Page 56 - Boiler Operator’s Handbook

Operating Wisely 41

• Spare Parts List furnished by Manufacturer (in- Maybe everyone thinks he’s great right now but
cluding updated lists when they change part num- different words will be used when he’s gone and some-
bers and prices) one has to do what Charlie has always done. Charlie
may do something a certain way because he remembers
• List of spare parts on hand and the location where how someone (maybe himself) got hurt doing it another
they are stored. way. If he leaves the plant and takes that knowledge
with him it’s highly likely that equipment will be dam-
Of course you’ll also need a material list. In small aged, the plant will be shut down, someone will get
facilities that can just be the bills of materials on the hurt, or, god forbid, someone dies—because nobody
drawings. When you have more than ten to twenty knows what Charlie knew. I don’t want any Charlie’s
drawings for the plant that begins to get cumbersome. A in my boiler plants and I’m constantly warning chiefs
prepared material list, again you could use a computer, about his type. Don’t be a Charlie, help document your
can consist of a number of pages in a three ring binder SOPs and keep them up to date.
(my preference) with pages for each drawing bill of ma- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are known,
terial (could be a copy of the original drawing) and an followed and disregarded, changed and updated but
index that helps me find the more important ones. The seldom written down. It’s the lack of SOPs in writ-
advantage here is that you can change the information ten form that make Charlie and his kind bad boys in
in the notebook to reflect replacements and not have to my book, and in the books of people that later suffer
alter the original drawings. When you replace a valve from the lack of knowledge that Charlie had. Charlie
you can edit the material list to include the manufactur- has SOPs, the problem is they are all in his head. That
er and figure number of the valve you put in. The figure doesn’t do anyone a damn bit of good when Charlie is
number on the drawing may identify a valve that’s no gone.
longer available or the original manufacturer could be As far as I’m concerned very operator owes it to his
out of business. fellow employees and successors to keep a written set of
All those documents should be prepared initially SOPs, keep them up to date, and be certain that they are
by the engineer and contractor that built your boiler complete enough to be followed properly. When a bad
plant. They’re something you should have if you don’t experience demonstrates you did it the wrong way that
and, if you don’t, you should take the time to create. should result in a change in SOPs so nobody else has to
Once you have them, all you should do is keep them have that bad experience. I always suggest a footnote be
current and add maintenance history. Now, it’s time to added in the SOP that reads something like “To avoid
talk about documentation that has to be produced by the failure experienced on (date)” so new and future opera-
operators. tors will be able to look up the history of that incident
in the log should they question the SOP. Documenting
the operation that works well is one way to ensure that
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES the experience is normally a pleasant one and you (and
everyone else) avoids the unpleasant ones.
It’s so regrettable that many boiler plants have lost If it were a simple matter to write down steps to
valuable knowledge and experience that was devel- follow for each operation in a boiler plant and they
oped over the years of the plant’s operation. I’m always always worked then this book wouldn’t be necessary.
amazed that people have an attitude that is expressed Hell, operators wouldn’t be necessary. No two plants, no
in statements like “if Charlie ever retires this plant is in two boilers, function exactly the same and the only way
a lot of trouble.” The problem isn’t just Charlie’s retire- you determine how to handle those variances is with ex-
ment, if he dies tomorrow the plant is in a lot of trouble! perience. The manufacturer’s instructions for operating
The message that’s really being passed with those com- the equipment are almost always inadequate because
ments is that Charlie knows a lot about the boiler plant they can’t (nor do they even try to) foresee the unique
and he’s the only one that knows it. You may think a lot situations that surround their equipment when it’s
of Charlie, you may rely on him for help on a regular installed in your plant. Don’t expect the chapters that
basis, but the truth is that Charlie is a selfish SOB that follow to be complete either. I list the general activity
intends to take his knowledge with him when he leaves and identify some things you should know to perform
the plant and doesn’t give a damn about what happens the activity wisely but I don’t know what your plant is
to it or anyone else working there after he leaves. like and I can’t write your procedures either. You and