Feasibility of Changing the Operations Shift

Schedule at Whelan Energy Center

Edward Mills
Hastings Utilities Control Room Operator
December 3, 5012

Feasibility of Changing the Operations Shift

Schedule at Whelan Energy Center

Written by:

Edward Mills
Hastings Utilities
Control Room Operator

Table of Contents

Summary

Introduction

Researched Schedules

Current Schedule

Permanent Days and Nights

Two Week with One Week Relief

DuPont Schedule

Criteria Used

Health and Safety

Cost

Operator Preference

Conclusion and Recommendation

Appendix

11

Table 1

11

Table 2

11

Table 3

12

Memorandum
From:
To:

Edward Mills
Director of Operations
Mike Hernandez
December 3, 2015

Date:
Subject:

Feasibility of Changing the Operations Shift Schedule at Whelan Energy

Center

Summary
I have reviewed several options for changing the operations shift schedule. The
operations department must cover 24 hours a day and the shift schedule can have an
effect on safe operations of the plant and employee health. I have looked at the latest
information on shift work from the United States Center for Disease Control and the
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety to guide the decision for the shift
schedule.
Speaking with many members of the Operations Department about what they
would like in a shift schedule, I have gathered several options for the shift scheduling in
the department. I have reviewed these options in an effort to find the balanced option
between operator preferences, health and safety concerns, and budgetary
requirements.
I recommend changing the schedule to have the nightshift run follow the relief
week, and changing relief week from the current two-week period to a one-week period.

Introduction
The Operations Department is the only department at Whelan Energy Center to
operate around the clock. The department currently rotates personnel between dayshift
and nightshift. They work a 44-hour week and a 36-hour week in each pay period. The
relief crew covers four hours for the people on their 44-hour week.
Along with covering the four hours during one of the 12-hour shifts of the two
crews during the 44-hour weeks, the relief crew covers any shifts for people on vacation
or sick leave. When the relief crew is not covering shifts for people they do training and
work on various other tasks such as preventative maintenance or cleaning.
Each of the five crews have six people, a shift foreman, three control room
operators, and two plant operators. This is the minimum number of people to fill all the
positions between the two plants.
The rotating shifts can cause serious health and safety issues for personnel. The
rotating shifts prevent the body from having a normal circadian rhythm. While not all the
effects may be known at this time most studies show that disruption of the circadian
rhythm can cause gastrointestinal problems, cardiac issues, and sleep deprivation.
Preliminary studies have shown the length of the rotations, and the direction of the
move of schedules can help minimize these effects.

Researched Schedules
Current Schedule
This schedule has repeats two weeks of days and two weeks of nights twice and
then has two weeks of relief. This is a ten-week schedule that has the operators off
every other weekend. Having every other weekend off is one of the things the operators
appreciate, having a rotating schedule they miss many things that are planned for
evenings and weekends when most people are off work. A three-month example of this
schedule is shown in Table 1 in the appendix.

Permanent Days and Nights

This schedule would have personnel assigned to either a dayshift schedule or a
nightshift schedule for an extended period. This provides plenty of time nightshift
operators to change the circadian rhythm since there are no rotations. There could be
issues with determining who works on the nightshift. If shift preference is based on
seniority the more experienced personnel would probably all be on dayshift, leaving a
comparatively inexperienced nightshift.

Two Week with One-Week Relief

This schedule a slight variation of the current schedule. Instead of having two
rotations of days and nights with two weeks of relief, there is one rotation of each days
and nights and one week of relief. The operators would still have every other weekend
off. A three-month example of this schedule is shown in Table 2 in the appendix.

DuPont Schedule
This schedule only has no nights off during the nightshift rotation. The operators
only go to nightshift for a few days at a time, then return to dayshift. This keeps the body
from being on night shift long enough to develop a new circadian rhythm, so the only
disruptions are on the nightshift run. It has a built in recovery period of one week off to
give the operators time to recover from the rapid shift rotations. A three-month example
of this schedule is shown in Table 3 in the appendix.

