My experience as a process engineer\/production engineer on the plant floor, close to operations, is not only dynamic but also incredibly valuable. It shapes you, makes you stronger, and sometimes even changes you as a person. You grow not only as an engineer but also as an individual.<\/p>\n
And trust me, when something happens, everyone has a different version of the story.<\/p>\n
Once, I had to conduct a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for a tank that had overflowed through the pressure relief valves. Not exactly the kind of fountain you'd want to show visitors.<\/p>\n
The first operator said:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I saw the pressure rising in the tank. To relieve the pressure, I climbed and gave the pressure relief valve a few taps.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I could picture it immediately. A high-tech process installation, millions invested, advanced control systems\u2026 and in the end, someone solves the problem using the universal engineering technique we all know: giving it a good tap.<\/p>\n The first operator said:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n “Volgens mij was de bypassslang van het reduceerventiel vol met vloeistof.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Weer een andere collega zei:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I saw the pressure rising in the tank.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n And there I was, with three explanations that all sounded reasonable, yet none of them told the same story...<\/p>\n One thing I've learned over the years is that people are not lying. They are sharing what they saw, heard, felt, or believed.<\/p>\n Everyone was looking at the same incident, but through a different window.\nAnd that is exactly why incident investigations are so fascinating.\nAs an engineer, it's tempting to hear the first explanation and think:<\/p>\n \u201cAha! Found it. Root cause identified.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But in reality, that's usually where the investigation begins.<\/p>\n Sometimes my job feels like a detective story.\nYou start with a process that you know was stable.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, you're gathering process data, trend charts, logbooks, and interview notes.\nMore often than not, you discover that the incident wasn't caused by one major mistake. It was instead the result of a bunch of little things happening at the wrong time.\nJust like a row of dominoes falling one after the other.<\/p>\n What's the biggest lesson from investigations like these?<\/p>\n Listen first. Judge later.<\/p>\n None of them needs to know the root cause to hold an important piece of the puzzle.\nIn fact, the truth is often hidden somewhere between all the different stories.<\/p>\nThe beauty of assumptions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Detective of the Plant<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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The lesson I keep learning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Do not let other people make you doubt yourself; trust your own judgment.<\/strong><\/h3>\n