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Operations - Normal

Description
Procedures for the normal operations of a process, known as standard operating procedures (SOPs), must be provided (Scholtz & Maher, 2014), and should:

  • Cover steady state operations occurring between start-up and shutdown, including process monitoring and sampling.
  • Include comprehensive lists of operating limits, consequences of deviation from the specified limits, and steps to correct deviations.
  • Be accompanied by logs requiring operators to record elements of any monitoring process.

Unique Considerations (Peres et al., 2016)
Operators will often have performed the procedures many times, and may experience the following:

  • Commitment of the necessary steps in the task to memory, possibly reducing the number of times to which the procedure is referred.
  • Complacency regarding safety measures and carrying out procedural steps properly.
  • Overconfidence in their ability to perform the tasks.
  • Boredom due to the monotony of repetitive tasks.
Guideline: Normal Operations Procedure Logs
Procedures for normal operations should include logs for operators to record elements of the monitoring process.

Support
Requiring operators to record process elements results in increased compliance with procedural steps and provides documentation of the process parameters for future reference (CCPS, 1996).
Example
correct