Criteria Used
Health and Safety
I examined the various shift schedules against the latest information from the
United States Center for Disease Control and the Canadian Centre for Occupational
Health and Safety. Since they admit that there is further study required we must be
ready to reexamine the issue if new information becomes available. Currently the CDC
recommends avoiding permanent night shifts, keeping number of consecutive nights to
a minimum, having two weekends a month off, avoiding long runs of work with minivacations of four to seven days off work, and having 24-48 hours off between changes
of shifts.

Current Schedule:

The current schedule generally meets all the

recommendations of the CDC.

Permanent Days and Nights:

This schedule does not meet the

recommendations of the CDC

Two Week Rotation with one week Relief:

This schedule meets all

the recommendations of the CDC. It also only has one week of relief so at
no time would a person work more than three consecutive weeks of nights
even if they work only nightshift during their relief week.

DuPont Schedule: This schedule does not meet the recommendations.

It has fewer weekends off, and it has mini vacations built into it.

Cost
The balance between safety and cost is always a difficult issue. It would be nice
if costs did not matter when it comes to health and safety, but from a business view, we
must look at acceptable risks compared to the cost of mitigating the risk. When looking
at the schedule from strictly a health and safety perspective we would only have people
working dayshift, but the cost of not operating the plant 24 hours a day is too great.

Current Schedule:

The current schedule would have no additional

costs to the company.

Permanent Days and Nights:

This schedule has no additional costs

that are obvious. However, for this to work it may require shift differential
pay to prevent the expense of a high turnover rate.

Two weeks Rotation with one week Relief:

This schedule has no

additional costs to the company.

DuPont Schedule:

This schedule would have significant costs in added

overtime. Each to have the week off workers would be working four to six
days during the weeks they do work.

Operator preference
I have spoken with the majority of the operators and gathered input as to what
they would like to see in a schedule. Of course there is no one answer as to what
people desire, but I have tried to get an understanding of what they do want as a whole.

Current Schedule:

Most operators like having every other weekend off.

Every operator I have spoken with who has worked on E Crew with the
one week relief schedule prefers the one week of relief.

Permanent Days and Nights:

Most of the operators would be happy

with this option if they were on dayshift. A very small percentage would
volunteer for nightshift.

Two Week Rotation with One Week Relief:

The majority of operators I

have spoken with like the idea of this schedule. They prefer the one week
of relief and having the nightshift rotation after the relief week. The reason
they prefer nights after relief is to extend the minimum period between
shift changes. Currently if they work a relief shift on Saturday night, they
only have 24 hours off between leaving work on Sunday morning and
returning for dayshift on Monday morning.

DuPont Schedule: The operator opinions of this rotation are mixed. The
longer runs of working days are not looked at favorably, but the extended
time off is seen as a positive that may compensate for it.

Conclusion and Recommendation

After evaluating the different schedules, I have found that two of the four meet
the current health and safety guidelines. The current schedule and the two week
rotation with one week of relief not only meet CDC guidelines, they also are the only two

that have no additional costs and are likely to have the support of the majority of
operators.
I would recommend changing the schedule to the two-week rotation with one
week of relief. I would recommend the initial implementation to be as a three-month trial
period after which the operators could decide to keep it or revert to the current
schedule.

10

Appendix
Jan F
Team 1
A
B
C
D
N
E
D
Feb M
1
A
R
B
N
C
D
E
D
Mar T
1
A
N
B
D
C
D
E
R

Sa Su M
2 3 4
D
N
R
N N
D D
T W Th
2 3 4
R R R
N
N N
D D
D
W Th F
2 3 4
N
D
N N
D D
R R R

T W
5 6
D
N
R R
N
D
F Sa
5 6
R
N N

Th F
7 8
D
N
R
N
D
Su M
7 8
R
N
D
N
D D D
Sa Su M T
5 6 7 8
N N
D D
R R
N N
D D

Sa
9
D
N

T W
5 6
D
N
R R
N
D
F Sa
5 6

Sa
9
D
N

T
9
R
D
N
W
9
N
D
R

Table 1

Jan
Team
A
B
C
D
E
Feb
A
B
C
D
E
Mar
A
B
C
D
E

F Sa Su M
1 2 3 4
D
N
R
N N N
D D D
M T W Th
1 2 3 4
N N
R R R R
D D
N N
D D
T W Th F
1 2 3 4
N
N
D D
D
D
R R R R
N N
Table 2

