The planning, preparation and execution of any turnaround is a complex undertaking and it is imperative that an effective strategy and a high degree of control with great attention is exercised with great attention to detail; coupled with a profound understanding of the critical elements that go to make up a turnaround and the drivers and constraints that shape the event.
This requires the involvement of every level of the company from senior management who set the framework for the event through to the craft personnel who perform the actual work. The execution of shutting down and start-up phases of a turnaround are critical to the success or failure of the event and as such must be planned and prepared in as much detail as the mechanical phase.
There comes a point in each area of the turnaround at which most tasks have been completed and the systems may be handed back to operations for the start-up. This is a critical transition and if not properly executed, time, money and effort can be wasted.
Although the start-up of the plant may simply seem like the reverse of the shutdown to the casual observer, depending upon the type of plant, the start-up process can last anywhere from a few hours to many days. Irrespective of the length of time, the front line staff involved in execution and handover must control the start-up in the same way as the shutdown and engineering work effectively.
The Course is the product of turnaround professionals working in multiple industries across multiple countries around the globe and its principles are embodied in the “Model of Excellence for Turnarounds” that forms the central pillar of the workshop.
