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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for work
   • Receive and give shift handover
   • Identify work requirements
   • Identify and control hazards
   • Coordinate with appropriate personnel
   • Check for recent work undertaken on plant units being controlled
   • Note any outstanding/incomplete work
   • Check operational status of plant units being controlled
2. Use operator interface
   • Use human interface devices to access control system/panel
   • Monitor the process using the operator interfaces
   • Select appropriate controller modes
   • Access historical data and information
   • Acknowledge messages and alarms
3. Access control information
   • Obtain relevant data and information from the control system by applying systems knowledge
   • Identify the status of individual pieces of equipment from the control panel and use information to identify potential faults
   • Minimise fluctuations and variations in process through the interpretation of existing trends and control schematics
   • Record process variations/irregularities to procedures
4. Control process variations and monitor operations
   • Use historical data to assist the identification of problems
   • Process available information to identify potential faults
   • Undertake required set point/output changes to meet plant and process requirements
   • Optimise plant operating conditions in accordance with guidelines
   • Adjust production in response to test results and control panel information
   • Monitor key process and environmental variables and take appropriate action
   • Adjust controller settings in accordance with procedures
   • Use fine tuning software as appropriate.
   • Coordinate with upstream and downstream units as appropriate
   • Record adjustments and variations to specifications/schedules
   • Communicate to appropriate personnel as required
5. Facilitate planned and unplanned process start-ups and shutdowns
   • Select and apply procedures to planned start-up and shutdown processes
   • Select and apply procedures to unplanned shutdown processes
   • Implement all required emergency responses
   • Communicate necessary information to all personnel affected by events
   • Log all required information
6. Respond to alarms or out of specification conditions
   • Identify system(s) affected by the alarm or condition
   • Interpret alarms and prioritise actions to be taken
   • Take appropriate action to respond to the alarm or incident
   • Deal with any out-of-specification material in accordance with procedures
   • Communicate the problem/solution to appropriate personnel
   • Record the information as required
   • Provide details of the alarm and action taken to the next shift at changeover

Range Statement

This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included.
Regulatory framework	The latest version of all legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice and Australian/international standards, or the version specified by the local regulatory authority, must be used, and include one or more of the following: legislative requirements, including work health and safety (WHS) industry codes of practice and guidelines environmental regulations and guidelines Australian and other standards licence and certification requirements All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.
Hazards	Hazards include one or more of the following: electricity gas gases and liquids under pressure structural hazards structural collapse equipment failures industrial (machinery, equipment and product) equipment or product mass noise, rotational equipment or vibration plant services (steam, condensate and cooling water) working at heights, in restricted or confined spaces, or in environments subjected to heat, noise, dusts or vapours flammability and explosivity hazardous products and materials unauthorised personnel sharp edges, protrusions or obstructions slippery surfaces, spills or leaks extreme weather other hazards that might arise
Non-routine problems	Non-routine problems must be resolved by applying operational knowledge to develop new solutions, either individually or in collaboration with relevant experts, to: determine problems needing action determine possible fault causes develop solutions to problems which do not have a known solution follow through items initiated until final resolution has occurred report problems outside area of responsibility to designated person Non-routine problems are unexpected problems, or variations of previous problems and include one or more of the following: loss of power/utilities variation in feed rate, quality or loss of feed unstable control of pressure, temperature, level and/or flows unstable/suboptimal operation control equipment failure process plant trips change in atmospheric conditions (rain, temperature, wind and lightning) emergency situations
Procedures	All operations must be performed in accordance with relevant procedures. Procedures are written, verbal, visual, computer-based or in some other form, include one or more of the following: emergency procedures work instructions standard operating procedures (SOPs) safe work method statements (SWMS) formulas/recipes batch sheets temporary instructions any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant
Human interface devices	Human interface devices include one or more of the following: keyboards track ball/mouse touch screen monitor and/or standalone controllers
Alarms or abnormal conditions	Alarms or other abnormal conditions include the following: emergency, including emergency shut down partial or complete controller failure
Start up/shut down	Start up/shut down includes the following: start up and shut down to/from normal operating conditions start up and shut down to/from isolated, cold or empty start up and shut down to/from all other conditions experienced on the plant (i.e. from any condition to any condition experienced on the plant)
Operate	Operate is to monitor, adjust/change the plant item/unit/system to meet specifications, by the following: using the process control system in the control room This competency does not require operation other than through the control panel.
Product	Product includes anything produced by a process step and so includes: intermediate products, such as the product from one process step, which then becomes the feed for another

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Performance Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and demonstrate the ability to:

identify and control hazards

use schematics and data to monitor plant and optimise performance

isolate the causes of problems and distinguish between causes of problems/alarm/fault indications, including:

instrument failure/malfunction

electrical failure/malfunction

mechanical failure/malfunction

equipment design deficiencies

product parameters (temperature, flows, pressure and levels)

process control system malfunction

power/utility failures

communicate effectively with team, group, supervisors and other personnel

recognise early warning signs of equipment/processes needing attention or with potential problems

take appropriate action to ensure a timely return to full performance

select and apply planned and unplanned start-up shutdown procedures

identify and communicate information required by others

complete written records.

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Knowledge Evidence

Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:

organisation procedures

hazards that may arise in the job/work environment, and:

their possible causes

potential consequences

appropriate risk controls

the function and location of the process/production equipment

interactions between plant items/processes

product specifications and tolerances

systems’ operating parameters

impact of external factors (e.g. variations in weather and feed)

system integrity limits

process control philosophies and strategies

emergency shutdown procedures

specific plant process operations

process-specific science (physics, chemistry and biochemistry) to the level of being able to interpret the science and extract factors controlling the process and product and by-product production rate and quality (e.g. for chemistry interpret the equation for factors controlling rate and yield and also interfering reactions, such as salts and hydrates)

basic science of upstream and downstream processes

emergency shutdown procedures

process drawings, such as piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) and process flow diagram (PFD )

cause and effect

control system architecture

basis of control for the plant/s

types of instrumentation and control systems, including feed forward, feedback and open control

types of instrumentation and control system components and their role, including primary sensing devices, final control elements and transducers/transmitters

how control loops and their components, including PID control, set points, controlled variable, indicated variable operate to control the process, and their limitations

interaction between multiple control loops, including cascade control

impacts of changing controller settings and the limits within which changes can be made

effective communication techniques

uninterrupt power supplies (UPS) and its applications and use.

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