Creating the environment for business

The Role of Control Room Operators

Andrew BrazierPrincipal consultant

Entec UK Ltd.

Gadbrook Business ParkNorthwich, Cheshire CW9 7TN

01606 354866andrew.brazier@entecuk.co.uk

www.entecuk.com

Creating the environment for business

Contents

What do control room operators do (in reality)Ensuring they are able to perform their critical task

reliablyEnsuring their well-beingThe impact of automationThe HSE/Entec Staffing assessment methodology

Creating the environment for business

Changes in the Control Room

New technologyMore automationLess peopleMore remoteA different job

– More passive

– More lonely

– More responsibility.

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What do Control Room Operators do?Normal Situations

– Communication - face to face including Handovers

– Other communication - radio/telephone

– Administrative Tasks– Eat meals– Issue permits-to-work

– TrainingEmergency situations

– Raise the alarm– Notify emergency services

– Co-ordinate communication

– Keep the log

Creating the environment for business

HSE concerns

The ‘physical’ ability to detect, diagnose and recover from scenario’s in time to prevent accidents

Willingness to initiate scenario recovery actions

Training, development, roles & responsibilities

Teamworking and the role of support staff outside of the ‘normal’ team

Management of organisational change

Management of safety

Entec commissioned in 1997 to develop a method for assessing the adequacy of staffing arrangements

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Focus on Emergency and ‘Upset’ Scenarios= the worst case

Requires early detection– searching, reading and monitoring displays – hearing alarms

Diagnosis needs to be accurate– consulting documents & colleagues – thinking

Response needs to be efficient and effective– using controls (in the field, in the control room)– raising the alarm & mobilising emergency services

Working effectively under time pressure, threat of harm in an unfamiliar situation

Creating the environment for business

Specification of the staffing assessment method

• Support duty holders in obligations to assess & manage risks

• Focus on loss of containment events with off-site potential

• Bring staffing issues into the open

• Be valid for the operational circumstances found in the chemical and allied industries

• Enable duty holders to obtain a clear cut indication of whether their staffing arrangements are unsafe

• Gauge the impact of staffing changes prior to implementation

• Practical, useable & intelligible to duty holders & inspectors;

− Not reliant on specialist skills

• Be structured and auditable;

• Facilitate dialogue between duty holders & inspectors.

Creating the environment for business

Assessment Methodology

Method does not attempt to calculate a minimum or optimum number of staff

There may be technological options to improve staffing arrangements as an alternative to an increase in operator numbers

It assesses staffing numbers plus how the arrangements are managed

– Decision trees

PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT

YES

YES NO

NO

– Individual and organisational factors

LADDER ASSESSMENT

Creating the environment for business

Carrying out an assessment

Workshops - similar to HAZOPMethodology provides a framework for discussionAssessment team consists of

– Facilitator– Scribe

– Task experts (operators)Report is the team’s assessmentPrioritised actions

Creating the environment for business

Assessing Changes to Staffing Arrangements

Conduct baseline assessment of existing arrangements

Evaluate impact of planned changesImplement the changeOngoing review and continuous improvement

Staffing assessment does not replace the need for robust systems for managing organisational change

Creating the environment for business

Common themes (usually unrelated to changes taking place)

Over reliance on informal trainingInadequate refresher trainingToo many distractions in control rooms

– Nuisance alarms

– Visitors, contractors, day staffNo control on shift swaps, overtime etc.Very passive approach to stress and fatiguePoor management of the safety implications of

organisational change (including staffing levels)

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Psychological Wellbeing of Control Room Operators

Allocation of functionPerception that work is meaningful and satisfyingRelationship with other peopleRelationship with equipment

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Man against the machine

Humans are better at– Detecting small visual or

acoustic signals– Perceiving patterns

– Improvising

– Being flexible in approach

– Exercising judgement

Machines are better at– Responding quickly to control

signals

– Applying force smoothly and precisely

– Performing repetitive tasks

– Handling highly complex situations

Creating the environment for business

Nature of the Control Room Job

Features that make a jobsatisfying

The Modern CRO

Skill variety Lots of monitoring, not muchaction

Task significance Lots of automation - CROresponds when things go wrong

Task identity CRO responsible for largenumber of plants/systems

Autonomy Minimal - working to very tightspecifications

Task feedback Aim is to avoid upsets andincidents

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When Designing Automated Systems Do You?

Identify the benefits of automating specific functions?Ensure the automatic system functions correctly in

normal and abnormal situations?Train operators to use the systems in normal and

abnormal situations?Consider technical and human aspects as a single,

integrated system?Assess the impact on human performance of

implementing automation?Assess the potential psychological impact?

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Conclusions

Control Room Operator job has changedOperating is more passive - but operators do a lot

more than just operateHSE have concerns that changes are being poorly

managedStaffing Assessment Methodology proven useful for

bringing issues into the open and identifying practical solutions

Psychological well-being is also importantStaffing Assessment for automated plant

Creating the environment for business

References

HSE Contract Research Report CRR 348/2001

– www.hse.gov.uk/research/crr_pdf/2001/crr01348.pdfEnergy Institute User Guide

– www.energyinst.org.uk/humanfactors/staffing