Process Plant Operations (Basic)
Courses Overview:
Next Date: 15/12/2025
Duration: 5 days
Available Places: 8
A practical five-day introduction to process plant operations in high-hazard environments. Blending classroom and hands-on learning at the NCPM facility, the course builds awareness of plant equipment, operational procedures, basic maintenance and supervisory requirements for operator/technician roles.
Course price:
£ 1,100.00 EX VAT
START 15/12/2025
END 19/12/2025
8:30 am
4:30 pm
Process plant operations span supervisory control, operator activities, data acquisition, basic maintenance and asset management. This course introduces those fundamentals via a structured programme at NCPM, building familiarity with operational basics, equipment, procedures and the relationship between operations, maintenance and control.
At a glance:
- Operational basics, units of operation & field equipment
- Communication between Field and Control Room Operators
- Basic maintenance skills aligned to safe control of work
- Introduction to BPCS, control loops and safe operating envelopes
Who should attend?
This qualification provides an understanding of major accident risks, safety-critical equipment and operational practices designed to maintain safe plant and equipment conditions.
Outline the operational/maintenance requirements, equipment essentials, control of work and physical/control-system attributes of a basic chemical process plant; build the awareness, understanding and performance competencies expected of a Process Plant Operator/Technician.
By the end of the course, learners will be able to:
- Understand operational basics, units of operation, technical/procedural adherence and control of work, and how operations and maintenance align with effective control.
- Communicate effectively between Field Operators and Control Room Operators, supporting supervision and information acquisition.
- Recognise and identify field, instrumentation and control room/switch room equipment.
- Perform operator responsibilities relevant to basic operational control and supervision.
- Explain the principles of a Safe Operating Envelope and the controls required for safe site operations and maintenance.
- Plant & Equipment Familiarisation: P&IDs; equipment ID; terminology; regimes; pumps, motors, valves/actuators; filters/strainers; heat exchangers; pipework/ancillaries; tanks/vessels; services; instrumentation; switch rooms/MCCs; units of operation.
- Control Systems: BPCS overview (operator station, PLCs, I/O, telemetry, servers/software); orientation & physical overview; asset management.
- Control Loop Philosophy: PID; open/closed loop; SIS; SIL.
- Transfers & Operations: Internal transfers (tank-to-tank, RTW, railcar, ship/shore); external transfers (national/external pipeline; transit sites); continual operations (process/systems, sampling/testing/analysis, monitoring, online control/“trimming”).
- Supervision & Control: Team operation/supervision; prerequisites; team management; effective communications; operational logging; system entry & documentation.
- Emergency Response: MAH management; mitigation; environmental assurance/response; ERP; ESD; controlled shutdown; plant recovery; safe states; return to normal operations.
Assessment is through observed practical activities, demonstrations and reflective statements evidencing knowledge, skills and behaviours across operational basics, effective communication and safe practice.
- Duration: Five-day course
- Location: Reynolds Training Technical Training Centre (NCPM facility)
- Cost: £1,100 ex VAT
- Date: 27–31 October 2025
TRAINING FOR A LIFE-LONG CAREER
This course is just one step in a long career in the Tank Storage and Process industries. We offer a wide range of courses that can help your career progression in whichever avenue you are pursuing.
Learning Advisors:
We provide guidance on your career pathway with advice on relevant courses and how you can access them.
For more info on your progression, get in touch with your Learning Advisors here.
Reynolds Training Services Ltd
Technical Training Centre
CATCH Facility
Redwood Park Estate, Stallingborough
North East Lincolnshire
DN41 8TH
Lead Tutor: Alan Oxborough
Working with Reynolds Training since 2011, Alan has the richest of backgrounds in operations and maintenance and blends this seamlessly with an ability to convey fundamental principles and beyond to any audience.
Reynolds Training
Reynolds Training has designed a curriculum of accredited courses that underpin and complement those offered by our other awarding bodies. With our knowledge and expertise in the bulk storage sector, we can offer something truly unique.
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