Operator round check is safeguarding

Operator round check is safeguarding

All process plant had production/process technician to perform round check at the production/process area. This round check is part of their daily task performing checking that process are running as per intended design philosophy. How this operator role can become plant safeguarding?

Production operator is actually a most sophisticated CCTV that process plant could had. How can human become CCTV? Because this CCTV could immediately respond, communicate even stop risky activity at site. That’s why operator is actually very reliable safeguarding for process plant. It is plant management responsibility to manage and really appreciate this safeguarding. In most cases operator are identified as weak safeguarding due to concept “human make mistake”, does plant instrumentation not broke down or giving false reading?

Operator intervention is crucial to prevent escalation of event even to ensure “high-high” alarm is not triggered. There is organization that really taking consideration of operator availability in their HAZOP study. This organization true believe to concept that operator are available and really can respond for process interruption within 30 minutes are consider their safeguarding during HAZOP study.

For occupational safety, operator also play role to ensure any non-routine maintenance job by contractor are well manage by permit to work (PTW)system and they helping to ensure the handover of facility to contractor are done properly. Some organization require process operator put their signature to ensure they really aware, in-control and responsible for any activity perform in their process area.

Looking back in their role, process/production operator actually to have same or not much different treatment from control panel technician. Both are very important to play their role in ensure their plant are run safely.

P/S : production operator also are the backbone for Emergency Respond Team.