Contents
Contents
Details of the occupational standard
Occupation summary
Process industry technicians are found in process manufacturing industries.
They run processes involving high hazard inputs to produce products that meet specifications. This may include chemical-based products, stabilised crude, ethane, butane, methane, and hydrogen. The working environment is highly controlled due to the use of high hazard chemicals. Technicians must follow high-level safety systems. Typically, production is on a large scale using a continuous process. This usually means operations are 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Technicians may be required to work shifts.
Technicians run and maintain the process or processes in line with operational parameters. They conduct quality assurance, resolving or escalating any issues, and complete records. Maintaining workplace safety by following health, safety and environmental risk and management systems is a vital part of the role. Preparing equipment for maintenance and bringing equipment back on line is also part of the role. They also support risk assessment, improvement activities, and audits.
On a daily basis, they work with other members of the process team. They also have contact with people in other teams for example, laboratory, maintenance, process engineering, supply chain, and warehouse. They may also have contact with external people such as, customers, service providers, and regulators.
They must ensure that the process and products meet quality specifications and are produced to schedule. They must work to external manufacturing regulations to protect the process, product, plant and equipment, company employees, and the environment. They must also consider sustainability. They may need to wear specialist PPE to protect the product or themselves. This may include, safety glasses, chemical resistant gloves, suits, and footwear, and breathing apparatus. They may work alone or part of a team. They work with minimal supervision, taking responsibility for the quality and accuracy of their work.
Typical job titles include:
Oil and gas process technician
Petrochemical process technician
Plant technician
Process industry technician
Process manufacturing technician
Process technician
Production technician
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements. Typically, they require applicants to have GCSE science grade C or 4. An employer may require applicants to have a health screening to ensure suitability for working in some work environments.
Occupation duties
| Duty | KSBs |
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Duty 1 Run and maintain process industry plant and equipment in line with operational parameters. For example, pressures, flows, temperatures, levels, production targets, and specification. |
K4 K13 K14 K16 K22 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K30 K31 K32 K33 K34 K35 K36 K37 K39 |
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Duty 2 Maintain the work area following health, safety, environmental and risk management systems. |
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Duty 3 Resolve and report, or escalate, process, quality, health and safety, environment, and operating environment issues when operating out of normal parameters. For example, out of specification parameter. |
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Duty 4 Undertake quality assurance processes. |
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Duty 5 Conduct dispatch of intermediate product or final processed product. |
K4 K13 K14 K16 K22 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K30 K31 K32 K33 K34 K36 K37 K39 |
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Duty 6 Conduct handover responsibilities - receiving information from or providing information to other shifts or maintenance teams. |
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Duty 7 Complete process documentation - digital or paper based. For example, process and production records, traceability records, and quality assurance records. |
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Duty 8 Conduct first line routine maintenance and testing of process and plant equipment. |
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Duty 9 Prepare plant for shutdown for example, for maintenance, overall, and decommissioning. |
K4 K13 K14 K22 K23 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K30 K31 K32 K33 K34 K36 K37 K39 |
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Duty 10 Bring process industry equipment back on-line. |
K4 K13 K14 K22 K24 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K30 K31 K32 K33 K34 K36 K37 K39 |
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Duty 11 Participate in risk assessment activities. |
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Duty 12 Participate in continuous improvement activities. |
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Duty 13 Support audits - internal or external. For example, supply information. |
KSBs
Knowledge
K1: Science process manufacturing sector awareness: range of products, manufacturing environments, types of customers.
Back to Duty
K2: Role and limits of responsibility. Escalation procedures. Impact of operators’ competence on product quality. Change control requirement.
Back to Duty
K3: Health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR), Electrical safety and compliance, Fire safety, Health and Safety at Work Act – responsibilities, incident and near miss reporting and investigation, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER), Legionella, Lone working, Management of health and safety at work, Manual handling, Noise regulation, Permits to work, Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Safety signage and purpose, Slips trips and falls, The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), Working in confined spaces, and Working at height.
Back to Duty
K4: Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulation and impact on workplaces.
Back to Duty
K5: Science process manufacturing safety hazards – risks they pose and their management: temperature, pressure, and vapours. Risk assessment and safe systems of work. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements.
Back to Duty
K6: Emergency procedures.
Back to Duty
K7: Health and safety management systems; key performance indicators (KPIs) and learning from incidents.
Back to Duty
K8: Environmental hazards that can arise from process. Hierarchy of control.
Back to Duty
K9: Environmental management systems standard. Environmental Protection Act. Environmental signage and notices.
Back to Duty
K10: Principles of sustainability and circular economy. Resource (energy, water, and waste) efficiency and reuse of materials. Principles of control and management of emissions and waste.
Back to Duty
K11: Planning, prioritising, and time management techniques.
Back to Duty
K12: Continuous and batch techniques. Production requirements: product specification, processing specification, rate of production. Material safety data sheet, product labelling and product codes; the importance of identifying non-conforming materials and products. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). Stock control. Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP).
Back to Duty
K13: Standard operating procedures (SOP) - what they are and why they are important.
Back to Duty
K14: Standard operating conditions (SOC) - what they are and why they are important.
Back to Duty
K15: Documentation requirements: documentation control, auditable records.
