Chemical Processing Magazine

Want better-trained operators? Stop wasting time on the wrong things. 🎯
If you're in manufacturing or process industries, you know that when things go wrong, your operators need to respond FAST. But most training programs are setting them up to fail.
Here's the problem: We train people in ideal conditions, then expect them to perform perfectly during emergencies when equipment is down, alarms are screaming, and nothing is going according to plan.
5 game-changers for operator training:
✅ Practice until it's automatic - Critical skills should be so ingrained that operators don't even have to think. Like driving home on autopilot.
✅ Drill the hard stuff repeatedly - If a decision has safety or economic consequences, practice it 5 times in an hour, not once.
✅ Don't make them memorize everything - Give them reference sheets and checklists so they can focus on the TASK, not trying to remember numbers.
✅ Train for the worst days - What happens when backup equipment is out for maintenance? When you're at half capacity? Train for reality, not perfection.
✅ Keep them engaged - Ask questions constantly during training. Passive learning = poor retention.
The difference between a well-trained operator and a poorly-trained one can literally be the difference between a safe shutdown and a catastrophic incident.
Worth thinking about as we start 2026. 💭 Listen to the podcast now: https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/podcasts/distilled-podcast/podcast/55343199/master-5-critical-guidelines-for-effective-operator-training

Podcast: Master 5 Critical Guidelines for Effective Operator Training Dave Strobhar, founder of the Center for Operator Performance, explains how to build automatic responses, maximize practice, and keep trainees actively engaged.

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