Company Outage Managemet STD Rev 2

DRAFT - COMPANY Outage Planning & Management Standard
1 Outage Planning & Management Standard Overview ........................................................................... 3

1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................ 3
1.2 Outage Definition & Types ............................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Outage Planning Variables .............................................................................................................. 5
1.4 Importance of Outage Processes .................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Measures of Effective Outage Processes ........................................................................................ 7
2 Defining the Outage Project (High Level) .............................................................................................. 7
2.1 Outage Planning Kick-off Meeting ................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Purpose of the Outage – Charter Statement ................................................................................... 7
2.3 Establish Outage Duration ............................................................................................................... 8
2.4 Identify All Major Projects................................................................................................................. 9
2.5 Roles, Responsibilities, & Resources ............................................................................................ 10
2.5.1 Roles & Responsibilities ........................................................................................................ 10
2.5.2 Resources ............................................................................................................................. 10
2.6 Constraints ..................................................................................................................................... 11
3 Outage Organization – Roles & Responsibilities ................................................................................. 11
3.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 11
3.2 Outage Roles & Responsibilities .................................................................................................... 12
3.2.1 Outage Manager: .................................................................................................................. 12
3.2.2 Project Leaders (Project Managers) ..................................................................................... 13
3.2.3 Outage Planner(s) ................................................................................................................. 14
3.2.4 Outage Scheduler(s) ............................................................................................................. 14
3.2.5 Supervisors............................................................................................................................ 15
3.2.6 Contractor Coordinator .......................................................................................................... 15
3.2.7 Operations Manager .............................................................................................................. 15
3.2.8 Procurement Manager ........................................................................................................... 16
3.2.9 Expediter ............................................................................................................................... 16
3.2.10 System Owners ..................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.11 Shift Manager ........................................................................................................................ 17
3.2.12 Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS) Coordinator............................................................. 17
3.2.13 Lockout/Tagout Coordinator .................................................................................................. 18
3.2.14 Quality Assurance & Control ................................................................................................. 18
3.3 Limits of Authority / Decision Responsibility .................................................................................. 18
3.4 Organization Charts / Assignment Sheets / Directories ................................................................. 19
4 Outage Planning Timeline ................................................................................................................... 21
4.1 Outage Timeline Overview ............................................................................................................. 21
4.2 Projects Requiring Long Lead Time Materials or Services ............................................................ 21
4.3 Outage Planning Process Milestones & Schedule ........................................................................ 22
4.4 Outage Planning Milestone Descriptions ....................................................................................... 23
5 Outage Scope Development ................................................................................................................ 28
5.1 Overview – Evolution of the Work List ........................................................................................... 28
5.2 Centralized Collection of Outage Work Scope Information ........................................................... 28
5.3 Outage Work Scope Inputs ............................................................................................................ 29
5.3.1 Condition Assessments ......................................................................................................... 29
5.3.2 Prior Outage Report Recommendations ............................................................................... 29
5.3.3 Performance & Condition Health Monitoring Data ................................................................ 30
5.3.4 Predictive Maintenance Assessments .................................................................................. 30
5.3.5 Corrective Maintenance (From CMMS) ................................................................................ 31
5.3.6 Standard Outage Maintenance Activities (From CMMS) ...................................................... 31
5.3.7 Capital Projects ..................................................................................................................... 32
5.3.8 OEM Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 32
5.3.9 Other Miscellaneous Sources ............................................................................................... 33
5.4 Compile Master Outage Work List ................................................................................................. 33
5.5 Review & Approve Master Outage Work List ................................................................................ 34
6 Outage Budget Development .............................................................................................................. 34
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6.1 Budget Overview ............................................................................................................................ 34

6.2 Budget Inputs ................................................................................................................................. 35
6.2.1 Budget Input - Historical Data ............................................................................................... 35
6.2.2 Budget Input - Contractor / OEM / Vendor Estimates ........................................................... 35
6.2.3 Budget Input - Build Estimates from Scratch ........................................................................ 36
6.3 Preliminary vs. Detailed Outage Budgets & Decision Points ......................................................... 36
7 Risk Assessment & Management ........................................................................................................ 36
8 Managing Work Scope Growth / Scope Creep .................................................................................... 39
8.1 Scope Growth / Scope Creep Overview ........................................................................................ 39
8.2 Scope Freeze Date ........................................................................................................................ 39
8.3 Managing Scope Creep during the Outage ................................................................................... 40
8.3.1 Perform Inspection Work As Early As Possible .................................................................... 41
8.3.2 Fit Outage Schedule to Suspected Trouble-Spots ................................................................ 41
8.3.3 Document Inspection Findings .............................................................................................. 41
8.4 Outage Scope Change Request & Review Process ...................................................................... 42
8.4.1 Outage Scope Change Request Process Defined ................................................................ 42
9 Detailed Planning & Scheduling Tools & Techniques ......................................................................... 44
9.1 Section Overview ........................................................................................................................... 44
9.2 Project Management Computer Applications................................................................................. 44
9.3 Developing the Work Breakdown Structure, or WBS .................................................................... 45
Also, please note that the schedule above identifies the resource group or groups required to work
on each task. In this case we’ve used terms like Mechanical Crew A, Electrical Crew B, and Crane
Operator. In your WBS, resources could be identified as individual workers, project leaders or
foremen, work crews, or as contractors. The nomenclature should be tailored to best fit your needs
and organizational structure. ............................................................................................................... 47
9.3.1 WBS Terminology ................................................................................................................. 47
9.3.2 WBS Tips............................................................................................................................... 48
9.4 Scheduling Terminology................................................................................................................. 49
9.5 Outage Scheduling – Tips & Cautionary Notes ............................................................................. 52
9.5.1 Question the Accuracy of Critical Path & Estimated Outage Duration .................................. 52
9.5.2 Outage Schedule Review ...................................................................................................... 52
9.5.3 Near-Critical Path Projects & Changing Critical Path............................................................ 53
9.5.4 What-if Scenarios .................................................................................................................. 53
9.6 Resources for Developing High Quality Outage Schedules .......................................................... 53
10 Communication & Review of outage plan and Schedule ............................................................... 54
10.1 Documenting, displaying, and distributing the outage plan and schedule ................................ 54
10.1.1 Detailed vs. roll-up views ....................................................................................................... 54
10.1.2 Types of presentations Gantt charts, PERT charts, Calendar views. ................................... 54
10.2 Schedule review ........................................................................................................................ 55
10.2.1 Review at multiple levels within plant organization ............................................................... 55
10.2.2 Horizontal and vertical schedule review. ............................................................................... 55
10.2.3 Milestone and duration fit expectations. ................................................................................ 55
10.2.4 Identify actual or potential choke points. ............................................................................... 55
10.3 Revise schedule and distribute .................................................................................................. 55
11 Assigning labor resources to execute the outage plan .................................................................. 55
11.1 Who will perform: Contractors, in-house labor, or combination ................................................. 55
11.2 Develop procurement strategy - contract labor, services and materials ................................... 55
11.3 Develop procurement schedule ................................................................................................. 55
11.4 Specification development ......................................................................................................... 56
11.5 Request for bids/estimates ........................................................................................................ 56
11.6 Bid/estimate review .................................................................................................................... 56
11.7 Issue contracts ........................................................................................................................... 56
11.8 Contractor preparation and mobilization .................................................................................... 56
11.9 Define contractor requirements for providing detailed schedule. .............................................. 56
12 Additional Pre-outage deliverables. ............................................................................................... 57
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12.1 Site plan/ laydown plan .............................................................................................................. 57

