often be made within 10 minutes of the soil sample being taken. The same applies in a stockpile scenario- often you will find that stockpiles occupy valuable site space that is required for other purposes  (if indeed you have space for stockpiling!). Using on-site methods will allow real time decision making as to which stockpile material is added to, or the final destination of material leaving site,

Site Investigations

Again the speed at which results are generated from samples can be a huge advantage when investigating contaminated land. The primary advantage is that the investigation can react to data as it is generated. If an area is identified as being contaminated the sampling pattern can be adjusted to be more intensive in this area and the contamination more accurately delineated. This nullifies the expensive requirement to return to the site and undertaking further investigation in areas that latterly proved to be contaminated.

Economically on-site testing can realise significant cuts in site investigation cost. Once on site the chemist can run in excess of 50 samples a day (even more if the samples are not being taken by the chemist). The more samples that are taken the less the relative cost per sample becomes and this can foster a more meticulous  approach where more samples are taken and a very comprehensive SI results. The converse is true in a laboratory situation where you may feel constrained to take the minimum number of samples due to the cost and a poorer quality SI results.

Remediation and or disposal

QROS has undertaken numerous projects where remediation of the soil was required with the rapid results allowing the contractor to fine tune their equipment/techniques and be confident that the treatment process was working to its full potential. In the case of hydrocarbons the information that QROS provides can also be used to indicate the suitability of the material for the remediation  process. It was this approach conducted by QROS that primarily allowed the Olympics Groundworks Enabling Scheme to be completed three months ahead of schedule.

The rapid nature of the testing provided by QROS also allows the contractor/consultant to designate the destination of the material being exported as it is excavated and/or loaded. This can be for disposal through landfill, off-site remediation through a hub system or even for reuse without further treatment.

With disposal costs running at up to £500 per lorry load for polluted soil and £3,000 per lorry for hazardous waste, it pays to make sure that each lorry load is what you think it is before it goes off site.

Validation

The validation process is an area very much suited to on-site analysis. While the number of samples that can be analysed is a bonus in itself, even more beneficial is the time saved not waiting for laboratory reports before a project can proceed. Backfilling or concrete pouring can continue immediately with confidence that the base is clean, so there is minimal  down-time for plant machinery or workforce.

Who will come to site?

QROS's on-site analysis is conducted by highly trained and experienced staff using instruments that have been tried and tested and even developed by ourselves. All our operatives will have generally in excess of 1 years experience of using the instruments and be familiar with any interpretation levels required.

All on-site chemists will have CSCS cards, general PPE and be familiar with site environments and working around plant machinery.

We can, depending on your requirements, either take samples ourselves from an agreed location or work alongside your own site staff analysing samples presented to us. All sampling conducted by us will be according to our sampling protocol.

What do you require from us?

We have very little site requirements to carry out our analysis. As our power requirements are low we can work from the boot of our vehicles and only require a safe place to park. If vehicles are not permitted on site or you would prefer us to be within your accommodation we would only require a small workspace (desk/table) and a 240V power outlet.

Do we hire out our instruments?

We do not hire out our instruments as it usually works out to be far more expensive than you think. There are two main reasons for this all based on experience. The first reason is down to user training. As the on-site analysers become more sophisticated, the actual level of user input increases. Even relatively simple analysers need a significant amount of technical ability to get the best out of them. To get the best out of an instrument, the user must be well trained because it is relatively easy for an inexperienced user to miss instrument errors or to generate invalid data. Generating incorrect data usually leads to an increase in costs to the project and such data may not be obvious to an inexperienced user. To build up sufficient experience, a hirer would require as a minimum several days training on an instrument using real samples. This usually means the instrument would have to be hired for a few more days than is needed on site and the operator taken from their usual job and allowed to spend time familiarising themselves with the instrument. Alternatively the hirer would have to attend a suitable off-site training course. It is never good practice to hire an instrument, turn up on site and then read the manual. Additionally, hoping that a person who has done some training 3 months ago and can then pass on this information to a second person rarely works either. For effective use of an instrument, it is paramount that the user is completely familiar with the technique by repeated and continual use. Moreover, for many instruments the data generated is retained by the instrument and needs downloading and converting into a useable format. This process can take many hours for a person who does not have the appropriate software and adds significantly to the time required to complete the work. This all adds to the basic cost of hiring an instrument. QROS chemists undergo at least 3 months training on an instrument before going unaccompanied on site because experience has shown it takes this length of time to gain the required competency.

Another hidden cost of hiring an instrument comes from reliance on just a single instrument to do the job. The full benefits of on-site analysis are only realised if results can be generated within the day or faster. Hiring a single instrument does not include the contingency of instrument failure. A failed instrument can lead to a delay of several days as the instrument is replaced or repaired and the benefit of the rapid on-site analysis is lost. Staff will be hanging around waiting for equipment to arrive or samples will need sending to a lab for the highly expensive rapid turnaround option. This can significantly increase project costs.

Consequently the way QROS operates is for the on-site chemist to come out, set up and operate on your site. Such an arrangement will give you reliable data, a level of independence from the results and a much higher certainty that the job will be completed within the required timeframe.