Reliability & Safety Awareness

Safety & Equipment Reliability for Process Operators

Introduction

Operators are the eyes and ears in a process plant; their role is to identify unusual behavior of process equipment. Their watchdog responsibilities for equipment and plant surroundings account for 24/7 all year-round surveillance. They are the first responders to abnormal operations, and therefore it makes sense they should know more about the process equipment they are responsible for.

As a minimum, operators should thus have some knowledge of how the equipment functions and what its operating limits are. There is no machine that cannot be wrecked by humans. That said, operational influences that risk equipment failure must be considered and conveyed.

The intent of the course is to give plant operators a basic understanding of some of the common issues they will have to confront when dealing with rotating equipment. The course includes typical checklists describing effective equipment surveillance as assigned to operating personnel at Best-in-Class (BiC) companies.

Course Objectives

Improve reliablity of your machinery
Get an updated approach and move from PM & PdM (Preventive or Predictive Maintenance) to CBM (Condition Based Maintenance)
Good general overview of the construction, "how they work", weakest links and limits of operation for common process machinery
Know how to deal with common issues pertaining to rotating equipment
Optimise the companies’ health & safety standards
Increase overall profits for your company

Who Will Benefit from the Course

Two men engineer talking in modern factory. Production line machine and setting it for work.

Plant Operators
Plant Managers
Plant Engineers
Operations Managers
Safety Officers
Maintenance Engineers & Technicians
Condition Monitoring Specialists
Reliability Engineers & Technicians
Lubricant & Equipment Suppliers
Anyone wanting to recognise good and bad machinery "sounds"

Course Outline

Introduction

How Operators and Maintenance Technicians affect Reliability and Safety

Basic Understanding of How Equipment Fails

Fundamental Principles of Common Rotating Equipment Types

Common Surveillance of Rotating Equipment to Promote Safety & Reliability

General Checks for Start-Up and Shutdown of Machinery

All events have causes and for every cause there is an effect. Shutdown and start-up of process equipment are events that should be treated with care and a great thoroughness. It is not the procedure but the individual that makes it happen. The course outlines general and specific guidelines for starting up and shutting down some common process equipment, which several BiC companies have adopted.

Examples of Failures That Resulted in Unsafe Situations

Process machinery is the backbone behind process facilities, transporting fluids safely from point A to B to make product. Failures of these machines can be catastrophic with severe consequences. These consequences can range from a near-miss incident, fire, or even to loss of life. Neglecting early signs of insipient equipment failures; audible noise; vibration; hot to touch; unusual smell can lead to catastrophic failure. The course cites a couple of incidents that led to catastrophic failures that could have been prevented.

Operator Quiz

Reliability & Safety Awareness

Introduction

Course Objectives

Who Will Benefit from the Course

Course Outline

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