12.2 Unit Shutdown list (for Operations Department) ........................................................................ 57
12.3 Energy isolation or lock out tag out plan. ................................................................................... 57
12.4 Outage directory and organization chart ................................................................................... 57
12.5 Contractor Management Plans .................................................................................................. 58
12.5.1 Worker Orientation (includes site safety orientation) ............................................................ 58
12.5.2 Security and admission policy ............................................................................................... 58
12.5.3 Parking .................................................................................................................................. 58
12.5.4 Temporary facilities - offices, communications plant services. ............................................. 58
12.6 Communication plan and schedule ........................................................................................... 58
13 Outage Management & Execution ................................................................................................. 58
13.1 Importance to working to the schedule ...................................................................................... 58
13.2 Daily work in progress updates ................................................................................................. 58
13.3 Master Schedule and updates & tracking tools ......................................................................... 59
13.4 Outage Progress meetings ........................................................................................................ 59
13.5 Surprises/scope creep - unplanned and emergent work ........................................................... 59
13.5.1 Early Awareness and Warning .............................................................................................. 59
13.5.2 Potential impact on schedule and budget ............................................................................. 59
13.5.3 Response plans ..................................................................................................................... 59
13.5.4 Review and Approval ............................................................................................................ 59
13.5.5 Communicate issues, decisions and impact to all stakeholders. .......................................... 59
13.6 Release Systems to Operations ................................................................................................ 59
13.7 Start-up checklist ....................................................................................................................... 59
13.8 Start-up maintenance support plan ........................................................................................... 60
14 Post-Outage Management ............................................................................................................. 60
14.1 Post outage critique meeting, lessons learned. ......................................................................... 60
14.1.1 Acknowledge success and analyze shortcomings ................................................................ 60
14.1.2 Document findings and recommendations ............................................................................ 61
14.2 Outage report preparation ......................................................................................................... 61
14.2.1 Standard Report format ......................................................................................................... 61
14.2.2 Due Date – ............................................................................................................................ 61
14.2.3 Content .................................................................................................................................. 61
14.3 Recommendations to CMMS for future outages ....................................................................... 61
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................. 62
A Sample Forms ................................................................................................................................ 62
B Sample Bid/Work Scope Specifications ......................................................................................... 64
C Terms Defined ................................................................................................................................ 64
D Sample WBS .................................................................................................................................. 64
1 Outage Planning & Management Standard Overview

1.1 Purpose
This document is intended to serve as a corporate standard or guide for planning, scheduling, and
managing all scheduled outages and major overhauls at COMPANY power generation facilities world-
wide. The COMPANY standard promotes industry recognized best practices for the outage process to
ensure outage outcomes that are aligned with the generating facilities operational and financial objectives
as well as its contractual obligations.
Because the COMPANY fleet of electric power generation facilities represents such a diverse collection of
assets in terms of plant size, type, fuel, capacity factor, and other characteristics, it is difficult to construct
a one-size-fits-all standard that is optimum for each unique generating facility. This outage planning and
management standard is intended to be specific enough to provide a consistent framework to guide
facility managers toward an optimized outage process while recognizing there are areas where asset
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managers may adjust the recommended standard processes because of unique differences between the
facilities.
This document will cover all the elements of a comprehensive outage process including the following:
• Organizational structure
• Defining work scope
• Budget
• Risk management
• Planning & scheduling
• Resource allocation
• Procurement
• Communication
• Project execution
• Maintenance history
The steps and processes outlined in this Outage Planning & Management Standard shall be employed in
preparation for all scheduled outage events as defined in section 1.2 below.
1.2 Outage Definition & Types

Outage refers to a complete and total shutdown of the generating unit such that there is no electric power
output from the main generator and the generator disconnect breaker is opened. The outage begins
when the generator breaker opens separating the unit from the electric power distribution system, and the
outage ends when the generator is re-synchronized to the distribution system and the generator
disconnect breaker is closed. There are four broad classifications or types of unit outages defined as
follows:
Scheduled outage:
The outage event has been scheduled for a long period of time in advance of the generator being taken
off-line, and there are generally well-understood objectives associated with the outage event. For
purposes of this standard, a scheduled outage is defined as an outage which has been identified at least
twelve months prior to the expected start date for the outage.
The expected duration of scheduled outages are generally several days to several weeks depending on
the work scope planned to be completed during the outage. In general, a major overhaul refers to an
extended scheduled outage during which time the unit’s turbine and generator is completely
disassembled and inspected and the steam generator (if applicable) work scope includes in-depth
inspection and assessment. By definition unit overhauls are scheduled outages.
This Outage Planning & Management Standard applies specifically to scheduled outage events.
Maintenance outage:
While not completely consistent with the NERC-GADS definition, for purposes of this standard a
maintenance outage is defined as a complete shutdown of the generating unit which was not planned or
scheduled in the long range (beyond twelve months) unit dispatch plan where the unit must be taken off-
line in order to complete essential maintenance and/or inspection work. Maintenance outages are
scheduled in response to emerging maintenance or reliability issues where the root cause for a complete
unit shutdown is known to plant operators at some interval less than twelve months in advance of the
scheduled start date, but the issue(s) is not so severe as to prevent the generating unit from being
maintained in operational status through the next weekend if required by the system dispatcher or end
user.
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Under this definition, an outage which may be planned several weeks in advance of unit shutdown to
address an emerging, but not yet critical maintenance issue such as air heater basket pluggage,
precipitator performance degradation, or condenser cleaning would be considered a maintenance outage.
Even though the interval between the time a management decision is made to take a unit out of service
for a maintenance outage and the time the unit actually is taken off-line may fall well short of the twelve
month timeline defined in this Outage Standard, many elements of the scheduled outage process can and
should be applied to planning and execution of the maintenance outage when time allows. In general, the
longer the interval between the time a decision is made to schedule a maintenance outage and the time
tie outage actually begins, the more corresponding improvements in the degree of outage preparation
and efficient execution of an outage plan should be expected.
Forced outage:
A forced outage is considered to be any event in which the unit either trips off-line without warning or
must be taken off-line by operators in response to an emerging maintenance issue within a relatively
short period of time. By definition, if the emerging maintenance issue is so severe that the unit cannot be
maintained in service through the next weekend, the resulting outage is considered a forced outage.
A forced outage can be of any duration, from a few minutes in the case of a temporary loss of a critical
control signal to several months in the case of an unexpected catastrophic failure event.
Even when the unit outage cannot be anticipated by plant staff such that no detailed planning and
scheduling can be done in advance of the unit coming off-line, the plant should maintain a forced outage
“hot list” available for review at any time to identify other significant maintenance work that can be
completed while the root cause of the forced outage is corrected. Generally, this hot list is maintained
using various identifying codes in the plant’s CMMS. In many cases, the ability to perform other important
repair work in parallel with repair of the root cause of the forced outage may afford an opportunity to
eliminate future maintenance or forced outage events by performing additional maintenance work from
the hot list.
Reserve outage:
The reserve outage is also sometimes referred to as an economy shutdown. In these cases the
generating unit is off-line, but maintained in a ready state, available for start-up within no more than a few
hours notice. The unit is not in service simply because there is insufficient demand for electric production
at a cost equal or higher than its variable cost of production.
Routine minor maintenance can be performed on a generating unit which is in reserve status, but the
work must be of a nature such that the work could be terminated and the unit restarted immediately if
needed by the system dispatcher or end user.
1.3 Outage Planning Variables

