Information-sharing system supporting onsite work for chemical plants

•Operation procedures are standardized and organized according to roles by field operator/control room operator.•The information-sharing system provides a cooperative work environment using a dynamic simulator as a virtual plant.•Information is accurately conveyed using a visual element in addition to the output information given through voice paging.•The cooperative work environment is established by sharing real-time onsite information.

According to a recent report by the Japanese government, about 40% of accidents in the chemical industrial complex are caused by human factors, including misjudgment, misoperation, recognitions and confirmation error. Many kinds of hazardous materials are present at chemical facilities, and improving the safety and reliability of work procedures is extremely important for employees and local residents. However, industrial technology has changed, becoming highly diversified and complicated; especially in an emergency, plant operators are having more trouble grasping the overall situation. This study created a system for sharing information between field operators and control room operators via a web browser and a dynamic plant simulator. Operators are required to make quick decisions to prevent the expansion of an accident, and this system can support them to monitor the situation in real time from the control room and in the field. Sharing plant information is important for making quick decisions, and the paper outlines how the system prevents miscommunication. The system described here displays plant information that is linked to a dynamic simulator, enabling text message communication, among other things. Instructions to field operators are usually conveyed verbally, such as by paging. Here, a visual element in addition to the output of information by sound helps to accurately convey information. In this system, dynamic simulator information (a kind of virtual plant) is used instead of actual plant information. Thus, this system can be used for safety training using a real work environment.