By the time the commissioning stage is reached, major capital will have been spent,

and the corporate climate is likely to be one of high expectancy, some anxiety and
a degree of impatience. The project will have been undertaken in the expectation of
meeting a market need, often with a great deal of urgency.
This adds to the psychological burden of what is in any event the climax of a
substantial multidisciplinary engineering effort led by the process engineering
discipline, not infrequently preceded and supported by considerable research
investment.

Looking back on a career rich in commissioning experience I have no doubt that, of

all the project stages, the commissioning phase is the most demanding in skill,
judgement, leadership, perseverance, courage and sheer physical endurance. It also
has abnormal potential for hazard.

Whereas there will be wide variations in scale and complexity, in contractual

arrangements and in the degree of process innovation, commissioning imposes a
specific approach to the management of the four interlocking elements involved:
� the commissioning team;
� the plant;
� the process;
� raw materials, intermediates and products.
The additional dimensions required in each case, compared with normal operation,
will emerge from the workshop with great clarity.

It is equally explicit on the main ingredients of success:

� meticulous attention to safety and hazards;
� an ably led, well balanced, well trained and committed commissioning team,
capable of absorbing the physical and psychological stress;
� adequate involvement in the design phase and safety studies;
� thorough planning, implementation and control of corrurtissioning
preparations;
� ready availability of help from supporting disciplines to deal with specific
prob lems identified;
� an expeditious approval system for agreeing plant modifica t ions;
� a well structured relation ship at senior level with site construction
management, and with future operational management.

\I applaud the reference to the 'postcomrnissioning phase' .The proper record ing
of modifications is a vital task, as is the preservation of performance tests as
datum points for continuing operation. Of even greater long term significance is a
detailed postcommission ing rev iew, recording all that has been done to im� prove
the reliability and operabili ty of the plant duri ng the commissioning phase. It
should moreover capitalise on the deep insights gained, by defining targets for
�further performance improvement and cost reduction .
The work is enhanced by a most useful set of Appendices, providing a great variety
of check-lists including, inter alia, fmal checks before introducing process
materials, safety assessment of modifications, equipment check out by catego� ries,
piping systems, electrics, control systems and storage.
This guide makes available to the profession much hard won and valuable experience
for which we are greatly indebted to the members of the Working Party, and their
employing organizations. It will make a major contribution to safer and more
efficient commissioning of process plants in the years ahead, and to the
professional development of process engineers.