5.9 Manning and supervision of boiler houses Manning and supervision levels in boiler houses shall be established as a result of a detailed boiler house technical risk assessment, firstly at the design stage and then revised later as the operation of the boiler house evolves. In simple terms, the more automation, measurement and control that is installed the lower the manning requirements might be, BUT this has to be taken in context with other issues such as the location of the boilers, the likelihood of water quality issues, the possibility of contaminated condensate, risks associated with a loss of steam to process and the risks associated with actually getting competent operators to the boilers in adverse weather, as just a few examples. Furthermore, different operating scenarios may dictate different supervision levels for the same level of automation. A boiler needs to be fully manned whenever it is in a vulnerable state, such as during start up, but it may be assessed as safe for daily visits during production periods and safe to leave for the weekend when the site is out of production but alarms are still monitored locally. Arrangement drawings in Appendix 3 are not associated with any particular level of supervision - they are provided to guide designers and users/owners of steam boiler plant in the direction of possible boiler control and measurement arrangements, and do not represent final solutions for any particular circumstance. A detailed risk assessment is the only way to establish the manning requirements for your plant. For all levels of manning, shell boilers shall not be warmed through from cold, put on the range, or reset after a lockout without the competent boiler operator present to observe all limiters and alarms, and take the necessary actions. Boiler plants which incorporate systems which significantly exceed the minimum requirements of the law and include the highest level of automation and monitoring may in certain circumstances still need to be fully manned, and this may be for reasons of steam security to process or other considerations. Note the definitions used in this section and elsewhere: Competent Boiler Operator - Someone appointed by their employer who has attended a training course with assessment, is familiar with the boiler system on site, and has sufficient knowledge & experience to operate the boiler and system safely. Suitably Trained and Instructed Person – Someone who has been trained to respond to specific boiler house alarms by taking agreed actions which include contacting the duty Competent Boiler Operator. Check the boiler - carry out all documented tests and inspections relating to the boiler and ancillary plant according to local procedures, recording all necessary readings and actions, and making reports of actions and interventions as appropriate. Local control and alarms Where the risk assessment determines that the boilers cannot be left alone, a competent boiler operator shall be in the immediate vicinity of the boilers at all times whilst the boilers are operating. They shall be within earshot and sight of alarms at all times, and able to attend the boilers immediately. This type of supervision is required when the boiler controls are extremely basic or the boiler is in a vulnerable state, e.g. on start-up or after an unexpected alarm. It is also commonly used when firing solid fuels or unusual liquid fuels, or if there is an unacceptably high risk with the location of the boilers.
BG01 Guidance on the safe Operation of Steam Boilers Edition 2 – © 2019
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