The first Dedicated Managers BOAS Training Course.
CEA approved training providers deliver pre-assessment training for the Boiler Operation Accreditation Scheme (BOAS) to a standard syllabus; Kiwa Gastec then carry out an independent assessment of the candidate and their test papers and CEA provide the certification and ID card for those that have achieved the required standard.
Many CEA members will know that the BOAS Working Group has been reshaping the BOAS offering which has been streamlined to meet industry’s needs. Specific categories for the various types of boilers have been redefined along with the test papers that apply to each category:
Category 1. Hot Water Boilers.
Category 2. Shell Boilers (Steam).
Category 3. Water Tube Boilers.
BOAS was originally designed for the Operator to be trained and accredited, with the Manager accreditation being added at a later date. Within the scheme there is now opportunity for both Operators and Managers to achieve the accreditation. Managers who are responsible for overseeing the running of boilers, but who don’t actually do the day to day hands on activities, need to know and understand more about the overall operation of the plant than the Operators do. There may be Environmental permits to implement, emission regulations to understand and implement, insurance inspections to organise, repairs and maintenance, Written Schemes of Examination, Risk assessments and PSSR (Pressure Systems Safety Regulation) etc. to manage along with all the other day to day tasks of the Manager.
Mike Cogan, Head of Engineering Training at EMK, (Educational and Environmental Services Ltd) became concerned that Managers who had been trained with operators as part of the same course may not get the opportunity to gain as much knowledge and advice as they otherwise might; there is much more the Manager needs to know about boilerhouse management processes than can be covered during a standard course.
In developing an approach to a dedicated BOAS Managers Course after a few telephone conversations and some brief discussions at assessments, both Mike and assessor David Graham got together for a one-day workshop. They were able to thrash out what was needed to give these very vulnerable Managers what they needed to help them with their responsibilities when managing boiler plant.
EMK held their first dedicated Managers BOAS training course in January 2015. Though the full CEA BOAS syllabus was covered, Mike has added a lot more pertinent information to his training course dedicated to training boiler house Managers.
During previous courses Mike had discussed the Manager issue with David as well as with other BOAS assessors. David had commented that many of the newer Manager candidates he assessed found it difficult to assimilate, in detail, all aspects their job. When involved in pressure plant such as boilers there is a great deal to know. David said “It soon becomes evident during the Manager Interview that when going over their paper work submitted as evidence you can find numerous anomalies and so many areas that need to be addressed”. He continued “examining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), for example, has proved to be beneficial; just reading them tells you they do not work, and that’s without going into the individual person’s boilerhouse. BOAS is only part of the training they require but it has a great opportunity to help improve Managers’ knowledge and understanding. It must be designed to give the Managers exactly what they need: Knowledge and Understanding of the Processes”. Which is why this bespoke course is now a part of the BOAS product range for EMK.
Feedback from the candidates both during and after the dedicated management course indicated that there were two different stages in the training. The trainees were mostly experienced Managers and were particularly keen to improve their technical and operational knowledge of the boilerhouse, so that they could more effectively oversee and manage the running of the plant. They were quite open about their lack of nuts, bolts and valves knowledge and clearly enjoyed learning this part of the BOAS syllabus and said so.
Throughout Mike’s many years of delivering boilerhouse training courses to groups of Operators, their Managers have often taken part. Mike had never attempted to train the Manager to manage his boilerhouse but the Manager’s presence always helped make for a successful course; there are many good reasons for this.
He gets to carry out a first-hand quality control job on the training he is paying for and he can make sure he gets value for money.
- His presence ensures his Operators take the course that much more seriously.
- He experiences an unusual, almost informal forum with his Operators, which is to the Manager’s benefit.
- The Manager is able to give valuable input due to his knowledge and experience.
- And finally, he really enjoys the course for its technical and operational content; he re-learns a lot of useful old lessons and goes over a lot of material which he finds tremendously interesting.
One disadvantage is that because the Manager enjoyed the Operator course he felt that it was a benefit to him. In some ways it was, but did it benefit him in those managerial aspects where he might be vulnerable and need more relevant and more focused training?
The BOAS Manager delegate often thinks he has been trained fully in boilerhouse management but he has only got a part of the overall puzzle. It has been said by Manager Candidates: “We don’t know what we don’t know”.
As this bespoke course progressed it became very clear that the candidates were not doing their jobs correctly and they knew it. A part of the management section of the course was to review operating procedures as a group activity. The activity took on a life of its own and the group members burst into furious activity and actually wrote up several procedures which were in need of review together with the necessary risk assessments. On Thursday morning the atmosphere was almost euphoric; the candidates were on a high. They were actually learning something very important. They also undertook a very critical review of their management systems in general. In short Mike said “they got stuck into their job during the course once they learned what it was”. One trainee’s comment was “This has really opened my eyes”. David commented after his assessment of the trainees that “They tore their own management systems apart”.
This was the first dedicated management course delivered by EMK. There is clearly much to be done in developing the course to deliver that which the Managers need to protect their Operators, their plant, the public and themselves. Mike and David are currently working on developing materials and training strategies which will meet the management trainees’ overall requirements.
Mike put the following question to the CEA BOAS Working Group:
“Should the current BOAS syllabus be modified to produce a special syllabus for Managers?” Mike’s view is: probably but not just yet. Many Managers still need to learn about nuts, bolts and valves up to a point, and also the technical essentials of the boilerhouse procedures. The existing BOAS syllabus does this quite well. The syllabus also mentions all the important aspects of boiler plant management; the core of the issue is: does boiler plant management need to be taught as a special case scenario?
For now Mike feels we need to deliver more dedicated BOAS Managers’ courses and obtain more feedback and experience to help create a more bespoke Managers course. As mentioned earlier, BOAS is only a part of that puzzle. “We don’t know what we don’t know”.
David would like to see a more advanced course for Managers only, many of whom would enjoy the challenge and have already put their names forward, but it has to test them to the maximum in responding to questions from the Judge if the worst happens.
When the Judge says “Can you demonstrate what actions you have taken to have prevented this?” a Manager could be asked: Under the PSSR 2000 Regulation 11 Operation (1) (b) did you provide adequate and suitable instructions for the action to be taken in the event of ANY emergency!! It’s very open but still needs to be identified and dealt with. David has seen some great attempts from major companies in addressing this issue and even they realise they may not have covered everything but at least they made a good attempt at addressing it.
David Kilpatrick Director of the CEA thanked Mike and David for taking this action from a previous BOAS working group meeting, creating this very comprehensive look at the need for bespoke boilerhouse Managers training. This has clearly been a great success.
Should anybody reading this article feel they would like to take a closer look at this training please contact David Kilpatrick directly.
Tel CEA on 01740 625538
or email [email protected]
