| A successful handover between shifts heavily | | | | should address staffing issues, ongoing maintenance |
| depends on the organizational skills of management | | | | repair, preparation for maintenance, lockout and |
| and the effective use of the communication tools | | | | tagout, test results, special permit preparation and |
| available. Learn what these tools are and get the | | | | implementation. Shipping and material movement plans |
| most out of your operators. | | | | may be presented. Shift monitoring requirements |
| On numerous occasions, poor handovers between | | | | should be periodically reviewed for operator |
| shifts have been responsible for accidents. A | | | | coverage. |
| prominent example is the Texas City fire involving | | | | The strategic element, which follows, should address |
| BP's isomerization column on March 24, 2005. The | | | | complex issues. These include: training and education |
| nightshift filled the column. The dayshift continued to | | | | needs, planning and preparation for future work, |
| fill the column; it flooded, and eventually led to an | | | | updating and reviewing procedures, safety and |
| accident killing 15 people. | | | | environmental education, research and development, |
| A successful handover between shifts heavily | | | | process testing, changes in sampling, vibration |
| depends on the organizational skills of management | | | | monitoring testing, product inventories, interactions |
| and the effective use of the communication tools | | | | within the corporate venue, planned outages, and |
| available. These tools are: | | | | long-term goals. |
| 1. the shift log book; | | | | As with the handover meetings, items requiring |
| 2. the shift handover meeting; | | | | detailed discussions should be held in a later sidebar |
| 3. and the shift team meeting. | | | | meeting. If possible, for a complex production facility, |
| The shift logbook | | | | it is best to summarize each product, briefly, by |
| Electronic log books that have a predefined plan for | | | | subject: safety, environment, quality, production and |
| data collection seem to work best. They are a | | | | reliability - leave the details for a separate meeting. It |
| nexus, defining the status of the operation, available | | | | is especially important that minutes be prepared for |
| for all within the organization. Some may be | | | | the shift team meetings. Whenever possible, these |
| automated and others may be the gathering of an | | | | minutes should be widely shared within the facility. |
| ope ator's investigations or calculations. Additional | | | | Developing a shift monitoring plan |
| information may be harvested from laboratory | | | | The console operators should have a say in |
| results, managers, engineers, supervisors, field | | | | establishing a monitoring plan. They have the best |
| operators, maintenance personnel, maintenance or | | | | understanding of how the process is operating today |
| business planners, and schedulers. In its best form, | | | | and how it has operated in the past. They acquired |
| the pre-defined sheet of the log book ensures | | | | this knowledge from interactions with the process |
| consistent data collected at defined, scheduled times. | | | | controls and f llowing laboratory analysis. The console |
| In its worst form, the "log book" is a collection of | | | | operators should not be an untapped resource. |
| disparate data maintained by a manager, or managers | | | | However, they require direction from management. |
| - not shared up, and down, the chain of command | | | | Today, many of your operators have their own |
| within the organization. | | | | routines, which may have been handed down to |
| Managers shouldn't assume that operators are | | | | them from other operators, or may have been |
| competent writers. Nor should they assume that | | | | developed through operating experience. A better |
| operators will produce clear descriptions of events. | | | | approach is to provide clear guidance and a strategic |
| Operators are not hired for their communication skills. | | | | approach. Managers should review the performance |
| We've found that many plants managers do not | | | | of their best operators and develop general |
| evaluate candidates for these skills. However, | | | | procedures that address the most critical plant issues. |
| companies are beginning to see the value of | | | | If possible, the best operators should help in |
| communications skills for their operators. Recently, | | | | developing training. This training can then be passed |
| many companies have started testing new recruits | | | | along to less-skilled and future operators. The most |
| for their writing abilities. They are beginning to test | | | | elegant approach would be to include their knowledge |
| existing operators. Much to their chagrin, these | | | | in a dynamic simulator or emulator. |
| managers discovered that some operators have | | | | Training is often limited because of lack of resources. |
| reading and writing skills below those expected for | | | | Sometimes, even operating instructions, the basis for |
| high school graduates. Remedial training can save | | | | an operating manual, aren't current. If this is the case, |
| these operators and make them more useful to their | | | | bringing them up-to-date is the first step towards |
| companies. | | | | developing a shift monitoring plan and improving |
| So, how can companies transform their operations | | | | training. A poorly organized, or outdated, |
| and maintenance from reactive to predictive if their | | | | human-computer interface (HCI) can drastically |
| operators can't read and write? This will be one of | | | | encumber training. For the best results, the HCI |
| the challenges they must grapple with as they begin | | | | should be hierarchical with an overview of all units |
| to build the multiple variant statistical models needed | | | | under the operator's scope of control. Next, the HCI |
| to predict plant conditions. The future of proactive | | | | should have a unit view and finally the ability to |
| operability depends on operators who can effectively | | | | display detailed and diagnostic information, i.e., an |
| document process events and investigate their | | | | alarm page. |
| causes. Besides content, there is also context - what | | | | If possible, detailed or critical procedures should be |
| data should be included in daily reporting? Ideally, clear | | | | imbedded in the controls: before the operator can |
| boundary lines should be drawn between different | | | | make a change on the screen, instructions must be |
| units within a plant containing several product lines. | | | | acknowledged. Caution is required to ensure that |
| However, a periodic review should be conducted to | | | | these instructions are read. |
