Control Room Operator's Handbook : At-the-ready Control Room & Operations Center Guidance

Designed for operators and controllers in industrial plants and facilities who are responsible for the minute by minute, shift after shift control room operations. This first-of-a-kind handbook is a ready, by-the-side, resource for use during all shift activities with a singular goal: safe and reliable operations through situation awareness, assessment, and management. It is the benchmark by which all subsequent entries into this market will be compared. Included is the important concept of weak signals to identify and understand the many small, seemingly insignificant abnormalities before they can become harmful.

The handbook provides both new and experienced operators and controllers with a rich background of concepts, activities, and experiences to round out their site-based training and activities. It also serves as a solid foundation for in-house operator training. All the basics are here. All of the operational responsibilities and best practice approach options are covered.

Included is a set of cue cards. These cards repeat procedures presented in the handbook, for quick independent access and training.

What the industries are saying

NATURAL GAS. It sums up and formalizes a lot of concerns that we discuss and teach our controllers. Good discussion of policies and procedures and differentiates between the two.
REFINING. Younger operators can get a lot from reading it. Experienced operators would appreciate it as a reference. Liked the module concept for dividing and organizing the material.
POWER. Doug and Beverly did an amazing job assembling all kinds of data and knowledge for this book. I see it as a great tool for reference.

Coverage

• The Basics: Enterprises; safety
• Operations: Operators, readiness, communications, multitasking, operator tools, models, training, using data, supervision
• Considerations: power of time, abnormal situations, doubt, biases and pitfalls
• The Control Room: control room design, using the HMI, using the alarm system, managing automation, managing the shift, shift handovers
• Weak Signals: seeing them, using them, getting more from them, troubleshooting problems
• Awareness: situation awareness; alerts, messages, and notifications
• Managing Situations: situation management, operational boundaries, managing the control room, defensive operating, taking action, getting help, "permission to operate," operator redeployment, safety nets

Audience

• Plant operators; controllers
• Operations supervisors and trainers
• Plant management; engineers
• Plant safety and reliability personnel
• Students preparing for an industrial operations career

Typical Industries

• LNG
• Metals mining and processing
• Network management
• Oil and Gas
• Petrochemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Pipelining (liquids; gas) transmission; distribution
• Power generation; distribution
• Pulp and Paper
• Refining
• Transportation; railways
• Water purification; wastewater processing

Dedications
List of Figures & Tables
Preface
Acknowledgments

Part 1 : The Basics
Module 1 : Getting Started
Module 2 : Enterprise
Module 3 : Safety

Part 2 : Operations
Module 4 : Operators
Module 5 : Readiness
Module 6 : Communications
Module 7 : Multitasking
Module 8 : Operator Tool Set
Module 9 : Models
Module 10 : Operator Training
Module 11 : Using Data
Module 12 : Operator Supervision

Part 3 : Key Considerations
Module 13 : Power of Time
Module 14 : Abnormal Situations
Module 15 : Doubt
Module 16 : Biases and Pitfalls

Part 4 : The Control Room
Module 17 : In the Control Room
Module 18 : Using the HMI
Module 19 : Using the Alarm System
Module 20 : Managing Automation
Module 21 : Managing the Shift
Module 22 : Shift Handovers

Part 5 : Weak Signals
Module 23 : Introducing Weak Signals
Module 24 : Using Weak Signals
Module 25 : Getting More from Weak Signals
Module 26 : Troubleshooting Weak Signals

Part 6 : Awareness
Module 27 : Situation Awareness
Module 28 : Alerts, Messages, and Notifications

Part 7 : Managing Situations
Module 29 : Situation Management
Module 30 : Operational Boundaries
Module 31 : Managing the Control Room
Module 32 : Defensive Operating
Module 33 : Taking Action
Module 34 : Getting Help
Module 35 : Permission to Operate
Module 36 : Operator Redeployment
Module 37 : Operational Safety Nets

Endnotes
About the Authors
Credits
Additional Reading
Appendix 1 : Paper vs. Electronic Screen
Appendix 2 : Soft Weak Signals
Appendix 3 : Cue Cards
Glossary
Index