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Processing
units operate 24 hours per day, seven days a week, often for
years at a time. �Shutdowns� or �turnarounds� are periods of
intensive maintenance work that typically last a month or
two.
Planned
shutdowns are scheduled well in advance so that along with
maintenance work, projects to improve reliability and
environmental performance, or to increase production, can
happen at the same time.
A number of CAER-member
companies will be shutting down their operations for
maintenance this spring, while others will wait until fall;
another peak season for plant turnarounds. During the 2006
shutdown season, you will be able to find specific company
schedules and information here on the CAER
website.
Here are some things you should know about
a shutdown:
- Shutdowns
require many workers; 500 to 1000 trades people are not unusual. Prior to
the shutdown, all workers complete training through the
Industrial Education Cooperative, IEC, as well as
company-specific training. This emphasis on safety makes
Sarnia�s manufacturing
sector one of the safest in the world.
- With the influx
in people, an increase in traffic can be expected,
particularly at the beginning and end of a shift.
Specialized equipment including cranes and heavy machinery
may also need to travel local roads. Companies work to
control traffic by bussing workers from parking lots to the
job site and providing extra traffic
control.
- Flaring also
increases during turnarounds, typically at the beginning,
when hydrocarbons are removed from the process units so that
they can be worked on safely. Flare systems safely burn
gases at an extremely high temperature, minimizing emissions
to the atmosphere. Flaring may also increase as the units
are started up.
- Extra measures
are taken to control odours that
can be emitted when units are drained and steam-cleaned. The
potential for noise and accidental releases also increases
during turnarounds; so, extra monitoring is put in place.
For example, the Sarnia Lambton Environmental Association�s
mobile-air monitor is often moved to a shutdown location to
measure for chemicals at the plant�s fence
line.
Member
companies of CAER will post information relevant to
their shutdown activities on this site. See below for
details:
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