Fixed vs. rotating shifts for operators
Len Phillips
Posted on behalf of Tom Reddinger, Director – Steam Operations, Syracuse University Steam Station, 500 East Taylor Street, Syracuse, NY 13244; tel: 315-443-3328; email: tare...@syr.edu:
We are planning to move our operators from an 8 hour rotating shift to a 12 hour shift. Are any IDEA members doing fixed shifts rather than rotating shifts? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Thanks,
Tom
Edward T. Borer Jr.
We use a complex mix of 8s and 12s, rotating.
Ted Borer, PE, CEM, LEED AP
Princeton University
Energy Plant Manager
MacMillan Building, Elm Drive
Princeton, NJ 08543-2158
Cell: (609) 731-2327
Home: (609) 466-3322
Learn about our plant on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwHhbDvpdS4
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Hugh Bahar
Tom,
We used Circadian http://www.circadian.com/ to help us analyze/decide to move from 8s to 12s in the central plant. Our operations staff have been on 12s since the early this decade. Our maintenance staff is on 8s.
The staff pretty much schedules themselves-including overtime balancing, with supervisory input only as required to resolve the occasional overtime issue or assure shift coverage during holidays, startups, etc.
Hugh
Hugh Bahar, PMP
Sr. Engineer
Cornell University, Facilities Engineering
201 Humphreys Service Building
Ithaca, NY 14853-3701
Email: hr...@cornell.edu
Desk: 607-255-3853
Cell: 607-592-2197
Fax: 607-255-8071
From: distribut...@googlegroups.com [mailto:distribut...@googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of Len Phillips
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 12:26 PM
To: distribut...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Distribution Forum} Fixed vs. rotating shifts for operators
Posted on behalf of Tom Reddinger, Director – Steam Operations, Syracuse University Steam Station, 500 East Taylor Street, Syracuse, NY 13244; tel: 315-443-3328; email: tare...@syr.edu:
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Ontiveros, Juan M
Tom,
We use 12 hour shifts currently. Went from 8 hr shifts about 10 years ago.
They do rotate shifts because we feel it is important because it builds more well-rounded operators. Issues at night are different than during the day at higher loads. Typically we also start up equipment only during the day (turbines, etc) so if they stayed only at night they would not get practice on startups. This way more supervisors get to see more people so it is good from a supervisory stand point also.
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Juan Ontiveros, P.E.│Executive Director│Utilities and Energy Management. 215 E. 24th Street│Austin, TX 78712│P: 512.232.4191│F: 512.471.1904 |
From: distribut...@googlegroups.com [mailto:distribut...@googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of Len Phillips
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 11:26 AM
To: distribut...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Distribution Forum} Fixed vs. rotating shifts for operators
Posted on behalf of Tom Reddinger, Director – Steam Operations, Syracuse University Steam Station, 500 East Taylor Street, Syracuse, NY 13244; tel: 315-443-3328; email: tare...@syr.edu:
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Kirk, Brian
Tom:
Just a few entirely unscientific observations on shift work, many of which probably already occurred to you:
I’ve both managed and consulted to plants where operators were on fixed shifts, and generally don’t care for them for a number of reasons.
· The (senior) operators are very happy, and those not-so-senior (often by a matter of weeks over decade-long careers) are often unhappy. I’ve seen some truly horrendous schedules that favor one or two highly senior operators at the expense of everyone else. This hurts recruitment and retention.
· Back-shift and weekend personnel are treated like mushrooms, even if management makes a concerted effort to interact with and include them. On a related note, cross-training and interaction among operators/management/other departments is stifled.
· The 7-3 weekday operator sees most of the demand response and operating scenarios; this stunts off-shift personnel development.
· Fixed shifts, in my experience, set up some perverse OT incentives and costs.
On the plus side what I’ve seen of studies regarding how circadian rhythms are affected, fixed shifts may get a slight (but inconclusive) edge. Further, I think the jury would be out on the effects to those individuals stuck on the undesirable fixed shifts.
Basically I have nothing good to say about fixed shifts.
As to rotating, my experience is that you have to move heaven and earth to get crews to go from fixed 8’s to rotating 12’s, and only slightly less persuasion to go from rotating 8’s to rotating 12’s. Once you get them on it, though, it seems almost no-one looks back.
Other observations about rotating 12’s:
· They can be tough on, for example, roving auxiliary operators in a coal plant without a lot of automation. These can be very physical jobs to do for 12 hrs straight. I would proceed with caution in such scenarios.
· Some things may need to be run to ground with respect to in-place or prospective collective bargaining agreements; i.e. if OT is paid for more than 8 hours, etc…; similarly the fact that in any given week employees will be on the clock either 36 or 48 ST hours. These considerations and general inertia can really hang things up.
· Although I don’t recall exactly how, the 12-hr rotating will alleviate “structural” OT in schedules (to some degree) in the 4-crew rotation. It also provides for more employee off-shift training, though you can’t really get around the OT issue very much unless you have 5 crews, whether in 8’s or 12’s. Not every plant has that luxury though.
· Employee commuting frequency is better of course. Weekends time with family and quality of life are generally better, but this is probably a matter of opinion.
Early in my career I worked rotating twelves at Con Ed ; it was a kind of “duPont” hybrid with a short swing and 8 consecutive days off every 35. We loved it but my superintendent hated the 8-day “sabbatical”, complaining we needed retraining when we returned. At that time we (as management) were on 12’s with the operating mechanics on 8’s. My recollection is that it worked fine all around. I’m not sure what Edison is doing these days, they may have 12’s across the board for supervisors and labor---maybe someone can weigh in?
I hope this is of some use; good luck with the transition.
Brian Kirk
Burns and Roe Services Corp.
From: distribut...@googlegroups.com [mailto:distribut...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Len Phillips
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 11:26 AM
To: distribut...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Distribution Forum} Fixed vs. rotating shifts for operators
Posted on behalf of Tom Reddinger, Director – Steam Operations, Syracuse University Steam Station, 500 East Taylor Street, Syracuse, NY 13244; tel: 315-443-3328; email: tare...@syr.edu:
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