EPA Standard Operating Procedures

The EPA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were developed to ensure consistency and quality assurance in preparing and managing environmental data and materials. EPA Standard Operating Procedures cover procedures at both the technical and managerial levels, and all organizations that fall under EPA guidelines must observe these procedures. According to the EPA, the SOPs are intended “to be specific to the organization or facility whose activities are described and assist that organization to maintain their quality control and quality assurance processes and ensure compliance with governmental regulations.” EPA Standard Operating Procedures were designed to be a well-developed quality control system to avoid environmental problems.

Clarity and Accuracy

Standard Operating Procedures can vary by industry and purpose, but one primary requirement of the EPA is that any SOP be clear and focused in its description. The EPA notes that unclear or inaccurate SOPs are of “limited value” and requires that those responsible for preparing SOPS provide focus for the procedure and an outline of steps that is simple to read and follow. What is more, the EPA requires that all Standard Operating Procedures be consistent, particularly if the details of a procedure are transferred from one source to another. Consistency ensures that all who read the procedure can follow it the same way, leaving less room for failure or inaccuracy.

Style and Organization

The EPA requires that all Standard Operating Procedures include concision in style and organization. Because the procedures themselves can often be tedious and full of steps, the EPA wants to ensure that anyone who reads the procedure can follow it without becoming confused during the process. The writing style should avoid flowery language but instead should rely on simplicity and brevity. Any SOP that contains potentially confusing elements should also include a visual, such as a chart, to aid the reader in following the steps.

Oversight and Revision

The EPA recognizes that “the best written SOPs will fail if they are not followed” and requires that all Standard Operating Procedures fall under a hierarchy of management responsibility and that management review them carefully to ensure that they are accessible to those who will be carrying out the procedures. The EPA recommends that management utilize SOPs as a part of training, because the SOPs by their very nature provide a series of steps for personnel to follow correctly. Additionally, the EPA requires that management review Standard Operating Procedures periodically to make sure that they are up to date and that management take the responsibility to complete revisions that are necessary.