Developing Digital Skills
A second area of concern is the need to train a different type of instrument technician. For years, I&C technicians had a mechanical or electrical background. Now they also need to understand software and communication protocols. Today, plants need hybrid I&C technicians who incorporate all four skill sets.
Develop Hybrid Digital Experts. Utilities have begun to address the need for hybrid experts who have mechanical, electrical, software, and communications protocol skills. Unfortunately, companies cannot go to a university or a technical college to find people with these skills or knowledge because most educational institutions do not yet have programs that provide this type of cross-training. Therefore, companies have to develop these people internally with on-the-job training plus some specific vendor training.
Form Digital Groups. Now that more plants are transitioning to digital technology, more companies are beginning to create digital groups, while companies that had already started such groups are increasing their size and scope. With digital group formation, companies are initiating new training qualifications for their personnel. It is not unusual for these groups to focus only on the software portion or the design portion of the application. However, there is a need for digital groups to be formed in maintenance departments as well.
Select Topics for Training Digital Personnel. At a minimum, training for digital I&C personnel should include the following topics, which are not exhaustive but provide a basic foundation:
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Software topics should include development, testing, and troubleshooting. Additional software topics should address quality assurance, storage practices, disaster recovery plans, and system response.
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Communication topics should include networking, protocols, troubleshooting techniques, and cyber security.
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The mechanical portion should involve measurement of flows, pressures, levels, and vibrations. Tube routing and process, fluid system design, and system response times would also be of interest.
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Electrical topics would include measurement of temperatures, voltages, currents, and power. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and basic circuit theory are needed as well.
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A course in human factors engineering is a must if expectations for personnel include display development.
Understand the Regulatory Guidelines for Digital Technology. Even though the regulatory landscape for digital technology is changing rapidly, personnel have to be familiar with the current and proposed changes. Digital I&C engineers and technicians should read and understand the regulatory guides, branch technical positions, and interim staff guidance. In addition, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 7-4.3.2 — Standard Criteria for Digital Computers in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants, IEEE 603 — Standard Criteria for Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Generating Stations, and the report jointly issued by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) — Guideline on Licensing Digital Upgrades (NEI 01-01 and EPRI TR-102348) provide a great deal of information about licensing digital upgrades.
Choose Sources of Training. Training should cover the different phases of an application’s life cycle such as design, testing, implementation, and maintenance. Though some on-the-job training is needed, that training should be supplemented with vendor-specific training, classes from industry groups such as the International Society of Automation (ISA), or EPRI- and company-developed classes. The ISA is a good source for basic measurement and communication classes. EPRI offers classes on EMI. Instruction on basic circuit theory, licensing issues, and quality assurance are often provided by utilities.
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