Operating Procedures temporary

Notices relating to temporary hazards (and their subsequent removal) (See also permit-to-work systems and operating procedures)... 

Caldwell mentioned that, during the introductory period, some employees were more comfortable with a paper system. She was pleased that the MOC system is understood and accepted for all physical changes. Her company is stressing the use of MOCs for such activities as changing special operating procedures (e.g. using a different method to clear a vessel for maintenance) and the temporary removal of a piece of equipment from process service. 

The next element is Operating Procedures [29 CFR 1910.119 (f)]. This requires that the operation of a covered process be directed by written operating procedures that are accessible to and used by the employees who operate that process. They must be up-to-date and must cover normal operations, start up, emergency shutdown, temporary operations, and start up after a maintenance turnaround. They must cover safe operating limits for the critical process parameters as well as how to prevent the process from operating outside those limits (and what to do if the limits are exceeded). These procedures must be certified annually as accurate and up-to-date, have the input of the operators, and they must be trained in their use. ... 

Temporary procedures are a special type of procedure designed to be used for a defined length of time or amount of operation. A temporary procedure... 

This chapter deals with the discussion of all OPUS data processing and manipulation procedures, which are shown in Fig. 10.1. These functions allow you to transform or analyze the spectral data after it has been acquired. The results of all operations are temporary files, i.e. existing only in the computers memory, called work files that must be saved explicitly. If you exit OPUS without saving the work files to disk, the results of the data manipulation will be lost. OPUS warns you in case you attempt to shut down the program. 

Related to the above, an employee may take the correct steps to meet the requirements of a regulation, but fail to document the work properly. For example, an employee may develop a temporary operating procedure and discuss it with the operators. However, if it is not written down, it could generate a willful citation. 

Operating procedures for temporary operations are difficult to write because the normal procedures-writing support systems and personnel may not be available when they are needed. 

Once the temporary operation has been completed its associated procedure must be removed from the manual. If it is intended to make the operation permanent, then the procedure should be edited and then incorporated into the normal operating procedures manual. 

The above comments do not mean that there is no place for general conclusions and deductions, particularly in reviews as distinct from audits. However, such conclusions should be identified as such. In the above example, the auditor might write, There appears to be no policy for writing operating procedures for temporary operations. This conclusion is based on the following observations... ... 

Returning to an operational state is the final stage of any MS I activity, or of any other action involving temporary deviations from the normal operational state of a power plant. The return to an operational state should be carried out in accordance with appropriate operational procedures. 

Operating procedures must be prepared to cover all phases of the process to include start-up, normal or partial operation, temporary operation, normal shutdown, and start-up following a turnaround or after and emergency shutdown. They must also address off-normal actions. That is, procedures must include operating limits and the steps taken to correct or avoid deviation from those limits and operators must know the consequences of deviations, what actions to take, and how to use safety equipment. 

Protective equipment (e.g., eye protection, temporary barriers, clothing and/or gloves, respirators, etc.) is recommended, for example, only if the hazard analysis indicated a need, or if the Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) requires periods of beam access such as during setup or infrequent maintenance activities. Temporary protective measures for service can be handled in a manner similar to the service of any embedded Class IV laser. 

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