The outage planning and scheduling process is intended to manage three primary outcomes:
• Time: How long it will take to complete the essential maintenance work, thus determining the
ultimate length of the outage.
• Cost: What it will cost to perform all the maintenance work performed during the outage.
• Scope: How much work will be performed during the outage.
There are inherent interdependencies and trade-offs between these competing influences. In general a
shift in one variable often tends to influence a corresponding shift, usually in an undesirable direction, in
one or more of the others.
If scope is held constant, pressure to decrease the time (duration) of the outage tends to increase the
cost of the outage. If work scope expands, it tends to drive an increase in schedule, cost, or both
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required to manage the added scope. If cost must be minimized, it may be necessary to reduce the
planned work scope and/or outage duration to compensate.
The outage manager is responsible to proactively manage these shifts such that the outage outcomes are
consistent with the organization’s plans and goals. If the outage planning and management processes
are not actively applied, the asset managers will fall into a purely reactive mode and lose control over the
outage schedule, cost, and scope with little ability to temper the ultimate outage results.
1.4 Importance of Outage Processes

It is assumed that the benefits associated with effective outage planning and management processes are
generally well-known and accepted by most utility industry professionals. Still, a brief review is warranted
to emphasize the importance of comprehensive, effective outage processes. If outage processes are in
place and are followed with discipline, the outage manager can expect to realize the following benefits:
Benefits of Effective Outage Process

• Shorter outage duration
• Longer intervals between scheduled outages
• Cost control / budget compliance
• Improved post-outage reliability / fewer forced outages
• Improved unit performance / efficiency
As stated above, there are inherent trade-offs between these benefits, but an effective outage process
ensures appropriate balance is achieved between outage duration, cost, and the effectiveness of the
maintenance work and repairs performed during the scheduled outage. Additionally, asset managers
must recognize the principal of diminishing returns applies in that increased focus and investment to
influence one of the variables yields incrementally decreasing benefits.
Failure to devote appropriate attention and resources to the outage planning and management process
will likely result in several of the following outcomes:
Impacts of Ineffective Outage Process

• Costly schedule overruns
• Inefficient use of labor resources
• Excessive & unnecessary outage costs
• Failure to complete required work scope
• Ineffective maintenance & repairs
• Negative impact on unit availability, reliability, & performance
It is assumed that all COMPANY plant managers recognize the importance of effective outage planning
and management processes, but because typical COMPANY facilities are staffed at leaner levels
compared to traditional regulated utility plants, some managers feel they lack the resources necessary to
execute an effective outage process. In this regard, it is important to view increased attention to effective
outage planning and management as an investment in success, not an added cost to the plant’s bottom
line. The effects of poor outage processes will almost always result in more work effort being expended
and poorer financial results compared to outages managed proactively using effective processes and
procedures.
Where plants lack the staff or experience to perform all the functions inherent to an effective outage
planning and management process or the size to livelize demands on human resources, those outage
services can be outsourced in whole or in part as required.
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1.5 Measures of Effective Outage Processes

The success or lack thereof of the outage planning and management processes can be measured in a
number of well-defined metrics. Plants which make a concerted effort to improve outage processes can
expect to see improvement in a number of key performance indicators including the following:
• Availability
• Forced Outage Rate
• O&M cost per unit of generation
• Heat Rate
• Safety Incident Rate
• Environmental Violations
• Profit
It is expected that the improvement in these performance metrics, especially when expressed as a
monetized benefit will further emphasize the point expressed in the previous section, that effective outage
processes and execution represent investments in plant performance, not additional or unrecovered
costs.
2 Defining the Outage Project (High Level)

2.1 Outage Planning Kick-off Meeting
Ideally, high level planning for scheduled outages should begin about twelve months before the outage is
scheduled to start. Approximately twelve months before the scheduled outage start date the Outage
Manager shall convene an outage planning kick-off meeting. At a minimum, the kick-off meeting should
be attended by all plant management staff including all persons in a supervisory role, maintenance
planners, and engineers. Additionally, it may appropriate to have representatives from the physical labor
groups in attendance, and for facilities which are co-gen producers or have a dedicated end-user for
electric power, someone representing the host or customer organization should attend as well.
At the kick-off meeting the Outage Manager should provide the following information to all attendees at a
minimum:
• Charter statement
• Expected outage duration
• Major projects included in outage scope
• Roles & responsibilities
• Resources
• Known constraints – budget, schedule, resources, etc.
2.2 Purpose of the Outage – Charter Statement

Scheduled outages are by definition, projects which have been identified and placed in the operating plan
at least a year in advance of the event. There are well-defined reasons that the generating unit is being
taken out of service and plant management has clear expectations about the duration of the outage and
the projected costs associated with it.
The purpose of scheduling an outage on a generating unit may be very routine, a once a year shutdown
to perform inspections and repairs which cannot be performed with the unit in service to ensure that
expected standards for unit availability and reliability are maintained until the next scheduled outage.
Absent any unique and significant major projects in the outage work scope, the frequency and duration of
these scheduled maintenance outages are usually based on past plant history or contractual terms
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The outage may be scheduled to implement a major capital improvement such as tying in a new SCR or
replacing a primary superheat section of the boiler. The outage may be to perform major maintenance
work such as a full disassembly, inspection, and repair of the turbine-generator combination. Many times,
outages are actually a combination multiple capital and major maintenance projects. In these cases, the
major project or projects associated with the outage usually represent the critical path, the logical
sequence of events that define the duration of the outage.
Whatever the reason the outage is scheduled, it is important that the reason, schedule, and expected
outcome of the outage is communicated to, and understood by, all outage participants and stakeholders.
At the start of the outage planning process, the outage manager shall generate a Charter Statement that
clearly and concisely states the purpose of the outage, the expected duration of the outage, and the
outage start date. When there are multiple major projects scheduled concurrently as part of the overall
outage scope, those should be addressed as well in the Charter Statement.
Example 2.2.1, Charter Statement

