Owe Forsberg

CMRP, CAMA, VP of IDCON, Inc.

an Independent Subsidiary of TRM, Inc.

From operations point of view, they want to produce. But in order to produce you have to have your equipment running at peak performance and meet regulatory requirements, so that may mean equipment  needs to be shutdown. Operations’ roles in shutdown scheduling is important for keeping the shutdown on time, and operations’ schedule needs to be integrated with maintenance.

Shutdown scheduling phase – what is it

Shutdown/Turnaround Optimization process has 6 phases, these phases give structure to the process ensuring that the shutdowns are performed efficiently and safely with the right work being done and within the budget. The six phases are:

1. Strategy Phase. Learn about shutdown drivers
2. Worklist Phase
3. Planning Phase
4. Scheduling Phase
5. Execution Phase
6. Critique Phase

Learn more about the phases of shutdown and turnaround management.

In the shutdown scheduling phase, each department or area will develop their own schedule. These schedules are then integrated into a master schedule incorporating all departments and areas.

Shutdown scheduling requires both operations and maintenance to communicate and participate in the schedule development. All work is scheduled using 100% of available resources.

Operations’ Role in Shutdown Scheduling

Operations’ role in shutdown scheduling is key to keeping the shutdown duration to the planned time frame. Here are a few ways that operations can help maintenance stick to the shutdown schedule.

• Operations must identify the shutdown window duration. Maintenance must identify the duration for performing the work to maximize equipment reliability.
• Maintenance then uses operations’ schedule to maximize use of resources during the shutdown
• Operations must schedule their shifts and people at the right time during the shutdown. They may need to cross-train operators for different areas.
• Operations must be involved in establishing communications, attend meetings, establish roles and responsibilities
• Operations must participate in handover at shift change
• Operations needs to ensure that the equipment is prepared for shutdown
• Right procedures in place for restart of the equipment

Get a practical guide for shutdown management.

IDCON provides coaching and training in the six phases of shutdown turnaround optimization process management.

Reach out to us at AskTRM@trmnet.com if you have any questions or would like to discuss maintenance and reliability consulting or training.