Discussion - s1037cn10015

DOE-STD-1037-93

3. DISCUSSION

A unique process is a separate process that is not directly controlled by operations personnel,

but can affect, or be affected by, an operator's activities. It could be directly related to the safety

or reliability of the facility, compliance with environmental and health requirements, fulfillment

of the facility mission, or unrelated to any of these. A unique process may be the result of a

specialized procedure (e.g., testing or research) and performed only once, or it may be an

established routine. The operations aspects of unique processes can be described as the effects

unique processes or activities may have on interrelated systems, and the actions that must be

taken to avoid an adverse impact on operations.

Interactions between operations and unique processes can affect the safety and reliability of DOE

facilities. In some cases, interactions with unique processes are anticipated in procedures and

other operating documents. However, in many cases, an otherwise appropriate and permissible

response to parameters in one system can produce an adverse effect in another system. To

correctly interpret indications in a system, and to determine the best response, the operator must

have an integrated knowledge of unique process interactions within the facility.

Effective operation also requires communication of relevant information between operators and

process support personnel. In some cases, the operator must communicate intended actions to

the process support personnel to prevent problems in the unique process. In other cases, the

unique process is capable of affecting operations, therefore requiring two-way communication

between process support personnel and operators. The following examples illustrate some of

the effects of unique process interactions.

A facility operates a chilled water system to support a variety of domestic and research

needs. The system contains multiple chiller units which can be operated in combination to

accommodate cooling loads. When personnel in a research project started several large

pieces of equipment, the added cooling load caused the chilled water temperature to exceed

the normal operating range before another chiller unit could be placed on line.