There will be a 3-week scheduled maintenance outage for Unit 1 beginning Nov.
1, 2006. The purpose of the outage is to perform routine inspections and repairs
of critical systems and equipment and perform other preventative and corrective
maintenance work that cannot be performed with the unit in service.
Example 2.2.2, Charter Statement

Unit 1 is scheduled for a 7-week major outage beginning Nov. 1, 2006. The
primary reason for the outage is to disassemble, inspect, and repair the steam
turbine and generator. Other major projects to be completed during the outage
include major repairs of the electrostatic precipitator, and modernization of the
Unit 1 Distributed Control System. Additionally, the boiler tubes will be chemically
cleaned during the final week of the outage.
The outage manager shall communicate the Charter Statement in writing to all expected outage
participants and stakeholders prior to the first outage planning meeting. This communication may be
made using postings, handouts, e-mail, or company/plant intranet, but it should be a communication
channel that is easily accessible and available to all people involved.
2.3 Establish Outage Duration

When the outage is initially conceived and scheduled as part of the overall plant operating plan, it is
necessary to make a reasonable estimate of the expected duration of the outage. In most cases, these
estimates are based on prior outage projects with comparable work scopes. That knowledge of prior
outage experience may come from within the plant organization, or it may be based on information
provided by external resources such as an engineering firm, equipment manufacturer, or a trusted
contractor.
The original estimated duration is expected to be reasonably accurate based on the best available
knowledge when the outage project was conceived, but as the outage scope becomes better defined and
more detailed planning activities take place, the estimated length of the outage may be adjusted to be
either longer or shorter than the duration defined in the Charter Statement. If the expected duration of the
outage changes from that specified in the Charter Statement, it is imperative that the Outage Manager
communicates that information to all participants and stakeholders and verifies all parties received the
revised information.
Plant and outage managers are cautioned to exercise critical thinking with respect to establishing an
expected duration for the outage. In some cases, the duration of both routine maintenance outages and
major maintenance or capital projects representing the outage critical path are based on past practice
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and/or plant history. The thinking that goes into setting a routine maintenance outage arbitrarily at an
interval such as three weeks may be as simplistic as “we’ve always done it that way.”
In some cases, these initial estimates may not represent the optimum outage scenario to meet the plant’s
operating and financial goals. Plant leaders should challenge assumptions and promote thinking “outside
the box” to assess options.
.Example 2.3, Re-engineering Outage Processes

A non-regulated power plant with three identical 150 MW units had a historic track
record of taking 7 – 8 weeks to perform routine overhauls of their turbine-generator sets.
Successive scheduled overhauls were automatically put into the operating plan at the
historic duration. New plant management challenged outage managers to re-think and
re-engineer the turbine-generator overhaul process and set an aggressive goal of
completing the usual work scope in 30 days. The outage manager worked with in-
house experts, consultants, and contractors to re-examine the entire work plan for a
routine turbine-generator overhaul outage. The group determined that by revising the
work breakdown structure, creative outsourcing, and use of new tools, processes, and
rigging, the duration of the outage could be significantly reduced. At the end of the
planning process, plant management determined that the optimal target duration for the
turbine-generator overhaul project was 35 days; furthermore, the same team
determined that while the 30-day goal appeared achievable, the estimated costs of
further shortening the outage exceeded the expected benefits, and the more aggressive
plan had greater risk of failure.
When the plant put the revised outage plan into effect, they completed the scheduled
turbine-generator overhaul in 34 days, one day ahead of the revised schedule and over
two weeks ahead of the traditional schedule. The plant saved over two weeks of cost
for 150 MW of replacement power over a two-week period by taking a critical look at its
own schedule assumptions
In some cases, plants have moved outage durations in an unexpected direction from the example above
and scheduled longer outages in response to different economic drivers. In such cases, the financial
benefit related to expected reliability improvements associated with devoting more time to inspection and
repair of critical assets is greater than the cost of replacement power associated with a longer scheduled
outage. This scenario could play out during a shoulder season when both energy demand and prices are
lower.
In summary, plant and outage managers should routinely consider whether the estimates of outage
project duration, either established internally based on plant history or developed by external resources,
are consistent with the plant’s economic and market environment. If not, the outage plan should be re-
examined and re-engineered to better fit the plant’s needs for performance and profitability.
2.4 Identify All Major Projects

At the outage kick-off meeting, the outage manager shall provide a summary of all major projects to be
performed during the outage project. Major outage projects are defined as all capital improvement
projects and significant non-routine maintenance activities which are not routinely done at each regular
scheduled maintenance outage.
It is assumed that all COMPANY plants maintain some form of standing or standard outage list detailing
all routine inspection and preventative maintenance and repair activities that are performed during every
scheduled outage, and that most outage participants and stakeholders are generally aware of that
baseline outage work scope. Therefore, it is not necessary to have a detailed review of this baseline
outage work scope during the kick-off meeting.
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Capital improvement projects are by definition easily identified. When establishing the list of major
projects, the outage manager will use the capital budget forecast to identify all projects for which some
significant work activities will be performed during the scheduled outage. The outage manager or the
manager of each capital project shall also provide a summary of the work to be performed during the
scheduled outage. The summary should include any known information about significant project
milestones, schedule constraints, and impacts on other routine or non-routine outage projects.
Some projects have major work scope impacts, but by definition are generally classified as maintenance
projects. Accounting rules vary, but examples of major maintenance projects include, but are not limited
to the following list:
Example 2.4, Non-Routine Major Maintenance Projects

• Chemical cleaning of boiler tubes
• High energy piping inspection and assessment
• Turbine-generator overhaul (routine disassembly, inspection, & reassembly)
• Motor reconditioning
• Critical equipment (pumps, fans, compressors) overhaul
2.5 Roles, Responsibilities, & Resources

