Conducting training at every level of a refinery ensures that all sampling stations and the processes they measure are seamlessly working together. Training plant operators to properly monitor the intricacies of the system also ensures shortened startup and reliable performance of your equipment, helping maximize accuracy and confidence in your system’s measurements.

Conducting regular safety training

Safety training is the first step in effectively operating sampling equipment. Not only does it ensure new operators get adequate guidance, but also helps experienced operators stay current on proper operating procedures. Most of all, training instills each user with confidence in the equipment and their ability to operate it correctly.

Regularly refreshing your operators’ practices can help proactively identify sampling errors so you can take appropriate corrective action. It also allows all operators in the plant the opportunity to discuss issues at individual sample points. This keeps internal dynamics and changing requirements top of mind so staff can adjust practices and accommodate new guidelines as needed.

Ease challenges throughout the refinery with training

Refineries often operate sampling systems as separate entities within the plant. This can leave operators siloed in a particular area, with little understanding how their segment of the system interacts with other parts of the plant and affects the refinery as a whole.

Implementing training at every level can help your plant maximize its sampling system and reduce downtime. It also helps form a cohesive team throughout the plant, while ensuring each operator has the specific information they need to properly operate each piece of equipment.

Training should begin when an employee is hired, and include equipment orientation and a comprehensive plant safety training per OSHA 1910 Plant Safety Regulations. After the initial training is completed, regular follow-up training sessions should be held for all employees on a regular basis.

Diverse training needs

Each operator in a plant has different needs when it comes to sampling equipment training:

• The junior engineer needs to be aware of how the equipment works so they can effectively transfer ongoing responsibility to maintenance personnel after installation is completed.
• Maintenance and operations personnel benefit from training so they can properly install and run new equipment to maximize its potential and extend the life of the asset. Training also helps them understand how to safely and quickly fix equipment if issues arise. 
• Training operators helps the process engineer know their team has adequate knowledge to properly install, run and maintain equipment so they don’t have to worry.
• The reliability engineer needs sampling equipment operators to be properly trained so the equipment is used consistently and properly. When the equipment works reliably and without failure, it ensures that the plant can continue to meet governmental and industry regulations, as well as environmental requirements.

Sampling success with customized training

Training offers detailed information on application-specific equipment so operators can safely collect emission-free samples. This should include:

• Types of sample systems installed in the refinery
• Why each type of sampling system is used
• How to use each sampling system
• How to conduct sample collection preparation
• Common issues with each type of sampling system
• General maintenance guidelines
• Routine maintenance checklist

By empowering employees to become sampling experts with customized, hands-on training complete with a full set of manuals for ongoing reference, you are trading costly surprises for peace of mind.

See how training could help your refinery. Contact us at +1-262-567-7256, or complete our online contact form for more information.