2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the STA. Dominic Sheedy represented CEM Solutions at the AGM and anniversary celebrations held earlier this month in Letchworth Garden City. It was great to have an in-person meeting, as such opportunities have been rare in recent years. It was a pleasure to reconnect with everyone.
AGM – Topics covered
The meeting covered several key topics, including health and safety measures for working in high temperatures, the need for clear instructions on isolating fire suppression equipment in CEMS containers. Updates on Task Groups including revisions to EN14181. Upcoming events including CEM 2025 at Ljubljana and newly introduced webinars starting with a review of EN17255 DAHS, and future sessions on CCUS, EN14181 Compliance, and PFAS monitoring. The AGM highlighted changes in STA membership, with a shift towards more process operators. Regulatory checks on calibration factors and changes to OTNOC were also addressed.
30 Years of the STA
Richard Harvey, the STA Chair, delivered an after-dinner speech, sharing stories from the early days of the STA. Simon Medhurst, who took the minutes at the very first meeting of what would become the STA (initially considered to be named the Source Testing Foundation), was still taking the minutes at this meeting and he reflected on how far his career has progressed!
It was interesting to learn how the organisation has changed over the past 30 years. Initially, the members were primarily stack testers, but now the majority are process operators. It will be interesting to see how this evolves in the future.
Shaping the future of the STA
The STA is encouraging its members to drive the future direction of the association and welcomes ideas and feedback so that they can continue to promote and drive forward the industry, while providing an invaluable resource for its members.
It was a very enjoyable and informative event, and I would like to thank the organisers for this, and for providing technical support, direct communication lines with regulators, and representing the sector. Here’s to another 30 years.
Blog by Dominic Sheedy