2.5.1 Roles & Responsibilities
Assign Outage Manager
Before the first outage planning kick-off meeting is scheduled (recommend T-52 weeks), the Plant
Manager shall assign the Outage Manager. At some plants, the role of Outage Manager is an
additional responsibility placed on someone who already has another full-time role in the plant
such as Maintenance Supervisor, Team Leader, Engineer, etc. Other facilities may have enough
staff to have a dedicated full-time Outage Manager. Some facilities rotate the role of Outage
Manager among multiple staff members from one outage to another to levelize work load and
build staff depth, while others use the same person or position to fill the Outage Manager role
exclusively to leverage learning curve benefits and provide greater consistency.
A third option is to outsource this function. The advantages to outsourcing are that there are
experienced outage managers working for contractors or as independent consultants who have
excellent outage management skills and experience. The disadvantages are that external
managers generally don’t know and understand the plant layout, equipment history, or processes.
Additionally, contracted outage managers don’t know the skills and abilities of the permanent
plant staff that must support the outage effort, nor do they have the ability to hold plant staff
accountable for completing outage responsibilities to expected quality and schedule standards.
Assign Project Leaders

Ideally, the project leaders or managers for all planned capital and non-routine maintenance
activities have also been assigned before the outage kick-off meeting and should be identified
when the project list is reviewed during the meeting. If there are major projects for which work is
planned during the outage, but no project leader has been assigned, the task of identifying the
project manager / leader should be identified as a high priority action item to be completed before
the next scheduled outage meeting.
Section 3 will cover the outage organization, roles, and responsibilities in greater detail.
2.5.2 Resources
To the extent known, where the labor resource that will be used to execute major project work during the
outage can be identified, that information shall also be communicated during the kick-off meeting.
Generally, at this early stage there will be some questions about resource allocation, i.e. – in-house labor
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or contractors, single project contractor or multiple contractors, etc., to be resolved, but when and where it
is obvious that specific resources will be used to perform project work as part of the overall outage scope,
that information should be communicated during the kick-off meeting.
2.6 Constraints
Whenever initially planned and scheduled, even at a very high level, most outage projects have implied
constraints associated with the overall outage project, such as the expected duration of the outage, a high
level summary of the work scope, and the approximate expected cost of the outage. Generally, these are
all approximations or estimates and are subject to further refinement and revision as the planning process
progresses.
There are, however, situations where there are stipulations placed on scope, schedule, budget, or
resources that are more rigid and / or problematic. Any such constraints that have been identified by the
time the outage kick-off meeting is held should be communicated to all outage participants and
stakeholders. Constraints not identified until later in the planning process should be communicated as
soon as they are known and the impacts understood.
Examples of constraints that could be imposed on an outage planning team might include items such as
the following:
Example 2.6, Typical Outage Constraints

• Unit X outage cannot be started until Unit Y outage has been completed and Unit Y is running
reliably at full load.
• The outage budget has a hard cap of $3,000,000 maximum that cannot be exceeded under any
circumstances.
• All boiler repair work has to be completed a week earlier than the rest of the unit outage work in
order to allow time to chemically clean the boiler.
• A planned generator rewind project must be completed within a fixed interval because the
generator specialists who perform the work have prior commitments to other customers that must
be honored.
Obviously, many other scenarios can be constructed as examples. The point is that any information
which has the potential to impact scope, schedule, or cost of not only the overall outage, but also to
impact any smaller sub-projects or routine repairs within the overall outage work scope should be
communicated to project leaders and other participants who are responsible for developing more detailed
plans and schedules as the planning process evolves.
3 Outage Organization – Roles & Responsibilities

3.1 Overview
Successful outage planning and management processes are team efforts. In general, most power plant
scheduled outages are far too complicated to leave the job of planning, scheduling, and management to
just one or two individuals. The expectation that a single outage manager or planner is sufficiently expert
to handle detailed planning and scheduling of every facet of a major outage of a large fossil fired steam
generation power plant from boiler inspection and repair to DCS calibration and tuning, to turbine
inspection and repair, to switchgear maintenance and transformer assessment is not realistic.
The most effective outage organization is a team comprised of many individuals working together to plan
and execute a comprehensive outage strategy and schedule that manages time, work scope, cost, and
safety. The following sections list several positions or roles that must be supported in order to have the
most effective outage organization. These need not be full time positions, especially in smaller plants. In
fact, in many plants the outage role described in this section is just one aspect of an overall larger job
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description. For example, the designated Outage Manager may also be the plant maintenance manager,
or a staff engineer, or an outage planner.
It is possible that one person may fill more than one outage role. For example outage planners may or
may not also be outage schedulers, or the Operations Manager may also be the Lockout/Tagout
Coordinator. Regardless of what the role-players are called, or how the various duties may be interwoven
among multiple participants, the important thing is that plant and outage managers must focus on the
responsibilities or duties associated with the roles listed below and satisfy themselves that the essential
work defined therein has been addressed.
Many of the outage roles can be outsourced where the plant lacks sufficient resources in terms of
numbers, skills, or experience to execute all the required functions and duties. There is no one size fits
all strategy whether it is better to manage the outage planning process using completely in-house
resources, outside contractors or consultants, or some combination of the two.
The outage organizational structure is a flat, matrix style arrangement. In general, the only hierarchal
relationship is the one between the Outage Manager and the other members of the outage team. In
general, other participants on the outage team are peers in a flat, matrix-style organization where all team
members freely interact, exchanging information and ideas with a common goal of achieving the plant’s
objectives for outage success. The successful outage structure demands participants disregard position
rank or status and focus on doing what is required to make the outage team successful. The
achievement of overall plant outage goals and objectives always trumps individual objectives as they
pertain to the outage process. Responsibility, accountability, and recognition should be freely shared
among all participants.
The following is a list of suggested outage roles:
• Outage Manager
• Project Leader(s)
• Planner(s)
• Scheduler(s)
• Supervisors
• Contractor Coordinator(s)
• Procurement Manager
• Expediter
• System Owners
• Shift Manager
• Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS) Coordinator
• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Coordinator
• Quality Assurance & Control
3.2 Outage Roles & Responsibilities

