Operator workplaces now have the ability to impact operator performance like never before. Improving decision making is the focus of many in the process industries as a way to increase productivity and reduce production losses.
According to a new article published by Control Engineering, process industries globally lose around $20 billion annually due to process disruptions, which represents about 5% of total production. Studies suggest 80% of these losses are preventable, and of these preventable losses, 40% are primarily due to operator errors. This means that the total improvement potential—if a way can be found to help avoid mistakes—totals $6.4 billion.
Operator effectiveness is a fundamental element for sustaining the economic value of process control and management. One place to begin the process is by empowering operators through improved situational awareness and better handling of abnormal conditions. Operators can then make better decisions and so improve safety and process uptime.
Is this something your company is focused on? Are your operators empowered rather than hindered by their control system? We’d like to hear from you.