SKILL  KNOWLEDGE  SAFETY

PMAOPS280A - Interpret process plan schematics

Description

 This competency covers the interpretation of process plant schematics
for a range of operations uses. It includes a wide range of schematics.

Pre Requisite

 Nil

Application

 In a typical scenario, an operator needs to undertake an activity
on the plant, or related to the plant and uses a schematic as an
aid in interpreting the plant and/or the plant systems or as an aid
to explaining the plant/plant systems to another person (who may
be another operator, technical specialist, member of
management, maintenance worker or contractor).
The operator would:
  •  find relevant information from the schematic
  •  mark up a schematic for their own use or the use of another person
  •  sketch a schematic, using relevant symbols, as part of an explanation to another person or as an aide memoir for themselves
This competency covers all general and common symbols and
also includes those specific to the relevant plant which is the
operator's area of responsibility. It includes those conventions
which are applied by their place of work

Performance Criteria

 1. Relate schematic to plant.
1.1 Match items on schematic with items in plant
1.2 Determine relevant pipe and flange schedules
1.3 Identify sizes and types of minor equipment
1.4 Locate relevant instrument tapping points and control points
1.5 Identify direction of flow on schematic and in plant.

2. Identify points required to prepare plant.
2.1 Locate isolation and blanking points for any item of the relevant schematic
2.2 Identify drain/vent/purge points for any item on the relevant schematic
2.3 Identify trip system elements
2.4 Use schematic to check/develop work lists.

3. Describe the process with a schematic.
3.1 Use a schematic as the basis of a description of the process
3.2 Describe the process using a manual schematic
3.3 Walk through process identifying all plant items in process order
3.4 Identify key conditions/variables from a relevant schematic.

Required Skills & Knowledge

 Required skills include:
  •  interpretation of symbols and other drawing elements
  •  communication
  •  problem solving

 

Required knowledge

Competence includes an understanding of process plant schematics and their application to the actual plant and process. In particular it includes a knowledge of:

  •  symbols used on schematics by that organisation
  •  schematic conventions, eg with particular reference to crossing and branching lines
  •  indications of equipment/pipe specifications
  •  indications of process conditions/limits
  •  cause and effect interpretation as relevant

Range Statement

 Codes of practice/ standards
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or
Australian/international standards, the latest version must be
used.

Items
Items on schematic/in plant includes:
  •  all major plant items such as:
  •  vessels,
  •  columns,
  •  reactors
  •  heat exchangers
  •  minor plant items

Context Schematics have various names and includes:
  •  P&IDs (piping and instrumentation diagrams)
  •  PFDs (process flow diagrams)
  •  PEFs (Process Engineering Flow)
  •  cause and effect diagrams/matrix

Unless qualified in the unit, 'schematic' means a formally
drawn, authorized schematic and may be hard copy or
electronic.

Symbols
Symbols and conventions used in the schematics for the
relevant plant area should be used. They may be Australian
Standards symbols, the organisation's standard symbols or
some other standard system:

Minor equipment
Minor equipment includes that equipment commonly described
by size and type and includes:
  •  pumps
  •  valves
  •  strainers
  •  filters
  •  instrumentation (local and remote)

It typically would not include items such as vessels, columns,
reactors or heat exchangers which would be major plant items.

Plant preparation
Plant preparation entails all that activity which may be required
to render the plant safe for non-operational work (which is
typically maintenance but may be other work) and includes:
  •  isolations
  •  blank/spade/spectacle blind, breakout spool locations
  •  draining
  •  purging
  •  blanketing
  •  venting
  •  ventilating
  •  locating plant, equipment and services - above ground
  •  locating below ground (or otherwise obscured) pipeline
and services.

Key conditions
Key conditions includes:
  •  normal range of process conditions such as
  •  level
  •  pressure
  •  flow
  •  temperature
  •  alarm conditions/values
  •  trip, ESD values

Work lists
Work lists may include:
  •  punch list
  •  tag numbers
  •  spade/blind lists
  •  similar lists

Manual schematic
Manual schematic may include:
  •  a hand drawn sketch of the part of the process of interest
  •  a mark up of a formally drawn schematic

Schematics may be hard copy or electronic.

Appropriate action
Appropriate action includes:
  •     determining problems needing action
  •     determining possible fault causes
  •     rectifying problem using appropriate solution within area of responsibility
  •     following through items initiated until final resolution has occurred
  •     reporting problems outside area of responsibility to designated person.
Procedures
Procedures may be written, verbal, computer-based or in some
other form. They include:
  •  all work instructions
  •  standard operating procedures
  •  formulas/recipes
  •  batch sheets
  •  temporary instructions
  •  any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of
the plant.

For the purposes of this Training Package, 'procedures' also
includes good operating practice as may be defined by industry
codes of practice (eg Responsible Care) and government
regulations.

Health, safety and environment (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.

Evidence Guide

 Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate
competency in this unit
Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to apply
schematics to plant/process based situations.
Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular
look to see that:
  •  critical process/plant features can be identified from a
  • schematic
  •  main process features can be described using a
  • schematic.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment will require access to a plant over an extended
period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of
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.

Method of assessment
Guidance information for assessment
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally
appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy
capacity of the assessee and the work being performed.

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