Unsafe Conditions in Startup Testing and Commissioning — Part 7

Three ways that new employees can put your facility at risk

Nov. 17, 2020

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Most large facilities, such as paper mills, power generation plants, and petrochemical plants, have strict protocols regarding who can work in a given area at a given time. It’s coordinated through a central command, usually based in the control room. Smaller facilities may have looser systems.

Whether on an existing site undergoing a planned shutdown or a green site, there may be new people who don’t yet “get it” despite their training. There’s always a risk of unauthorized activity, work done out of sequence, or just sloppy work.

For example:

Unauthorized: Eric forgot to sign in for his work area with Operations and is present during a dangerous chemical purge.
Sequence: Larry energizes the equipment before conducting a final tool count; his missing ratchet handle causes a fault across two phases.
Sloppy: Alan removes all of equipment covers in the testing area rather than removing and reinstalling covers individually to minimize exposure time. He needlessly puts John, a mechanic, at higher risk.

Follow the access protocols.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.