R
N
D
Sa
5
N

N
D
Su
6
N

Th F
7 8
D
N
R R
N
D
Su M
7 8
D
N
R
N
D
M T
7 8

T
9
D
N
R

W
9
N
R R R
D D
D
N N
D D

Su M T W Th
10 11 12 13 14
D
D D
N
N N
D D
R R R R
N N
W Th F Sa Su
10 11 12 13 14
R R
N N
D D D
N N N
D D
Th F Sa Su M
10 11 12 13 14
N
D
D
N
R R
R
N N N
D D D

F Sa Su M T W Th
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
N N
D D
D D D
D D
R
R R R R
N N N
N N
M T W Th F Sa Su
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
D D
D D D
R R R R R
D D
N N
N N
N N N
T W Th F Sa Su M
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
D
D D D
N
N N N
R R R
D
N N
R
D D
N
Current Schedule

F
22
N
D

Sa
23
N
D

M T
22 23
R R
N N
D D
T W
22 23
D
N
D
R R
N

Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
D
D D
R R R R R
N
N N
D D
D D
N N
N N N
N N
D D
D D D
D D
R R R R
N N
N N
W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
D D D
D D
R R
N N N
N N
D D
R R
N N
N N N
N N
D D
D D D
D D
R R R R R
N N
Th F Sa Su M T W Th F Sa Su M T W
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
N
D D
D D D
D
R
N N
N N N
N
D
R R R R R
N N
N N N
N N
D D
D D D
D D
R R R
Two Week With One Week Relief

Su M T W Th
24 25 26 27 28
N
N N
D
D D
N N
D D
R R R R
W Th F Sa Su
24 25 26 27 28
D D
R R
N N N
D D D
N N
Th F Sa Su M
24 25 26 27 28
D
N
N
D
D D D
R R
R
N N N

Su M T
24 25 26
N N
D
D D
R R
N
W Th F
24 25 26
R R
D
N N
D D
N
Th F Sa
24 25 26
D
N
N N
D D
R

F Sa Su
29 30 31

N N N
D D D
M
29
N
D

R
T W Th
29 30 31
N
D
D D
R R R
N N

W Th F
27 28 29
N
D D
D
R R
N N
Sa Su M
27 28 29
N
D D
D
R
N N
Su M T
27 28 29
R R
D D
N
D
N N

Sa Su
30 31
N N
D D

W Th
30 31
R R
N N
D D

11

Jan F Sa
Team 1 2
A
B
C
D
E
Feb M T
1 2
A
R R
B
N N
C
D D
D
E
Mar T W
1 2
A
B
R R
C
N N
D
D
E
D
Table 3

Su
3
N
D

M
4
N
D

T W
5 6
N N
D
D

R R R
W Th F Sa
3 4 5 6
R R
N
N N N
D D D D

Th F Sa Su M T W
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
D D D
N N N
D
D D D
R R R
R
N N N N
Su M T W Th F Sa
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N N N N
D D D
N N N
D D D D

Th F Sa Su M
3 4 5 6 7
R
R
N N
D D
N N N
D D D

R
T
8
R
N
D

R
W
9
R
N

Th
14
N
D

Sa Su M
16 17 18
N
D
R
R
N N
D D
Su M T W Th
14 15 16 17 18
D D D
N
D D

R R
N
Th F Sa Su M
10 11 12 13 14
R
N N
D D
N N N
D D D D
R

F
15
N
D

T W Th F Sa Su M
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
D D D D
R
R R R
N N
N N
D D
D
N N N
F Sa Su M T W Th
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
N N
D D
D D
R R R R
R R R R
N N N N
N N N
D D D
N
T W Th F Sa Su M T W Th F
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
N N
D D D
N N
D
N N N
D D D
D D D D
R R R R
R R R
N N N N
DuPont Schedule

T W Th F
26 27 28 29
R R R
N N
D
N
D D
F Sa Su
26 27 28
D D

N
D
M
29

R
N N
D D
N N
Sa Su M T
26 27 28 29
N
D
R R
N N N
D D D

12