Elements and Performance Criteria

Context
Commissioning refers to the start-up of an new plant or plant unit and the associated equipment for the first time.

Recommissioning refers to the start-up of an existing plant following major modifications, rebuild or reconfiguration.

This competency unit includes the functions of:
liaison with manufacturers, engineering personnel, designers, contractors and maintenance and other company personnel
participation in hazard studies, which may include:
hazard and operability studies (HAZOP)
hazard analysis studies (HAZAN).

Precommissioning activities may include:
checking plant is built to design
ensuring plant is safe to operate
ensuring plant area is clean and clear of debris
ensuring the plant internals are clean and clear of debris
functional checking of equipment and ancillaries.

Commissioning/recommissioning activities may include:
trial running of equipment
use of trial materials in plant
safe introduction of process materials to plant
producing product within specification
bringing plant to design rates
solving operational problems
disposal of waste generated in the start-up.

Tools, materials and equipment may include:
hand tools, including power operated
other power operated tools
plant
emergency equipment
electrical and electronic test equipment
gas detectors
air compressor
water pump.

Appropriate authorities may include:
local councils
road authority
sewerage and stormwater authorities
providers of services such as:
electricity
water, and
telephones.

Plant/pipeline systems may include:
pipes
valves
operating units
electrical and electronic components
PLCs/DCS control (programmable logic controllers, distributed control systems) or other plant controls
cathodic protection
pressure/flow/temperature, etc., regulation and meters.

Documentation may include:
operating procedures
OHS and environmental legislative requirements
manufacturers' specifications
appropriate authority approvals
quality assurance inspection and test reports.

All operations are performed in accordance with standard operating procedures.

HSE
All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment requirements, which may be imposed through State or Federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence.

Assessment context and methods
Assessment for this unit of competency will be on an operating plant. The unit will be assessed in as holistic a manner as is practical and may be integrated with the assessment of other relevant units of competency.

Simulation may be required to allow for timely assessment of this unit of competency. It is possible that a simulation will be required to ensure that the technician is competent before taking a significant role in a commissioning activity. Commissioning is an infrequent and often frenetic activity and so it may not be practical or equitable to wait for an actual commissioning to occur to use this as the basis for assessment. Simulation should be based on the actual plant and will include walk throughs of the relevant competency components. Simulations may also include the use of case studies/ scenarios and role plays.

This unit of competency requires a significant body of knowledge, which will be assessed through questioning and the use of what if scenarios both on the plant (during demonstration of normal operations and walk throughs of abnormal operations) and off the plant.

Critical aspects
Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to recognise and analyse potential situations requiring action and then in implementing appropriate corrective action. The emphasis should be on the ability to stay out of trouble rather than on recovery from a disaster.

Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that:
potential problems are recognised
the range of possible causes can be identified and analysed and the most likely cause determined
appropriate action is taken to ensure commissioning stays on schedule
obvious problems in related plant areas are recognised and an appropriate contribution made to their solution.

These aspects may be best assessed using a range of scenarios/case studies/what ifs as the stimulus with a walk through forming part of the response. These assessment activities should include a range of problems, including new, unusual and improbable situations, which may have been generated from the past incident history of the plant, incidents on similar plants around the world, hazard analysis activities and similar sources.

Resource implications
Assessment will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what ifs will be required as will a bank of questions, which will be used to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions.

Other assessment advice
In all plants it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with relevant teamwork and communication units. Consider co-assessment with:
PMACOM300A - Develop plant documentation.

In a major hazard facility, it may be appropriate to assess this unit concurrently with:
PMAOHS200 - Participate in workplace safety procedures
PMAOHS300 - Implement and monitor OHS policies and procedures for a work group
PMAOHS401 - Assess risk.

Essential knowledge
Competence to include the ability to apply and explain
HAZOP study process and the interpretation of findings
results and impact of a HAZAN study
the process of hazard identification, risk assessment and control
hierarchy of control
sources of hazard information (such as Material Safety Data Sheets)
principles of operation of equipment
interpretation of design drawings, schematics and manuals
principles of operation of instrumentation
principles of basic control systems
distinguish between the following problem sources, and their avoidance:
chemical
instrument
equipment (electrical/mechanical)
maintenance.