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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 furnace
   • Note any outstanding/incomplete work
   • Check operational status of furnace
2. Start up furnace
   • Perform pre-start-up checks
   • Start up individual items of equipment and the entire furnace system
   • Start up from standby and after maintenance
   • Increase temperature steadily with no surges or lulls
   • Stabilise furnace to produce required heat within required time
3. Monitor and control the heating furnace
   • Complete routine checks, logs and paperwork
   • Recognise the signs of potential and actual problems
   • Take action to minimise the impact of potential and actual problems
   • Monitor condition of heat transfer components (if any) and take action required by procedures
   • Monitor fuel/air supplies and ratios and take action in accordance with procedures
   • Trim furnace in accordance with procedures
4. Change heating rates
   • Predict from rates and schedule when a transition will be required
   • Give advanced notice of transition to work team
   • Trim plant in a manner which prepares it for the change
   • Manage changes smoothly and in a timely manner
5. Maintain furnace effectiveness
   • Monitor furnace and its component plant items frequently and critically throughout shift using measured/indicated data and senses
   • Describe impacts of any changes upstream and downstream
   • Recognise actual and developing situations which may require action
   • Apply operational knowledge to resolve problems
   • Take other appropriate actions on abnormal situations which cannot be resolved during the shift to ensure safety and the resolution of the situation
   • Follow through items initiated until final resolution has occurred
6. Shut down furnace
   • Determine type of shutdown required
   • Give advance warning of shutdown where possible
   • Changeover individual items of equipment
   • Shut down individual items of equipment and the entire furnace system
   • Shut down to a stand-by condition, if required
   • Shut down in an emergency, when required.
7. Isolate and de-isolate furnace system and individual items
   • Isolate furnace system and or any component plant item
   • Make safe for required work
   • Check furnace/plant item is ready to be returned to service
   • De-isolate and prepare furnace/plant item for return to service

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
Situations requiring action	Situations requiring action include one or more of the following: fuel variations (rate and quality) heating requirements change coke, soot and scale build up flame pattern weather conditions
Non-routine problems	Non-routine problems are unexpected problems, or variations of previous problems and 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 Operational knowledge includes one or more of the following: procedures training technical information such as journals, engineering specifications remembered experience relevant knowledge obtained from appropriate people.
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 other conditions/situations experienced on the plant
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
Operate	Operate is to monitor, adjust/make change to the production unit and/or its component items to meet specifications, by one or both of the following: manually in the plant using local controller in the plant This competency does not require the operation of a central 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
Pre-operational checks	Pre-operational checks include one or more of the following: heat exchange fluid feed supply fuel supply/heat source furnace valves - their operation and position combustion air supply and combustion equipment
Ancillary equipment	Ancillary equipment includes one or more of the following: economiser economiser relief valves air heater feed heater main heating fluid stop valve feed pumps fans
Monitor	Monitor includes one or more of the following systems and conditions: heating fluid pressure and temperature flame and combustion conditions heating fluid feed and return systems fuel system combustion management system heating fluid management system heating fluid manifold fittings soot blowers

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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 include the ability to:

undertake checks and observations and use data and own senses to monitor process and equipment and maximise performance

perform pre-start checks, start-up/shutdown procedures, isolations and de-isolations, and maintenance checks

predict impact of a change in one unit/area on other plant units/areas and take appropriate action

predict the need for process changes and prepare and manage smooth transitions

identify early warning signs of equipment/processes needing attention or with potential problems and take action

identify hazards and risks and apply risk control procedures.

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Knowledge Evidence

Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:

all items on a schematic of the production unit and functions of each

principles of operation of plant/equipment

interactions between plant items/processes

systems’ operating parameters, integrity limits, product specifications and tolerances, temperature, pressure and flow

process-specific science (physics and chemistry) to the level of being able to interpret the science and extract factors controlling the process and product, including heating fluid (if any) properties

operational shutdown processes and procedures, including cooling down, furnace pressure/vacuum and fuel/heat source isolation

the processes for starting a furnace, including heat input, warm-up of the reticulation system, systems operation, reticulation line pressure, heating fluid usage and supply, and ancillary equipment

shutdown processes and procedures for internal inspection, including confirming furnace cooling down, vacuum/pressure, fuel/heat source isolation, and removal of combustion equipment and water from furnace

procedures for monitoring a furnace, including heating fluid reticulation line pressure/temperature, usage, supply and quality of heating fluid, combustion/heat source system, fuel system, combustion air supply, operation of control/safety devices, combustion management system, and ancillary equipment

function, purpose and location of ancillary equipment

various modes of furnace storage and reasons for selecting a particular mode

types and purpose of furnace fittings

function and troubleshooting of major components and their problems and problem resolution

hierarchy of control

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

their possible causes

potential consequences

appropriate risk controls.

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