Does a small air separation unit only require one person to operate it?
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Please don’t misunderstand me as being sensationalist; I wrote this out of necessity. The company I work for has a small air separation unit, which is used as an auxiliary facility for the production of certain products; each shift consists of 2 employees. Recently, for some unknown reason, the company is considering reducing the staffing for our position from 2 people to 1. The reason given is that, under normal circumstances, with two people present, there seems to be little to do apart from keeping records of equipment operation on time (the control room is equipped with cameras). The workshop supervisor was not very familiar with the air separation position, so I explained to him why a team of two people is necessary for this role. He asked me to provide written reasons and evidence for that. Let me explain here: all personnel involved in air separation operations have a maximum education level of high school graduation; they all learned their skills by observing experienced workers, and have not taken any specialized theoretical courses on air separation oxygen production. They possess the skill level of junior oxygen production workers, but lack the corresponding certificates. There is also very little professional material available for reference. I am also aware that there are no fixed standards regarding the staffing requirements in this field. Therefore, I ask all professionals in air separation oxygen production to tell me the reasons and basis for their knowledge on whatever aspects they are familiar with – anything will be useful. Of course, the more information related to the safe operation of equipment, the better. I would be extremely grateful for your help!
~~~~~~Please say something; anything will do
The main issue is that one person cannot resolve the problem when a fault occurs! Another person won’t be able to help when in danger!
The number of operators required should not be determined under normal conditions; rather, it is important to ensure that there are enough personnel during startup, shutdown, and in the event of failures.
I agree with what was said above – it’s impossible for one person to handle tasks related to starting and stopping the machine, as well as dealing with any malfunctions. Even when production is running normally, someone needs to be around for inspections.
Air separation equipment falls under the category of hazardous chemicals; it requires high stability in operation, and its design is complex. Its operation involves various aspects such as chemical processes, electrical systems, and control equipment, each with its own set of systematic requirements. Due to the special nature of this equipment, any problems or potential hazards can result in the equipment not functioning properly, leading to production disruptions and economic losses for the company. In severe cases, it can lead to serious safety accidents. Personnel injuries and deaths due to equipment loss of control. The impact is significant; therefore, high standards are required regarding the qualifications and operational skills of the personnel who operate the equipment, and this is also a fundamental requirement for safety within the equipment system. In the event of failures or during complex operations, one person is unable to quickly handle the situation on site and respond appropriately to the control commands, which is detrimental to the safe operation of the equipment. . . . It would be more persuasive if some examples from work or typical accidents were included. Hehe, that’s all I can think of.
Don’t worry; there’s a solution. In an emergency, call the workshop supervisor and carry out preventive maintenance – usually, no problems will arise
Thank you all for your generous help; I’ll give you extra points~~~~~
Currently, abroad, air separation units that are fully automated and unattended already exist. However, there are basically no such devices available in the country at present. In the daily operation of air separation production, management, operating staff, and maintenance teams (mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation engineers) are required. In terms of operation, normally a DCS control station should have 3 units, with three people required to monitor changes in process parameters and the operating status of the machinery. It’s unlikely for a person to keep staring at the screen all the time; there will always be moments when something is missed. Additionally, when problems are detected at the site, the control room needs to be manned, and someone also needs to go to the site to conduct inspections. So one person isn’t enough.
Then ask your manager whether you can leave the control room to deal with the problem when one arises!