A good service contract for landfill gas and gas monitoring equipment sets out four things: what is serviced and how often, how fast the engineer responds, what the customer must do, and what is not covered. This post uses a service contract drawn up for a gas monitoring and venting system on a business park in Ireland to show what each section does, and what to look for before you sign one.

The challenge: equipment that must work when it is needed

Gas control equipment spends most of its life doing nothing dramatic. Sampling tubes, pumps, analysers and vent stacks only prove their worth when something goes wrong. If they have not been inspected, they may not work when needed. A service contract turns that into a routine.

The same contract template was used across several sites. It covered flares, monitoring systems and venting units. The version here was for a system serving many separate building blocks, with a central PC, vent stack, analyser and control panels, and internal and external sampling tubes.

The approach: the main sections

The schedule of servicing

The equipment is listed by plant item and by location, so there is no dispute about what is covered. Each item is inspected against a standard checklist. The engineer then writes a report with an itemised quotation for any extra work or replacement parts that the schedule does not include.

Anything unscheduled only goes ahead once it has been authorised in writing with an official order number.

Service intervals

In this contract every item is inspected quarterly, on dates agreed at least a month in advance. Target dates are written into the contract, one for each quarter.

Response time

An emergency call-out list is included. The engineer responds within 24 hours of written notification, Monday to Friday. Weekends and public holidays are outside this. Check carefully whether this matches how critical your equipment is.

Choosing how much is inspected

The contract could be extended in stages as more of the park’s building blocks were added. It also let the client choose how much of the sampling tube network was inspected each quarter, at either 25% or 50% coverage. That meant the client could decide how thorough each visit was.

Eligibility, term and notice

• Eligibility: equipment supplied by the contractor is covered. Additional equipment joins once its warranty ends. Equipment from other suppliers must first be handed over in an acceptable condition, with any work to get it there charged separately.
• Term: a minimum of twelve months, renewable until either party ends it with four weeks’ written notice.

Customer responsibilities

These matter as much as the engineer’s duties. The customer agrees to:

• Operate the equipment as instructed and carry out the routine operator checks.
• Let nobody else adjust, repair or maintain it, apart from those routine checks.
• Tell the contractor at once if something is not working properly.
• Keep the recommended environmental conditions and keep usage and performance records.
• Make no alterations without written consent.
• Give full access. Inspecting internal sampling pipes may need to happen outside office hours.

Exclusions

The contractor can decline to carry out the service if access or recommended conditions are not provided. Repairs caused by accident, neglect, misuse, unauthorised repair, or moving the equipment are charged at normal rates. Operating supplies, painting and electrical work outside the equipment are also excluded.

Why it works

The contract makes both sides responsible. The engineer inspects on a fixed cycle, and the customer keeps the equipment in a state that can be inspected. Exclusions stop disputes about whose fault a failure was. A clear schedule means a spare-parts or repair quote is based on a documented inspection.

What to consider for your own project

1. Match the interval to the risk. Quarterly may be right for monitoring systems that protect people.
2. Read the response time. A 24-hour weekday response may not be enough for a safety-critical system.
3. Train your operators. On a landfill gas field the contractor advised that site staff should be trained to balance the wells, with the service covering the flare itself.
4. Check what happens to your records. Usage logs help the engineer diagnose faults.
5. Review at expiry of the warranty. Equipment added later should be brought into the contract.

Operators of UK landfill sites should also check their permit conditions on monitoring and maintenance. Start with the Environment Agency’s landfill operator guidance.

FAQ

How often should gas monitoring equipment be serviced?

It depends on the risk and the permit. In this example every item was inspected quarterly.

Who can adjust the equipment during a contract?

Only the contractor, apart from routine operator checks. Unauthorised work can mean the item is no longer covered.

What does an inspection produce?

A report, plus an itemised quotation for any recommended extra work.

Can a contract cover equipment from other suppliers?

Yes, but it must first be brought to an acceptable condition, at the customer’s cost.

Looking for a service contract?

Contact our team to discuss servicing for your gas control equipment.