3.2.1 Outage Manager:
This person has overall responsibility for ensuring appropriate plans, schedules, and preparations are
made prior to the start of the outage. During the outage, he/she has ultimate responsibility to ensure
approved work is completed in accordance with expected standards for quality and safety. Following
completion of the outage he/she will ensure a comprehensive outage report is completed, work history
has been captured in the CMMS, and will facilitate an outage critique or lessons-learned session.
The Outage Manager shall have the authority and leadership ability necessary to hold all other outage
participants accountable for performing assigned functions and meeting project milestone deliverables as
scheduled. The Outage Manager may assign some of the responsibilities associated with other outage
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roles to himself/herself directly, but ideally, the Outage Manager will delegate duties to other outage team
members and then serve in an oversight role to coordinate, communicate, and ensure assigned duties
are completed. It is recommended that the Outage Manager report directly to the Plant Manager.
The Outage Manager shall ensure the following activities are completed in accordance with the outage
planning process and plant standards:
• Assign all outage roles and responsibilities to internal or external staff and communicate
assignments to all participants and stakeholders.
• Establish and communicate an outage planning process & schedule; identify milestones to track
actual progress with respect to the schedule.
• Compile the master outage Work List.
• Establish the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Develop & document detailed work plans including tasks or activities, assigned resources,
expected duration, and expected start & finish times for each activity defined in the WBS.
• Facilitate regular meetings to review the outage planning process and ensure milestones are met.
• Allocate and assign internal and/or external labor resources to perform all outage work activities.
• Develop and execute a plan for procurement of required contractor services and materials.
• Develop and manage a plan to control scope growth or scope creep before and during the
outage.
• Develop a budget for outage activities and track actual costs to complete outage activities.
• Identify risks or threats to successful execution of the outage plan and assess contingency plans
for mitigating or eliminating those risks.
• During the outage, track work progress daily with respect to expected schedule. Take immediate
action to manage any schedule variances that threaten to extend the overall outage schedule.
• Ensure safety planning and management receive appropriate attention in the outage process.
• Ensure work is performed to expected quality standards.
• Post-outage, complete a comprehensive outage report
• Facilitate a post-outage critique or lessons-learned meeting; document findings and
recommendations.
The Outage Manager must possess strong leadership and communication skills. His/her most important
role is to promote teamwork and cooperation among all other members of the outage team to ensure
everyone is pulling together to achieve common goals defining outage success.
3.2.2 Project Leaders (Project Managers)

A Project Leader shall be assigned for every capital project and significant non-routine maintenance
project included in the overall outage plan. Depending on the size of the project, a person may be Project
Leader for more than one concurrent project All Project Leaders report to the Outage Manager for
purposes of outage-related work.
The Project Leader’s duties with respect to his/her assigned projects are basically identical to the Project
Manager’s duties as they apply to the larger overall outage process. The project leader is accountable for
planning, scheduling, managing and executing all work activities associated with the assigned project.
All the responsibilities listed in the preceding section that apply to the responsibilities of the Outage
Manager also apply to the Project Leader with respect to his/her assigned projects.
It shall be the responsibility of the Project Leader to assist the Outage Planner with development of the
work plan for his/her project. The work plan consists of identifying the work breakdown structure WBS),
including the individual tasks or activities required to perform the project and the logical sequence or
relative timing of executing those tasks, and estimating the time required to perform each task within the
WBS.
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3.2.3 Outage Planner(s)

The Outage Planner (or Planners), reporting to the Outage Manager, has primary responsibility for
developing and maintaining the master outage Work List and building the work plan for all jobs contained
therein. The Outage Planner, working independently or in conjunction with other outage participants
develops and documents the WBS, logic ties and schedule constraints for every outage job. Using the
WBS, the Planner then develops and maintains the master outage Task List
Definition of Work List & Task List, Jobs & Tasks
The Work List is a summary of all jobs or projects included in the outage work scope. Each
job on the Work List may be broken into multiple tasks or individual steps in order to plan
and track progress at a greater level of detail. The compilation of all tasks associated with
the outage Work List is the Task List. Detailed outage planning and scheduling occurs as
the Task List level.
For example, an outage job might be to “Rebuild Condensate Pump.” That job would be
broken into many smaller tasks such as (1) Disassemble coupling & seal water connections,
(2) Disassemble pump discharge flange, (3) Remove motor, (4) Remove pump, (5)
Disassemble pump, (6) Inspect shaft & impellers for wear, take dimension checks, etc.
Some plants have one or more dedicated Outage Planners who focus exclusively on outage work while
other plants use the same people to plan both outage work and normal day-to-day plant maintenance.
Either situation can work successfully, but there is a tendency in organizations where the same staff
members are responsible for planning for both outages and regular day-to-day plant maintenance to
devote more attention to planning routine maintenance work at the expense of developing the outage
work plan. If Planners have responsibility for both outage and day-to-day maintenance, the Outage
Manager must verify that outage planning receives an appropriate proportion of the Plantner’s attention.
The process of outage planning will be covered in much more detail in Section 9 of this Standard.
3.2.4 Outage Scheduler(s)

The outage Scheduler, reporting to the Outage Manager, is responsible for developing the initial,
preliminary, and final outage schedules (Levels 1, 2, & 3 schedules as defined in Section 4), and for
tracking the progress of work during the outage with respect to the final pre-outage schedule and
identifying any significant schedule variances that could impact the critical path of the outage.
The Scheduler takes the detailed work plans developed by the Planner and arranges them into an overall
outage schedule. As the outage plans and schedules are being formulated, the Scheduler shall work
closely with Planners, Project Leaders, System Owners, and others to identify logic ties between jobs or
between individual task steps of multiple jobs. The Scheduler must also recognize other constraints that
will impact the development of the overall outage schedule.
The Scheduler will develop and distribute copies of initial, preliminary, and detailed outage schedules as
defined in the Outage Planning Milestone Schedule. The form and content of those schedules is
described in more detail in Sections 9 & 10.
During the outage, the Scheduler shall be responsible for collecting daily updates from all outage
supervisors and project leaders and updating the master outage schedule. The Outage Scheduler shall
provide the Outage Manager with a daily schedule summary calling attention to any jobs which are
running behind schedule, particularly those which could impact the outage critical path, and upcoming
outage progress milestones and/or potential choke-points in the outage schedule.
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3.2.5 Supervisors
As used in this Standard, Supervisor refers to any front-line supervisor, foreman, team leader, or person
with similar title who is responsible for the work performed by in-house or internal plant labor resources
during the outage. The Supervisor reports to the Outage Manager on either a direct or indirect basis
depending on unique plant organization structures.
It is imperative that the Supervisor interacts closely with the Planner and Scheduler both before the
outage to assist in development of accurate work plans and schedules, and during the outage to apprise
them of any required changes in work scope or expected schedule variances.
The Supervisor shall execute the work plan as close as possible to the scope and schedule developed in
collaboration with the Planner and Scheduler. The Supervisor’s input is welcomed and should be strongly
considered when developing the pre-outage scope and schedule. In the event a dispute or disagreement
arises between the Supervisor and either the Planner or Scheduler, and that dispute cannot be resolved
by the parties directly, the Outage Manager shall serve as the final arbiter.
During the outage, the Supervisor shall report job progress at a pre-determined time on a daily basis to
the Scheduler. Should the Supervisor determine a change in the planned work scope is warranted, either
adding work scope due to the discovery of a previously unknown condition or a reduction in scope
because some planned tasks are not required, that scope change shall be promptly communicated to the
Planner and Scheduler upon discovery. Likewise, any significant variances between the expected job
duration and the scheduled outage duration shall also be communicated to the Scheduler as soon as that
variance is apparent.
The Supervisor is responsible for the productivity and safety of the workers under his/her direction and for
quality control of the work performed.
3.2.6 Contractor Coordinator

