Successful Turnaround Staffing &

Execution

Chuck Provost

Louisiana Division Manager

Sentinel Integrity Solutions, Inc.

Port Allen, LA

Turnaround staffing

• Establishing Manpower needs (Leveraging)

• Issues affecting successful staffing.

• Potential mitigation steps/tools.

• Candidate selection.

• Obtaining the Commitment

Turnaround execution

• Leadership

• Communication

• Tracking

• Reporting

Establishing Manpower Needs

One of the first steps in candidate selection should be determining if

leadership personnel will be utilized for the turnaround. If so selection

of these personnel should initiate prior to assembling the remainder of

the team.

Once you are familiar with the lead inspector/NDE coordinator the

determination in regards to the level of inspection personnel can be

more accurately established. We all strive to obtain the best of the best;

however with the depleted pool of inspection personnel, diversity and

leveraging our inspection team is critical.

Establishing Manpower Needs (Leveraging your Team)

Consideration should be given to allowing a percentage of the

inspection personnel to consist of entry level apprentice type personnel.

This concept will leverage your inspection team; however placement of

personnel then becomes critical. Spread the wealth, but be very careful

not to dilute any shift or specific discipline.

Specifically for piping QA assignments, consideration should be given

to utilizing Sr. level CWI inspectors who have exhibited the capability to

perform in a QA role. This will help leverage your inspection team, as in

some cases a CWI inspector may be available where an API inspector

may not be.

Establishing Manpower Needs (Based on Industry Demand)

Consider increasing or decreasing manpower numbers based on the

status of the inspection labor pool.

Examples;

• A turnaround is scheduled for November 1st, this is not a prime

turnaround month. If the majority of your inspection teams ends up

consisting of mostly senior level inspection personnel, can you

reduce the manpower that was originally proposed?

• Your turnaround is scheduled for October 1st, this is a prime

turnaround month. Do you need to increase manpower numbers to

minimize the risk of impacting the schedule due to

inefficiency/experience? Obviously the first example is a better

position to be in. Once manpower has been accurately established,

staffing can initiate.

Issues Affecting Turnaround Staffing

• Double booking

• Depleted labor pool

Double Booking

One of the trends that has posed the greatest challenge in staffing

personnel is what I refer to as “Double Booking”.

This occurs when turnaround inspection personnel feel the need to

schedule multiple jobs with conflicting schedules. One or multiple jobs

will eventually suffer as a result of “Double Booking”. As turnarounds

continue to “Push” or reschedule, this will continue to be a problem for

the industry in some degree.

Management Tools For Double Booking

Exercising management tools for the ”Double Booking” personnel, is

our only defense against the problem. Some examples of management

tools for the problem are;

• Documenting the occurrence and candidate’s details (Resume etc.).

• Share the information/occurrence with your colleagues if requested,

but be completely transparent and honest about any documented

details (Excuses etc.)

• Make sure that the candidate understands how his/her decision has

impacted your schedule/project.

• Establish your own procedure for holding people accountable (three

strikes and you’re out etc.)

• Enforce your procedure for holding people accountable.

• Consider having the candidate communicate verbally (Phone or in

person), email or text should be considered disrespectful.

Depleted Labor Pool

In the previous years, the labor pool for qualified inspection personnel

has suffered. The demand is much greater than the supply. This poses

multiple challenges for successful turnaround execution.

Managing the Depleted Labor Pool

• Get involved with local NDT schools/ community collages.

• Mentor upcoming inspection professionals.

• Encourage Senior level technicians to obtain higher level

certifications.

• Vendors and owner users should consider developing plans to help

with certification/recertification costs.

• Invest in training.

Candidate Selection

The only method for ensuring success in candidate selection is through

conventional and specific screening. Just like as with other aspects in

life, the more effort you put into something the better the overall result.

Same goes for screening, you get what you give. Some examples of

basic and specific screening tools are;

• Resume review-Obviously the basics apply (structure, format,

content etc.). Take note of the work history section, if you recognize

a facility, and have colleagues there, a verbal reference may be

available.

• If the candidates resume does not capture references (references

available upon request), request references, and contact at least

three. You may be surprised at the feedback.

• Lean on your colleagues’ in the industry for feedback.

Obtaining the Commitment

• If a candidate gives you the “pencil me in, and we will play it by ear”

routine. Make it clear that you are asking for a commitment, not a

maybe. Follow up via email, this will initiate some accountability.

• Consider utilizing employment contracts.

• Offer multiple projects.

• Be transparent on all project details.

Turnaround Execution Leadership

Encourage inspection vendors to provide a lead inspector, or inspection

supervisor to each turnaround. Multiple Lead inspectors should be

considered for sizable turnarounds. Selection of the Lead Inspector is

very important; acquiring a qualified “Lead Inspector” is even more

challenging than acquiring general turnaround inspection personnel.

