Multi-skilling: research implications on control room operations

Research funded by the Health and Safety Executive has produced a characterisation of “good practice” in the introduction of multi-skilling. The work was commissioned following the fire and explosion at the Texaco Refinery, where concerns were raised about the impact of multi-skilling on the adequacy of the emergency response in the control room. The study included a review of published audits and of the causes of major accidents to identify the impact of multi-skilling. Following this, two control room case studies were carried out, namely a railway control centre and a chemical plant control operation, along with four other case studies. A life cycle model was developed which provides practical advice to all those involved in the conception, planning and assessment, implementation and audit of multi-skilling, and the ongoing skills maintenance and review. The paper covers research based on six industrial case studies, and describes the subsequent findings that will assist companies during the implementation of multi-skilling within their control rooms. The practical guidelines and life cycle model provide a sound basis to aid companies undergoing these types of changes in terms of planning and implementing multi-skilling