Operator Training and Certification: An Integrated Approach Based On Industry's Experience

An Operator Training and Certification Program remains a key element of Process Safety Culture at any chemical company. The trend seen in recent decades towards automation of process control and safety systems did not decrease this need at all, but changed its focus to what is expected from a plant or terminal operator in terms of knowledge, skills and attitude that he or she needs to perform his/her work safely and reliably.

Training is defined as the process of collecting, organizing and transmitting information to an operator so he or she becomes competent to perform the tasks involved in his/her job. Certification is the process of verifying via written and performance tests and observations on the job that the desired competence level was achieved. An integrated approach to build an effective Operator Training & Certification Program consists of:

? Training Needs & Objectives Determination

? Written & Performance Tests Creation

? Lesson Plans and Training Material Organization

? Classroom & On-the-Job Training Conduction

? Certification and Re-Training

Training Needs are defined function of operator's job description related to tasks to be performed at a chemical plant or distribution facility. Included are critical tasks and decisions that operators need to take in case of process upsets or emergency situations, as previously identified in risk analysis studies. Detailed Training Objectives are then set to confirm the desired outcomes from the training process. Considering again a risk analysis previously made, these typically include recognition of critical parameters and alarm levels for preventive and/or corrective action (knowledge acquisition and application, theory and practice).

Tests are created to evaluate if the training objectives defined have been achieved. Written Tests apply to verify if the necessary knowledge to perform a certain task was acquired. Performance Tests are developed to confirm if the operator has the necessary psychomotor skills and attitude to perform the task in the real world.

Lesson Plans and Training Materials are developed by subject matters experts (SME's) to assist instructors and trainers to minister training to operators at the classroom or on-the-job.

Certification is achieved if the operator meets the performance criteria defined for written and performance tests. Usually, approval rates are set as 100% for critical tasks from a Process Safety perspective and 80% for other activities. Re-training is given on a periodic basis, or when there is a new operator in the job position, or when there is deterioration in employee's performance.

The experience in implementation is illustrated through application to a real case in the industry. The benefits achieved and the challenge in keeping a training and certification program up to date are discussed.