Alpha Stat Consulting

Principles of Sampling for Solids, Liquids, and Gases

TCEQ Approved For Continuing Education Credits for Selected Occupations

WHEN AND WHERE

This two-day short course can be given on-site or in-house upon request. Recommended class size is 20 or fewer. It is also offered periodically and sponsored by The Division of Outreach and Extended Studies at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. For information, call 806-742-7200. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has approved this course specifically for LPST Project Managers, OSSF Installers and DRs, UST On-site Supervisors, Municipal Solid Waste Supervisors, Water Operators (Public), and Wastewater Operators.

COMMENTS ABOUT THE COURSE

It has given me a better understanding of what and why of my sampling procedure. I was very impressed with your ability to communicate a very complicated issue, statistics, to a very simple person, myself.
Dan Warren, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Pat made a subject that could have been boring, very interesting and applicable to my concerns.
King Hoermann, Texas State Technical College

The course was very informative. As a result of the class I am more carefully thinking through our sampling procedures for seed and grain and determining which of the 7 sampling errors are affecting us and how they can be reduced. I will use your book as a reference for some of the sampling plans that we set up.
Kirk Remund

ABOUT THE COURSE

We boldly and openly assume (but silently hope) that our samples are representative of the process or lot from which they are taken. Have you ever been frustrated by very different sample results, even though the samples were taken at the same physical location or at about the same time? Do you think your sampling equipment can be improved? Have you ever wondered about how frequently your samples should be taken or where they should be taken? Could the procedures you follow be clearer and have more detail?

Discover the how’s and why’s of sample variation. Go behind the scenes to understand the basic ideas and underlying issues in collecting samples in the field and subsampling in the lab. Find out how material variation influences sampling techniques and how to reduce the detrimental effects. Learn how to evaluate different sample equipment and procedures and how to improve them. Recognize the effects and consequences of long-term trends and cycles.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Anyone connected with sampling, including:

operators and technicians collecting samples, performing subsampling, or analyzing samples in the field or in the lab.
supervisors and managers responsible for sampling protocols in the field or in the lab.
chemists, scientists, environmentalists, and engineers who rely on samples to make decisions in their work.
manufacturers of sampling equipment.
auditors and regulators involved in sampling.

THIS COURSE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH:

A structured approach from which you can break down a sampling problem into component parts, and
Basic principles that you can apply to any sampling situation.

MAJOR COURSE TOPICS

Sampling Terminology and Basic Statistical Concepts
(Calculation of a mean and standard deviation will be reviewed and used in several exercises).
Introduction to the Seven Sources of Sampling Variation.
Short-Range and Material Variation.
Tools, Techniques, and Handling.
Long-Range Variation, Including Trends and Cycles.
Strategy for Evaluating Your Sampling Tools, Techniques, and Procedures.
Individual Problem-Solving.

EXERCISES

hands-on sampling with different tools
interpretation of sampling results
critiques of methodology

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

How to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of sampling procedures, for example those in ISO and ASTM standards.
To what extent sampling equipment or a sampling system follows the Principle of Correct Sampling.
A strategy for evaluating and improving your sampling processes.
The seven sources of sampling variation, and how to minimize them.
Why sampling accuracy cannot be controlled.
How to reduce the effects of the material variation.
The Principle of Correct Sampling and its importance in minimizing bias and variation in sampling protocols.
How to interpret sampling variation over time and space, and how to determine appropriate sampling frequency and sampling mode.
How inappropriate sampling techniques can generate patterns that are unrelated to the process.
How to evaluate step by step a sampling problem that you bring to the course and identify actions to solve it.

E-mail: alpha@alphastat.com