It is critical to the successful execution of a turnaround for the Lead

inspector to foster a cooperative teamwork spirit, and a “Lead by

Example” approach in regards to managing the inspection team. The

team will show an elevated level of respect and willingness to please

when they feel that leadership is actively engaged and part of the

actual work execution.

Turnaround Execution Leadership

Demand and encourage you dream team to foster a safety oriented

work environment. If any aspect of safety is sacrificed, neither staffing

or execution matter.

• Ensure that the team is comfortable performing any required

stop work.

• Encourage sharing during toolbox meetings.

• Reward safety intervention, and leadership.

Leadership It is incumbent on every single lead inspector or inspection supervisor

to actually lead. Employees read body language and care about

leadership. Simply put, you don’t stand a chance if you don’t have the

will to win. As my friend and colleague says;

“Teamwork makes the Dream work”.

Communication The message is simple: we have to communicate and

collaborate as one if we are going to succeed.

Encourage your leaders and inspection personnel to lean on the side of

over communicating. Don’t assume your teams or inspection personnel

know what’s going on. The lead inspector should ensure that he/she is

up to date all critical path jobs. If a job is not ready or is delayed due to

inspection needs, this must be communicated to the appropriate

personnel. In the turnaround world communication is the fuel that keeps

the turnaround train rolling.

Put tools in place to ensure that sufficient communication is occurring.

Some examples are;

• Log books,-encourage your inspection team to document the day’s

events throughout the shift. At shift change the log book can get

bogged down, as lots of entries and data need to be entered.

• Consider mandatory verbal turnovers at each shift change. The

lead inspector should observe and intervene if any lack in

communication or personality conflicts are noticed.

Communication • Make sure all personnel have access to any updates, or look a

heads.

• Consider performing an inspection update meeting at the beginning

of each shift after the safety meeting. This would be a good time to

Issue any “hot rocks” for the day. This would be any items that

require follow up or completion to progress and maintain the

schedule. Make sure the team understands that the floor is open to

discuss any road blocks associated with any of the days scheduled

tasks.

• Prior to the turnaround evaluate and get involved with any

decisions around housing the inspection team. The more the

inspection team is spread out logistically, the more the breakdown

in communication will be.

• The lead inspector shall set the expectation that missed radio calls

will not be tolerated.

Progress Tracking Understanding the status of each inspection activity has become a key

factor in keeping turnaround schedules in an evergreen status.

Since turnarounds are so dynamic, information needs to be updated

every shift to maintain visibility and control. it is recommended that

complete schedule updates be submitted before the end of every shift

so that updated schedules may be disseminated to the field at the start

of the next shift. Without complete schedule updates every shift, the

schedule will quickly become meaningless as a tool to manage and

drive the turnaround scope and execution.

Progress Tracking There are several tools that aid in the actual status updates.

Turnarounds sometimes require specialized metrics for inspection

status, and updates. Some examples of specialized metrics for

turnarounds are:

• Log Books-Log books should be utilized to capture the status of all

inspection activities (complete, or incomplete).

• Wall charts-These are large scale excel spreadsheets customized

to capture each and every inspection activity. Typically posted in

the inspection personnel’s office. These charts should be updated

upon completion of each activity.

o Consider using highlighters to color code completed inspection

activities. This makes status verification much easier.

o The inspection supervisor or lead inspector should review the

wall charts at least once daily to ensure that all activities are

captured correctly.

Progress Tracking • Electronic update documents- A conventional word document, or

excel spreadsheet can be utilized to update inspection activity

statuses.

• Large scale drawings- The utilization of large scale color coded

drawings should be considered. These documents can be posted

in turnaround team conference rooms, and will aid in quick

reference during meetings.

Progress Tracking “Example Overview Tracking Drawing”

Progress Tracking Often time’s inspection team supervisors get burdened with multiple

clerical type duties (cost tracking, timekeeping, etc.). Consideration

should be given to the assignment of a clerical candidate to fill the

needs of the inspection team. This strategy will allow the turnaround

inspection lead/supervisor to focus all attention on managing the team.

Reporting

• Consult with the owner/user to establish any facility specific

reporting requirements.

• Set reporting expectations at the beginning of the

turnaround/project.

• Provide example reports to each discipline.

• Encourage the team to submit reports for review early in the

turnaround/event.

• The inspection supervisor/Lead inspector/ NDE Coordinator should

review each report prior to submittal.

• Capture a column on the wall chart for NDE/inspection report

completion.

• The inspection supervisor/Lead inspector should verify that all

reports are complete prior to releasing personnel.

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