Consumers Energy developed a training facility in Flint, MI where over 1,500 employees undergo simulations of real-life scenarios encountered during the daily operations and maintenance of various plants under their portfolio.
This facility plays a crucial role in training employees who are involved in building, maintaining, or operating natural gas infrastructure, while also offering essential natural gas safety training to first responders. The facility provides compressed air needs for the Learning & Development team who are responsible for training various department crews on gas equipment usage.
Since the project handover in 2023, the compressed air system has experienced several alarms, resulting in multiple blown fuses and nuisance alarms. As a result, Baumann Consulting was hired to conduct a thorough investigation and offer effective solutions to rectify the situation.
The investigation discovered that the facility systems had not undergone proper startup, commissioning, and training as recommended by the manufacturer. These processes are crucial for ensuring system functionality, optimizing performance, mitigating risks, enhancing safety, and achieving cost savings.
Strategies implemented by Baumann included:
- Coordinated with sub-contractors to ensure proper startup procedure of all systems.
- Performed commissioning to verify that the systems met the desired specifications and performance criteria.
- Coordinated training for the on-site O&M staff, ensuring the training was recorded and documented for future reference.
By following these principles, the Consumers Energy training facility was able to address its initial issues and achieve a stable and efficient operation, highlighting the critical role of startup, commissioning, and training in the successful deployment of complex systems.
