Page 57 - Boiler Operator’s Handbook

42 Boiler Operator’s Handbook

your fellow operators (if any) are the only ones that can on a computer that’s the best deal, just make sure you
produce a quality document of SOPs for your plant. have backups and at least one up-to-date printed copy.
Of the many reasons I get from operators that To make sure you’re dealing with the current document
claim they can’t prepare their own SOPs a lack of skill the date of the last revision of each page should always
in handling the English language is one of the weakest. be written on the bottom in what we call a footer.
“Aw, Ken, I can’t write procedures, I don’t write well at I also recommend some form of review of SOPs. If
all.” That’s not a good excuse, you write it down in the you’re the only one writing them you should add your
same words you would use to explain it to another op- initials to the bottom of each page. If you are one of sev-
erator, there’s no difference between saying it and writ- eral operators all of you should initial a page when it’s
ing it, you’re trying to document an operation, not write created or revised. The implication of the initials is that
a Pulitzer prize winner. I can’t write worth a damn but I you read the page and agree that it is the way you oper-
felt obligated to put what I do know down in this book. ate; so read before initialing.
If your SOP doesn’t read well, that’s tough, what’s Your SOPs should include all the operating activi-
important is the message and not how it is expressed. ties in the boiler plant and in other areas of the facility
Some operators have been concerned with the appear- that you are responsible for. They can include related
ance of their writing and used the services of someone items such as, how shifts rotate, which shift is respon-
with more language skills to help. Be cautious and read sible for operating certain equipment or in certain areas
their editing out loud because they don’t know squat of the plant, what equipment a particular shift is respon-
about operating a boiler plant and can change mean- sible for maintaining, etc. Your SOP should contain your
ing. I remember reviewing a lovely looking document description of each of the operating modes that will be
for one plant. One of the operators was married to a discussed later in this book along with all the detail as-
teacher and she typed it all for them. It contained the sociated with operating each piece of equipment. Some
words “make sure you fill the blower with water before may have to contain special provisions for specific
turning the burner control switch on.” The correct word pieces of equipment such as modifying flow loops for
was “boiler,” it must have been misspelled in the original different hot water boilers because the piping arrange-
form; and, hopefully, nobody is stupid enough to try ment produces different situations at each of the boilers,
to fill the forced draft blower casing with water before even though the boilers are identical.
turning the burner on but… If you have access to help It wouldn’t hurt to have your SOPs reviewed by
with writing your procedures feel free to use it but don’t a competent engineer. Two years ago I was asked to
expect someone else to do your job. The final text should represent the family of a young man who was killed in
be understandable to you and other operators. I won’t tell a boiler explosion and, although I didn’t perform the in-
you some of the things that were in an SOP rewritten by vestigation myself (I suggested they use a friend of mine
an operator’s sibling that happened to be in marketing who lived much closer to the scene of the accident), the
for a toy company. It was humorous reading, actually result of the investigation was that the operators had by-
entertaining, but it didn’t serve the purpose at all. passed all the operating limits before starting the boiler.
Plain old lined paper in a three ring notebook will What won the case for the family was the fact that the
do the job. It’s not necessary to have the SOPs typed but written SOPs instructed them to do exactly that. Recall
print if you’re doing them by hand, too many people what I said about WADITWs?
have trouble reading someone else’s writing. Someone Your SOPs can modify the order of operations
in the plant may be able to type them for you after where it is more convenient for you. An example would
they’re written down and checked but, like using cre- be where the order of opening valves is reversed (with-
ative prose assistance, check it afterward. I’m a strong out consequence) because the operator would have to go
proponent of putting a computer in every boiler plant so from one level to another then back again to open them
the operators can use it to record log data, analyze plant in the normal order. They should recognize additional
performance, plan maintenance and document main- valves, drains, vents, switches, disconnects, and circuit
tenance activities, etc., so using a word processor on it breakers that are particular to your plant or added over
to produce your SOPs is a good thing to do. It just isn’t time. I must have made ten trips up and down three
important that it be so fancy. Some advantages include flights of ladders on one ship trying to determine why I
the ability to change a sentence or paragraph without wasn’t getting steam to an evaporator and finally found
having to type a whole new page, indexing, and all the a valve had been added in the piping to accomplish
other niceties of word processors. If you can get them a major repair; it was closed. Opening and closing it