Back to Duty
K16: Main factors influencing quality assurance in industrial process industries. Quality standards.
Back to Duty
K17: Principles of laboratory quality procedures: calibration requirements for quality control, representative sampling, and common methods of analysis.
Back to Duty
K18: How customer feedback can be used to assess quality performance. Purpose of audits. Non-conformance reports (NCR). Corrective Action Preventive Action (CAPA).
Back to Duty
K19: Common faults and causes in processing: flow, blockages, instrumentation failures, seals and human factors.
Back to Duty
K20: Problem solving and fault-finding techniques: root cause analysis, 5-Whys.
Back to Duty
K21: Continuous improvement (CI) systems and techniques.
Back to Duty
K22: Different types of maintenance activities: preventative and reactive.
Back to Duty
K23: Requirements for shutting down and preparing for maintenance.
Back to Duty
K24: Requirements for bringing equipment back from maintenance.
Back to Duty
K25: Purpose and operation of process industry equipment.
Back to Duty
K26: Process control systems and their constituent components.
Back to Duty
K27: Uses of water in and around the plant. Types of water: raw, treated, demineralized; uses, differences, and composition. Water purification requirements and methods.
Back to Duty
K28: Common process manufacturing principles: distillation, phase separation, crystallisation, and drying.
Back to Duty
K29: The thermal and flow properties of solids, liquids, and gases.
Back to Duty
K30: The structure of atoms, elements, and compounds - chemical symbols that represent them.
Back to Duty
K31: Fundamental scientific laws to the construction and use of balanced chemical equations.
Back to Duty
K32: Solutions, solubility, and solubility curves.
Back to Duty
K33: The application and importance of electrochemical principles.
Back to Duty
K34: The structure, classification, and properties of carbon compounds and polymers.
Back to Duty
K35: The structure and properties of elements, mixtures, compounds, crystals, and alloys.
Back to Duty
K36: The importance of chemical equilibrium and energy changes in reactions involved in manufacturing processes.
Back to Duty
K37: Electrochemical principles - electrolysis and galvanic corrosion, their applications and importance.
Back to Duty
K38: Numerical approximations and unit conversion tables. Areas, volumes, and pressure and flow rates calculations. Statistical data.
Back to Duty
K39: Conventions for drawings and graphical information.
Back to Duty
K40: Information and digital technology to support process industry operations. Cyber security requirements.
Back to Duty
K41: General data protection regulation (GDPR).
Back to Duty
K42: Written communication techniques. Technical report writing techniques.
Back to Duty
K43: Verbal communication techniques.
Back to Duty
K44: Principles of team working. Principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Back to Duty
Skills
S1: Review instructions or information to understand the task.
Back to Duty
S2: Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
Back to Duty
S3: Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
Back to Duty
S4: Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
Back to Duty
S5: Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
Back to Duty
S6: Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
Back to Duty
S7: Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Back to Duty
S8: Check equipment.
Back to Duty
S9: Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
Back to Duty
S10: Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
Back to Duty
S11: Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
Back to Duty
S12: Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
Back to Duty
S13: Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
Back to Duty
S14: Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
Back to Duty
S15: Manage waste streams.
Back to Duty
S16: Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
Back to Duty
S17: Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
Back to Duty
S18: Store tools and equipment.
Back to Duty
S19: Identify equipment for handover.
Back to Duty
S20: Apply signage and access restriction measures.
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S21: Shut down the process and equipment.
Back to Duty
S22: Isolate process and systems.
Back to Duty
S23: Complete isolation checks.
Back to Duty
S24: Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
Back to Duty
S25: Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
Back to Duty
S26: Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
Back to Duty
S27: Line-up equipment.
Back to Duty
S28: Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
Back to Duty
S29: De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
Back to Duty
S30: Complete pre-start up checks.
Back to Duty
S31: Start-up plant and equipment.
Back to Duty
S32: Re-start process.
Back to Duty
S33: Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
Back to Duty
S34: Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
Back to Duty
S35: Interpret drawings and graphs.
Back to Duty
S36: Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
Back to Duty
S37: Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
Back to Duty
S38: Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
Back to Duty
S39: Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
Back to Duty
S40: Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
Back to Duty
S41: Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
Back to Duty
S42: Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Back to Duty
S43: Apply team working principles.
Back to Duty
S44: Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.
Back to Duty
Behaviours
B1: Prioritise health, safety, and environment.
Back to Duty
B2: Consider sustainability when using resources and carrying out processes.
Back to Duty
B3: Team-focus to meet work goals including support for equality, diversity and inclusion.
Back to Duty
B4: Take responsibility for the quality of their own work.
Back to Duty
B5: Respond and adapt to work demands.
Back to Duty
B6: Committed to continued professional development.
Back to Duty
Qualifications
English and Maths
English and maths qualifications must be completed in line with the apprenticeship funding rules.
Professional recognition
This standard aligns with the following professional recognition:
- The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) for Engineering Technician (EngTech). Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship and receipt of the apprenticeship certificate, individuals are eligible to apply for EngTech through a shortened application route. It will need to confirm that the EngTech requirements have been met. Individuals also need to be a member of a professional body licensed by the Engineering Council to be awarded this status. Further information is on the IChemE’s website.
Version log
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Approved for delivery | 30/11/2023 | Not set |
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