Career Mirror -- by Mark Sproxton

As a gas plant operator, Trevor has learned to keep his mouth shut. And not because he flaps off at the lips or talks too much either. An open mouth simply serves as an entry point for the deafening roar of a plant full of engines and compressors and fans. Walking through the plant in the typical dress of coveralls, hard hat, steel toed boots, protective eye goggles and ear muffs, pursed lips keeps him at a distance from the surrounding din.

The eyes and brain must be fully functional at all times, however. Given the number of potential hazards in a plant, continual monitoring of equipment, and what others are doing in the plant, serves as one of the most important functions of the job. "Some people in maintenance may not understand that what they're doing can affect another area of the plant," the experienced operator said. "If he fixes a fan and turns it on to see if it works, an operator has to understand he could over-pressure another area of the plant. You have to always be looking at what other people are doing."

The monitoring part of the work came easy to Trevor, who worked in the film and sound industry before switching to oil and gas. After investigating a number of career possibilities, the former Manitoban used a simple formula, and some words of advice to pick a new line of work. "It was a combination of how much education do I need, and how much does it pay. My brother also worked in the industry." Admittedly a practical look at careers, but one he believes fit well.

After completing the two-year "super intense" Power Engineering program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Trevor had the education, and practical experience to work as a plant operator. (Many oil and gas plants receive hydrocarbons via transmission pipelines for processing into various products such as propane, sulphur, diesel and gasoline.) Now he enjoys the flexibility of his work schedule. "What I like best is the 12-hour shifts of two days, two nights and five days off. It gives you a lot of time for personal activities. By your third day off, you run out of excuses why you can't do something." The schedule can also be the worst part of the job, he added. Working the same rotation sometimes means you're out-of-sinc with people working a 9 - 5 Monday to Friday job.

Beginning each shift at 7 a.m, or 7 p.m., an operator will first make contact with the operator coming off shift to get an update on what work is planned for the day on that unit and how the equipment is operating. A stop to visit the control room operator -- someone who has experience on all of the processing units in the plant -- comes next. Once that informational meeting is complete, the operator will then proceed to the cacophonic control room floor to monitor the equipment. "There you check pumps and motors and drives to make sure the machine isn't going to fail," Trevor said. "If there are problems, you put in a work order to the maintenance department." If maintenance work is required, sometimes the operator will have to isolate a piece of machinery to ensure it won't start while it's being worked upon.

Paid on an hourly basis, some companies will offer bonuses. Often they're not based on personal performance, but the performance of a large group of employees. New hires will also likely go through some intensive company- provided safety courses. Many plant operators may also have to move away from larger Alberta centres as the commute to plants may be too far for a day's travel.

While safety governs everything an operator does, there remains another important duty those at head office might make some noise about. "We have to maximize production through the plant," Trevor said, "by ensuring efficient and safe operation of the equipment."