Start-up Checklists

I know most people hate checklists, especially operators.  They have a checklist they go through when they start-up, but usually it's in their head.  Implementing formal checklists for each operator is a good way to avoid costly mistakes. 

Start-ups after an outage are very hectic.  Everyone has been working for a long time.  They're tired and ready to go home.  Having a checklist helps the operators go through the necessary steps, it also keeps the operators accountable. 

So how do you go about implementing these checklist?  The first step is to develop the checklist.  The operators should be involved in this process so that they take some ownership of the checklist.  Once the checklist is finalized, it must be determined who will actually carryout the checklist.  For example a supervisor can go through the checklist with the operator to make sure that the proper steps have been taken.  Simply giving the checklist for the operator to go through by themselves is not a great way to implement this tedious task.  Operators would soon discard the use of the checklist and go back to their old ways.  Having senior operators be responsible for the checklist would be a good way to provide some accountability.

The checklist should be turned in and kept for at least the next two outages.  They should also be revised from time-to-time as new equipment is installed or modifications are made to current piping and equipment.

This is a fairly simple way to improve start-up efficiencies.  Remember it's all in the way you implement the checklist.  Once it is executed poorly, it will be difficult for operators to buy into the program.