Process Plant Operations Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply start-up and shutdown procedures for process plant equipment in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Monitor and control process variables such as temperature, pressure, and flow to maintain optimal production.
• Identify and respond to abnormal plant conditions, including equipment malfunctions and process upsets.
• Demonstrate safe working practices and adherence to health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Record and report operational data accurately to support production and maintenance planning.
• Communicate effectively within a team to coordinate plant operations and handovers.

Target Audience

This course is designed for operators, technicians, and team leaders working in process plant environments who need to enhance their operational competence and ensure compliance with safety and quality protocols.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

The practicals provide hands-on experience with process plant equipment and control systems. Learners will operate pumps, valves, and heat exchangers in a safe training environment, and use a simulated DCS to monitor and adjust process parameters, reinforcing theoretical knowledge and building confidence.

Practical Activities

• Practical 1: Equipment Identification and Isolation — Learners identify major equipment items on a P&ID and physically locate them in the training plant. They practice isolation procedures including lockout/tagout and line breaking. (3h)
• Practical 2: Pump and Valve Operation — Learners start up, operate, and shut down a centrifugal pump system, adjusting flow and pressure using valves. They observe cavitation and take corrective action. (4h)
• Practical 3: DCS Simulation and Control Loop Tuning — Using a DCS simulator, learners monitor process variables, adjust setpoints, and tune a PID controller to achieve stable control. (4h)
• Practical 4: Plant Start-up and Shutdown Simulation — In a simulated plant environment, learners execute a complete start-up sequence, handle a process upset, and perform a safe shutdown. (3h)
• Practical 5: Troubleshooting Scenario — Learners diagnose a simulated plant fault (e.g., high discharge pressure) using a systematic approach and recommend corrective actions. (2h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.