PMBPROD343
Shut down plant area


Application

This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to shut down a plant area or line. Shutdown of a plant area/line is typically performed at the end of a production run or when maintenance is required.

This unit of competency applies to advanced operators who are required to identify the impact of the shutdown; plan the shutdown activities; supervise personnel; ensure tags, isolations, guards, locks (etc) are in place; ensure adjustments and maintenance are carried out and solve problems within area of responsibility.

This unit of competency applies to an advanced operator demonstrating theoretical and technical knowledge and well developed skills in situations that require some discretion and judgement. The advanced operator may work alone or as a member of a team or group and will work in liaison with other shift team members, team leader and supervisor, as appropriate.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.


Elements and Performance Criteria

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Respond to requests for equipment shutdown

1.1

Identify the nature of the shutdown required and the circumstances leading to the decision

1.2

Establish the impact of the shutdown on production capabilities and where necessary reassign work

1.3

Advise appropriate personnel of shutdown

1.4

Plan the level of shutdown activity required

2

Confirm shutdown of equipment or work area to procedures

2.1

Identify specific plant and equipment affected by the shutdown and ensure that no further raw materials are provided

2.2

Ensure equipment and site is cleaned up with all waste removed for recycling or disposal

2.3

Tag or isolate equipment, and appropriate personnel are advised that the equipment and/or area are off-line

2.4

Supervise personnel in equipment shutdown procedures

3

Prepare equipment for idle period to procedures

3.1

Ensure that suitable guards, locks, tags or notices are placed on equipment in clear view to prevent inadvertent start-up

3.2

Ensure that any adjustments, control alterations, lubrication or application of corrosion inhibitors are undertaken by appropriate personnel in accordance with workplace procedures

3.3

Arrange for appropriate coverage of equipment and security of area in the case of prolonged idleness

4

Complete workplace documentation

4.1

Complete relevant documentation, detailing the nature of the shutdown activity, dates and the equipment which has been taken out of service

4.2

Advise management of shutdown procedure outcomes

4.3

Complete required regulatory documentation and obtain any external certification that may be necessary

5

Anticipate and solve problems

5.1

Recognise a problem or a potential problem

5.2

Determine problems needing priority action

5.3

Refer problems outside area of responsibility to appropriate person, with possible causes

5.4

Seek information and assistance as required to solve problems

5.5

Solve problems within area of responsibility

5.6

Follow through items initiated until final resolution has occurred

Evidence of Performance

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:

read and interpret procedures, job specifications, instruments/control panels, material labels and safety data sheets (SDS)

identify and plan for impact of shutdown on production capabilities and raw material feed

plan shutdown activities according to equipment specifications and safety requirements

supervise operators to ensure shutdown procedures are applied to meet communications, safety, waste management and equipment maintenance requirements

identify hazards and apply relevant hazard controls

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

distinguish between causes of problems, including:

operational problems

instrument failure/malfunction

electrical failure/malfunction

mechanical failure/malfunction

wrong readings

equipment design deficiencies

materials properties

process variables

raw material variations/contamination

process abnormalities

procedural errors

recognise and prioritise problems requiring action

resolve routine and non-routine problems

communicate effectively with team/work group and supervisors

complete workplace records

do basic arithmetical manipulations, including additions, subtractions, divisions, fractions and percentages.


Evidence of Knowledge

Must provide evidence that demonstrates knowledge relevant to their job sufficient to operate independently and to solve routine and non-routine problems, including knowledge of:

structure, functions and principles of operation of equipment, machine components and ancillary equipment

nature of mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical and electronic principles which affect machine operation

impact of variations in production cycle/process/sequence on shutdown of equipment systems

functions and applications of analogue controls, digital controls, and microprocessor based process controls

function of and readings from measuring instruments, including one (1) or more of:

levelling

thermocouples

pyrometers

transducers

thermometers

pressure gauges

vacuum gauges

flow meters

purpose and operation of safety interlocks and systems, including one (1) or more of:

limit switches

normally open/normally closed

overstroke control systems

hydraulic temperature control

material temperature control

machine guards

nozzle purge guard

mould protection systems

ejection limit switches

characteristics of materials and behaviour in relation to heat, pressure, flow rate and time

routine and non-routine problems that may arise, the range of possible causes and appropriate actions

organisation procedures relevant to the work environment/job role

hierarchy of control

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

their possible causes

potential consequences

appropriate risk control


Assessment Conditions

The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence shall be based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.

The collection of performance evidence is best done from a report and/or folio of evidence drawn from:

a single project which provides sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria

multiple smaller projects which together provide sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria.

A third-party report, or similar, may be needed to testify to the work done by the individual, particularly when the project has been done as part of a project team.

Assessment should use a real project in an operational workplace. Where this is not possible or where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors assessment must occur using a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment that reflects realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.

Assessment in a simulated environment should use evidence collected from demonstration of skills and one or more of:

walk-throughs

pilot plant operation

industry-based case studies/scenarios

‘what ifs’.

Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.

The regulatory framework will be reflected in workplace policies and procedures and is not required to be independently assessed.

Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.

Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.

In addition the assessor or anyone acting in subject matter expert role in assessment shall demonstrate both technical competency and currency. If the assessor cannot demonstrate technical competency and currency they shall assess with a subject matter expert who does meet these requirements.

Technical competence can be demonstrated through one or more of:

relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment

appropriate workplace experience undertaking the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions

appropriate workplace experience supervising/evaluating the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions

Currency can be demonstrated through one or more of:

being currently employed undertaking the type of work being assessed

being employed by the organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed and having maintained currency in accordance with that organisation’s policies and procedures

having consulted/had contact with an organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed within the last twelve months, the consultation/contact being related to assessment

conducting on the job training/assessments of the type of work being assessed

being an active member of a relevant professional body and participating in activities relevant to the assessment of this type of work.


Foundation Skills

This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.


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.

Applicable legislation, regulations, standards and codes of practice include:

health, safety and environmental (HSE) legislation, regulations and codes of practice relevant to the workplace, manual handling and hazardous materials

Australian/international standards relevant to the materials being used and products being made

any relevant licence and certification requirements.

All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent 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 such requirements the legislative requirements take precedence.

Procedures

All operations must be performed in accordance with relevant procedures.

Procedures are written, verbal, visual, computer-based or in some other form, and include one or any combination of:

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.

Tools and equipment

Tools and equipment include:

production plant/equipment

machine control systems

safety interlocks and systems

measuring instruments

ancillary equipment that is integral to the process.

Additional tools and equipment will be selected as required from:

hand tools used in the process

hoists/lifting equipment not requiring any special permits or licences

manual handling aids, such as hand carts and trolleys

relevant personal protective equipment (PPE).

Hazards

Hazards must be identified and controlled. Identifying hazards requires consideration of:

weight, shape, volume of materials to be handled

hazardous products and materials

sharp edges, protrusions or obstructions

slippery surfaces, spills or leaks

smoke, dust, vapours or other atmospheric hazards

high temperatures

electricity

gas

gases and liquids under pressure

structural hazards

equipment failures

machinery, equipment and product mass

other hazards that might arise.

Problems

Routine and non-routine problems must be resolved.

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:

unstable process variables

sub-optimal operation

variations in feed rates

variations in quality

emergency situations

inappropriate isolation practices

site contamination.

Operational knowledge includes one or more of:

procedures

training

technical information, such as journals and engineering specifications

remembered experience

relevant knowledge obtained from appropriate people.

Routine problems are predictable and have known solutions and include one or more of:

cycle interruptions

degradation of materials

cooling and solidification of compounds

damage to equipment.


Sectors

Not applicable


Competency Field

Production