Pre-OMA Audits

• Ensure you are fully prepared for an OMA 
• Audit of site processes includes interviews with key personnel 
• Improve your OMA score 
• Receive a report of key findings and actions
• Guidance from an expert environmental consultant 
• Advice from an experienced auditor 

Companies with an environmental permit or PPC permit may be subject to an Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA) – an initiative that the Environment Agency uses to monitor emissions to air and water and drive necessary improvements. It is completed by the Environment Agency in the first year of a company being granted a permit and every four years if it already has a permit. 

With the help of our environmental experts, EMS can help you ensure you are prepared for an OMA. They can carry out an independent pre-OMA audit that is consistent with the Environmental Agency criteria and provide a report that includes key findings and actions to improve the OMA score. 

The pre-OMA service includes: 

• A site inspection of monitoring and treatment processes
• Review of documentation and records associated with the monitoring and treatment protocols
• Informal interviews with key personnel
• A report of the audit findings
• An action plan to maximise the OMA audit score

Failure to plan in advance of an OMA often results in companies performing poorly, and the worst-case scenario is that a company is fined for having a poor OMA score. For this reason, the Environment Agency recommends a pre-OMA audit to identify monitoring issues needing improvement in advance of the OMA assessment. Other benefits of a pre-OMA audit include: 

• An assessment of the quality and reliability of self monitoring, including services provided by external contractors
• Identifying monitoring shortfalls and potential areas for improvement
• Contributing to the targeting and prioritisation of independent monitoring of point source emissions