The role of the Contractor Coordinator is very similar to the role of the Supervisor described in the
preceding section; in fact both roles may be performed simultaneously by the same individual. The
Contractor Coordinator oversees the work of contractors rather than in-house labor resources, but
otherwise the roles are basically the same.
The Contractor Coordinator may or may not be involved in the process of procuring or contracting for
external labor depending on the plant organization and the direction of the Outage Manager. External
labor may be provided under a traditional contractor / owner arrangement, or plants may engage in a
labor broker arrangement. Under the former arrangement, the contractor provides its own direct
supervision of craft labor resources; under the latter, the owner (plant) provides the direct supervision of
the craft labor resources.
As with the Supervisor role, the Contractor Coordinator works with the Planner and Scheduler to develop
the outage work plan pre-outage, and during the outage he/she ensures the plan is executed according to
schedule and provides the regular daily updates to the Scheduler.
The Contractor Coordinator monitors the productivity, quality, and safety of the work performed by
external resources and ensures the plant’s standards and expectations are met. The Contractor
Coordinator shall document and communicate any performance problems or failures to meet the plant’s
expectations to both the appropriate contractor representative and the Outage Manager.
3.2.7 Operations Manager

The Operations Manager is an integral part of the outage team. Although all plant personnel can and
should identify emerging maintenance needs and initiate generating work requests into the CMMS, it is
generally assumed that the bulk of the work requests are initiated by the Operations work group because
they are in the best position to detect problems and deficiencies in equipment and systems.
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The Operations Manager shall ensure the operators and first line supervisors under his/her direction
report all abnormal unit conditions and emerging maintenance needs to the maintenance department
using the appropriate plant processes for work identification. The Operations Manager also determines
whether maintenance work can be performed on line or if the unit must be taken out of service to make
the required repairs.
The Operations Manager, or his/her staff, shall assist Planners, Supervisors, and Contractor Coordinators
in determining how to safely isolate all energy sources from the field of work. The Operations Manager
shall also ensure that any needs or requests from the outage Planner or Scheduler related to the unit
shutdown sequence and any special work requests outside of the normal unit shutdown sequence (i.e. –
burn fuel bunkers empty, overspeed test the turbine, etc.) are performed per the outage shutdown plan.
The Operations Manager and his/her staff shall also support post-maintenance checkout and testing of
equipment turned back over to Operations following the completion of outage work activities.
3.2.8 Procurement Manager

The Procurement Manager supports the outage team by participating in the development of plans and
strategies for procuring construction labor, specialized services, parts, and other materials expected to be
consumed during the scheduled outage.
The Procurement Manager, in conjunction with the Outage Manager, Project Leaders, and Planners, shall
determine the nature and quantity of external resources that will be required to support the outage effort
and then advise the outage team of the most appropriate means of contracting or procuring those
services including contractor alliance relationships or competitive bidding with either fixed or T&M pricing
requested. The Procurement Manager or his/her staff shall assist the outage team in procuring
construction labor, specialized services, parts, and other materials in compliance with the plant’s
established procurement policies.
The Procurement Manager or his staff shall maintain a list of contractors and service providers that meet
COMPANY and plant standards for quality, safety, and financial stability. The Procurement Manager
shall also ensure that adequate safeguards are built into the commercial terms and conditions of all
contracts for external resources to ensure appropriate remedies are available in case of non-performance
or failure to meet contract specifications.
The procurement processes are covered in greater detail in Section
3.2.9 Expediter
The role of the Expediter is two-fold. Prior to the outage the Expediter reviews lists of parts and materials
needed for jobs and projects associated with the scheduled outage. Generally, such lists can be
generated as a report from the CMMS. Where promised delivery dates appear to have the potential to
jeopardize completion of the planned work, the Expediter contacts suppliers and/or shippers to accelerate
delivery dates where possible or minimize the schedule impact where late deliveries cannot be avoided.
During the outage, the Expediter supports other members of the outage team by arranging for rush
procurement and delivery of essential materials, parts, and consumables needed to respond to emerging
work scope and unexpected demands or shortages of materials.
The Expediter shall keep the Planner and Scheduler advised of the expedited delivery status of all parts
and materials required to support the outage work scope.
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3.2.10 System Owners

System Owner is an informal title applied to the in-house or internal experts for critical plant equipment
and systems. System Owners are those persons who are relied on to consult on the operations and
maintenance of critical plant systems and equipment. System Owners are assumed to be familiar with
equipment history, operations and maintenance issues, preventative and predictive maintenance tasks
and results, and future improvement plans related to the equipment. System Owners may be engineers,
operators, supervisors, or maintenance craftsmen. In short, if a problem emerges on a specific piece of
equipment or system, it is the person everyone else at the plant turns to for information and ideas.
The role of System Owners in the outage process is to consult with the Planner and Scheduler to develop
appropriate work plans and schedules. They contribute knowledge about specific repair jobs that should
be included in the outage scope and the work breakdown structure or task steps required to perform the
job as well as reliable schedule estimates for those tasks.
During the outage, it is assumed the System Owner is already likely to be serving as a Project Leader,
Supervisor, or Contractor Coordinator for inspections and repairs to equipment or systems for which he or
she is the recognized plant expert.
3.2.11 Shift Manager

The Shift Manager is the person who is the defacto Outage Manager on back shifts when the Outage
Manager is not on the plant site. The Shift Manager is the person others go to for answers to questions
or when decisions have to be made during the evening or late night hours after the Outage Manager has
gone home for the day. The Outage Manager is also responsible for communicating all important
information which emerges during back shift hours to the Outage Manager, Planners, and Schedulers on
the day shift.
In most plants, the Shift Manager has other responsibilities during the outage as well such as Project
Leader, Supervisor, or Contractor Coordinator for work being performed by others on a back shift.
3.2.12 Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS) Coordinator

The outage EHS Coordinator is in most cases the same person as the regular plant EHS Coordinator for
non-outage work as well. During the planning phase of the outage, the EHS Coordinator should review
all outage work plans, particularly non-routine projects to ensure the plan conforms with all plant, OSHA,
and EPA regulations. Additionally, he/she should attend and contribute to all pre-outage communication
and coordination meetings with all contractors who will have a significant role in the outage execution.
During the outage, the EHS Coordinator or his staff shall ensure work is performed in a safe manner in
accord with all plant and regulatory agency requirements. Should any unsafe or improper work practices
be observed, the EHS Coordinator shall immediate cause the unsafe or improper action to cease and
notify the appropriate Project Leader, Supervisor, or Contractor Coordinator.
The following is a short list of some (but not all) of the types of issues the EHS Coordinator shall monitor
during the outage planning process and during the actual outage itself:
• Confined space entry

