Objective
This SOP outlines the steps to create a new guideline in EnviroAutomate. Guidelines represent the environmental standards and regulatory frameworks used to assess contamination levels (e.g., NEPM 2013, state EPA guidelines). They are linked to investigation levels which define the specific screening values for each analyte and receptor combination.
Prerequisites
You must be logged in as an administrator
Key Steps
1. Navigate to the Create Guideline Page
Click "Guidelines" in the left sidebar under the Scientific Settings section
Click the "Create Guideline" button at the top of the list
2. Enter Guideline Information
Fill in the required fields (marked with a red asterisk):
Title - The full title of the guideline (e.g., "National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 2013")
Version - The version number of the guideline (e.g., "1.0", "2013")
Jurisdiction - Select the jurisdiction this guideline applies to (e.g., National, NSW, VIC, QLD)
Optional guideline information fields:
Publication Date - The date the guideline was published (use the date picker)
Source URL - A URL linking to the official source document
Description - A detailed description of the guideline
3. Enter Licence Information (Optional)
Licence Number - The licence number under which your organisation uses this guideline
Licence Issue Date - The date the licence was issued
Licence Issuer - The organisation that issued the licence
4. Configure Report Output
These fields control how the guideline appears in generated reports:
Table Short Description - A short description used in report table headers
Sort Order - Controls the display order of this guideline in reports. Higher numbers display first.
Table Reference Description - A longer reference description used in report footnotes or references
5. Save the Guideline
Click "Save" to create the guideline
The guideline will now be available when creating investigation levels
Cautionary Notes
Guidelines you create are specific to your organisation
The Title and Version combination should be unique and clearly identifiable
The Table Short Description and Table Reference Description appear in generated reports — ensure they are professional and accurate
After creating the guideline, you will need to create investigation levels that reference it to define the actual screening values
Tips for Efficiency
Include the year in the Title or Version to easily distinguish between different editions of the same guideline
Set the Sort Order to control the order in which guidelines appear in report tables
Add the Source URL so team members can quickly access the original guideline document
Record licence information if your organisation's use of the guideline is governed by a licence agreement