Chemical Processing Distilled

Operator Training: Remove Team Performance Barriers

Research on team performance barriers finds that fatigue, workload, competing priorities, conflicting information, and lack of technical expertise are significant hurdles. Psychological safety is crucial for effective team environments, allowing individuals to speak up and admit uncertainty without fear of reprisal. Tools such as self-assessment guides and realistic teaming scenarios aid in developing teamwork skills. Continuous learning and improvement are essential for optimal team performance.

Solutions Spotlight: Coriolis Meters Eliminate Assumptions

The combination of high accuracy, versatility, direct mass measurement and minimal maintenance requirements make Coriolis meters suitable for various industrial applications.

Unlike volumetric flow meters, Coriolis meters directly measure mass flow, making them less susceptible to variations in temperature, pressure and fluid density.

To learn more, Chemical Processing spoke with Alec O’Keefe, regional product lead and Coriolis meter product specialist at Krohne Inc.

Chemical Processing News for week of March 3, 2024

This news roundup ponders an elevator to space and questions Chemours ethics. 

Distilled Chemical News Roundup February 2024

Exxon looks to balance fossil fuels with sustainability,  Didion execs sentenced and yellow snow for battery recycling. This news roundup covers the chemical industry in February 2024.

Manage Upsets to Safely Bring the Plant to a Stable Condition

Upsets are going to happen, so why not plan for it? Learn how.

In this episode of Distilled, we discuss managing upsets and distinguishing between shutdown-related and non-shutdown upsets. Dave points out a lot has changed over the years. Indeed, the preference is shutting down during upsets and advancements like safety instrumented systems aid in automatic shutdowns. However, concerns about overreliance and security exist. Proactive measures involve maintaining situational awareness and implementing training drills. Automation of routine tasks for console operators improves efficiency and safety. Collaboration among operators, engineers and management is crucial for effectively managing upsets.

Properly Vet Contractors ICYMI

In today’s episode, Traci Purdum will be reading a column from contributing editor Dirk Willard. This column “Properly Vet Contractors” was published to chemicalprocessing.com October 19, 2021.

Engineers once flew around the country to check out contractors’ facilities before signing deals. Nowadays, many bosses instead heavily rely on the Internet. Unfortunately, a nifty-looking web site can make a firm seem impressive and much more capable than it actually is. You don’t want to discover the truth after a contract is signed.

Article can be found here: https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/home/article/11291433/engineering-advice-properly-vet-contractors-chemical-processing

 

Chemical Industry News Roundup January 2024

A sobering look at the economy, PFAS regulations continue, blue-ringed octopus key to sustainable energy, and black-mass recycling. All news found here: https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/industrynews

Read by Executive Editor Jonathan Katz. 

Faster Ways To Train Chemical Operators

The discussion revolves around operator training efficiency in the industry. Despite decades of training, companies often lack feedback on its effectiveness. New technologies like simulators and virtual reality offer objective ways to measure and improve training. Identifying and addressing deficiencies is crucial, similar to the aviation industry's approach. Differentiating between console and field operators, the former presents more straightforward opportunities for measurement. Training programs should adapt to an operator's existing knowledge when learning multiple units, reducing time and improving efficiency.

Career Advice: Master Cold Calls

Welcome to the In Case You Missed It edition of Chemical Processing’s Distilled Podcast -- This podcast and its transcript can be found at chemicalprocessing.com. I’m Traci Purdum, EIC of Chemical Processing.

In Case You Missed It brings the written word to life. In today’s episode, I will be reading a column from contributing editor Dirk Willard. This column “Career Advice: Master Cold Calls” appeared on our website in March 2022

Read by: Traci Purdum, editor-in-chief 

Article link:

https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/asset-management/training/article/11288979/career-advice-master-cold-calls-chemical-processing

 

Correctly Cope With Career Challenges

Predicaments can crop up at all stages of a chemical engineering career. Properly dealing with them without serious consequences often isn’t easy or sometimes even possible. You may face ethical as well as technical and political challenges. So, let’s look at a variety of these and how to deal with them.

This edition of In Case You Missed It is based on the original column by contributing editor Dirk Willard. It was published March 29, 2021, and can be found here: Correctly Cope with Career Challenges. 

Read by: Editor-in-Chief Traci Purdum, Chemical Processing