3266 Guidance on ensuring control room operator (CRO) competence

Overview:

This publication is free to download for registered users.

Control room operators (CROs) perform a critical role in running normal operations, infrequent activities such as process shut downs, and handling abnormal events and emergencies. Ensuring a sufficient number of competent CROs are available on site is a key element of safety, and can contribute positively to productivity.

This publication provides specific guidance on how to assure competence of CROs in the energy industries, particularly how to define competence standards, select training and development methods, assess CROs and maintain their competence once in post.

This guidance is consistent with common models of competence management,  and offers specific guidance to CROs.  It presents a full life cycle view of CROs, from the creation of a pool of candidates to advancement of their competence when in post.  Extensive annexes provide practical tools, such as checklists for assessing the organisation’s arrangements for managing CRO competence, job aids for identifying CRO competencies, as well as example CRO competencies (and methods for training and assessment of those competencies) for routine, infrequent, abnormal and routine operations.

This publication will be of interest for those who have responsibility for ensuring the competence of CROs, including managers and supervisors of CROs and relevant members of human resources, talent management and learning and development teams.