| assure that no one will be blindsided by an | | | | The best systems log alarms using an historian for |
| unexpected problem. Obviously, it will sometimes be | | | | future reference; these systems are available for |
| necessary to report the same measurement in two | | | | reference not only by managers but by operators. |
| log books. Whenever possible, avoid sharing of | | | | The monitoring plan depends on the field operators |
| information between remotely separated units - the | | | | carrying out their assigned duties when they need to |
| log book should include values for measurements the | | | | be carried out. |
| unit has control over. | | | | Field operators will have an assigned schedule that |
| Shift handover meeting | | | | cover s sampling routines and equipment checks. |
| The handover should be formal and consistent; it | | | | They will receive assignments from console operators |
| should be held at specific times. Most of all, it must | | | | to take manual actions such as starting pumps, |
| be valued by those in attendance, not considered a | | | | opening or closing valves, but they should also |
| waste of time or a ritual. The interview should be a | | | | conduct more focused inspections. |
| brief exchange of information encompassing not just | | | | Field operators will be guided in this preventative |
| immediate problems but identifying threats to | | | | maintenance by information received at the shift |
| production and quality. Side issues such as potential | | | | handover. This work usually keeps them busy during |
| environmental excursions and safety issues should be | | | | first shift but may be ignored, or brushed aside on |
| included, or may be handled in separate meetings. | | | | the back shifts. Sometimes, operators are borrowed |
| The best handovers follow an established format. | | | | for other duties such as loading and unloading of |
| Issues are reported in order of importance: safety, | | | | trucks, which have nothing to do with their |
| environment, quality, production, reliability Meetings | | | | responsibilities to the unit. Again values and beliefs |
| should be as short as possible or they develop a life | | | | need to be aligned with the production goals - |
| of their own: attendees devote their time to | | | | management must enforce these values. |
| preparing for the meeting instead of solving problems. | | | | Pro-active operability |
| Sidebar meetings should be organized for items | | | | Some companies have embraced a dynamic strategy |
| requiring a more detailed discussion. And, most | | | | of continual improvement. This approach involves |
| importantly: the final minutes must be collated and | | | | autonomous field operators applying predictive and |
| distributed to attendees. | | | | preventative maintenance tools to the restoration of |
| Follow a fixed format | | | | plant equipment and maximum production potential. |
| 1. Safety | | | | The strategy also involves console operators who |
| 2. Environment | | | | analyze production data to maximize product quality |
| 3. Quality | | | | and managers who direct the operators to achieve |
| 4. Production | | | | plant goals. |
| 5. Reliability | | | | Today, hand-held computers are available for |
| These minutes can be used for identification of | | | | operators to track and record equipment health |
| potential opportunities, including: increases in | | | | conditions. The field operators' role is changing to |
| production or quality, maintenance possibilities, control | | | | more of an equipment specialist and if they are not |
| system continuous improvements, better control | | | | outside with the equipment, they are monitoring and |
| optimization, alarm rationalization, instrumentation fault | | | | analyzing data to predict equipment failures or |
| correction, and development of key performance | | | | operating costs. |
| indicators (KPIs). This work generally occurs further | | | | Using this new strategy, console operators are no |
| up the chain. | | | | longer waiting for alarms before they interact with |
| Shift team meeting | | | | the control system. They are trending processes and |
| This meeting usually takes longer that the handover | | | | setting up monitoring strategies - detecting problems |
| meeting and requires participation at the tactical and | | | | before the alarm initiates. This strategy requires |
| strategic level. It should take place early in the shift. | | | | revisiting old methods. Pattern recognition was a |
| The purpose of the shift team meeting is sharing | | | | technique used by operators in the 1950s to 1980s |
| information between line supervisors, upper managers | | | | and with the introduction of digital data the analog |
| and staff functions. Sometimes, operators or | | | | charts and trends became less popular. |
| technicians are included for discussing particular | | | | Today console operators are going back to using this |
| problems. Sometimes, consultants, sales, public | | | | method, and HCI developers are utilizing some new |
| relations, or other corporate staff should take part. If | | | | techniques such as polar plot diagrams or linear profile |
| the people are located in separate buildings, or travel | | | | charts with trends to monitor lots more process |
| time is too great for a single meeting, consider | | | | conditions than previously observed. |
| networked electronic white boards to allow sharing | | | | A powerful tool |
| information and video conferencing. The meeting will | | | | One of the most important tools we have for |
| have to be adapted for days with managers and | | | | managing the changes that occur throughout a shift |
| engineers and nights for just supervisors. | | | | is the shift handover. If the shift handover is |
| The meeting should begin with a review of the | | | | managed well, operators will be equipped to deal with |
| previous shift for each product, or department. This | | | | dynamic process changes. |
| is the tactical section of the meeting. It is best to | | | | They will be able to manage equipment changes |
| follow the same outline for each meeting. Begin this | | | | confidently, from a more in-depth perspective. |
| segment with a summary of each product or | | | | Replacing equipment following pre-determined |
| department, with topics in order of importance: | | | | maintenance schedules will be transformed into |
| safety, environment, quality, production, and reliability. | | | | pro-active, predictive maintenance. |
| Unlike the handover meeting, the shift meeting should | | | | Lastly, having a better understanding of what people |
| address more details of a strategic nature. | | | | do and how they do it will allow better |
| The tactical section should cover the threats, | | | | decision-making when people changes are proposed. |
| limitations and potential opportunities. The meeting | | | | |