• Fall protection
• Hazard communication
• Hazardous material storage, handling, & disposal
• Energy isolation
• Scaffold erection & use
• Trenching & shoring
• Fire prevention & protection
• Energy isolation
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• Asbestos abatement
• Contractor worker orientation / site safety rules
• Housekeeping
3.2.13 Lockout/Tagout Coordinator

Within COMPANY there are recognized differences in the established practices or policies for safely
isolating all potential energy sources such that workers can safely access equipment and systems for
inspection and maintenance. These energy sources include electrical, steam, compressed air,
pressurized water, or kinetic energy sources. Safe isolation of energy sources is often referred to as the
Lockout/Tagout process.
This Standard does not address the specifics of who in the plant is responsible for ensuring energy
isolation or how equipment is secured and made safe for maintenance work. It does, however, suggest
someone be assigned to the role of Lockout/Tagout Coordinator to review and coordinate plans for
energy isolation during the outage.
A lockout/tagout plan shall be developed to determine the optimum sequence for de-energizing and
isolating equipment and systems and releasing stored energy upon unit shutdown. This plan shall
consider the outage critical path activities, and all requirements for maintaining essential plant services
while still facilitating the earliest possible start of outage maintenance work.
3.2.14 Quality Assurance & Control

In general, Supervisors and Contractor Coordinators bear primary responsibility for the quality of the work
performed by people under their direction. There are, however, circumstances that arise frequently in the
course of scheduled outages where regulations or industry best practices dictate a more formal quality
control protocol requiring a higher degree of specialization or certification than most staff members
possess. Examples of such needs for outage QA/QC include welder certification and weld quality testing
for repair of boiler tubing, high pressure piping, or other pressure vessels and piping as required by
ASME and state regulatory authorities. Other typical examples could include review of proposed control
system logic changes, assessment of temporary structures and rigging used to move heavy components
and materials during outages, and assessment of metallurgical tests on high energy piping welds.
Many plants, particularly smaller facilities, must rely on outside consultants or contractors to supply the
required services. Outage Managers and Planners must be cognizant of these needs and account for
them during the planning process.
3.3 Limits of Authority / Decision Responsibility

During the pre-outage planning process, the Outage Manager shall draft proposed guidelines which
define levels of authority and outline guidelines for decision-making responsibility for outage team
members. Following review and approval by the Plant Manager or other designated upper level
manager, the Outage Manager shall distribute these guidelines in writing to all outage team members.
The guidelines shall define the level of authority delegated to the Outage Manager, Project Leaders,
Contractor Coordinators, Supervisors, and all other key outage team leaders with respect to spending
authority, scope change, ability to authorize overtime, or schedule change that each member of the
outage planning and management team may authorize individually without consultation with, or approval
of, a higher authority.
The benefits of establishing clear lines of authority and responsibility are that: (1) decisions are made in a
more timely or expedient manner, (2) team members clearly understand roles and expectations placed on
them for making decisions, (3) appropriate guidelines ensure reasonable control of scope, cost, and
schedule growth, and (4) guidelines eliminate indecision and result in faster response to emerging issues.
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Guidelines for authority and decision responsibility should be developed based on the critical outage
success factors. For example, if post-outage reliability is critical to the achieving plant goals, more
latitude should be allowed in the guidelines for accommodating scope growth and cost increases. If
outage budget and cost control are the highest priority goals, obviously guidelines will have much tighter
limits on authority to approve increases in work scope and cost. Given the diverse nature of the
COMPANY portfolio of assets and market and economic drivers unique to each installation, this Standard
does not dictate the precise nature of the authority / decision guidelines, but a few sample guidelines are
provided below.
Sample Guidelines for Outage Authority Limits / Decision Responsibility
Example 3.3.1:: Contractor Coordinators and Project Leaders are authorized to approve
additional expenditures for labor or materials of up to 5% of the approved job/project
budget for any single request, or 10% of the budget in aggregate for all requested
additional expenditures. Any cost increases in excess of these limits shall require approval
of the Outage Manager before expenditures can be authorized.
Example 3.3.2: Minor schedule variances may be expected during the course of the
outage, but no member of the outage team shall approve or authorize any work activities
that will impact the outage critical path tasks or extend the outage end date without
approval of the Outage Manager. All anticipated schedule variations, both positive and
negative, shall be reported to the Scheduler as soon as the responsible party determines a
variance will occur.
Example 3.3.3: Outage Planners & Schedulers have authority to approve increases in
work scope associated with scope expansion of planned jobs or new, unscheduled work
needs discovered during the outage provided the additional work can be completed for with
less than 10 man-hours of labor input if work is performed in-house or less than $1,000 if
performed by outside resources provided there is no impact to the outage schedule. Any
requests which exceed these limits or have potential to impact the overall outage schedule
require completion and approval of an Outage Scope Change Request Form.
3.4 Organization Charts / Assignment Sheets / Directories

In order that everyone on the outage team clearly understands roles, expectations, and responsibilities,
the Outage Manager shall ensure that appropriate organization charts, assignment sheets, and/or outage
directories are created and distributed to all outage participants and stakeholders. During the planning
and preparation stages of the outage, such documents are helpful in that they provide structure and
clearly communicate assigned responsibilities. During the outage itself, a comprehensive outage
directory helps all participants identify key outage team members, contractor supervisors, and service
engineers and expedites communication with those parties when questions or problems arise.
There are many forms or formats that can be used to illustrate outage roles and responsibilities. One
problem with traditional organization charts is that they depict a hierarchal organization and are usually
interpreted to infer a supervisor / subordinate relationship, whereas the recommended outage structure is
not hierarchal. The outage organization should be a flat, matrix type organization promoting
communication and coordination among peer groups, not supervisor / subordinate relationships. A
traditional organization chart can be useful so long as all participants recognize there are implied
horizontal inter-relationships, not just vertical ones. A sample of suggested formats is shown below:
Example 3.4.1 below is a sample project assignment sheet. An assignment sheet like this should be
distributed at the outage kick-off meeting and updated routinely during the pre-outage process to reflect
new jobs, more detail, changing assignments, or revised status notes.
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Example 3.4.1, Sample Outage Project Assignment Sheet
Project or Area Leader Auth. Budget Cap/O&M Notes

Install new low NOx burners Brown 525000 capital Matl. ordered, need to contract labor
Replace ignitors Smith 175000 capital Matl. ordered, need to contract labor
Replace bottom ash tank refractory Davis 180000 capital need bids
Repair precipitator casing leaks TBD 135000 O&M Alliance contractor, need leader
Recondition ID fan motors Black 40000 O&M Alliance w/ City Motors
Replace precipitator rapper control system Rogers 88000 capital engineering required
Overhaul boiler feed pump turbine McBride 55000 O&M contract with OEM
Planning - CMMS, mechanical maint. Allen 800000 O&M
Planning - CMMS, electrical & controls Young 500000 O&M
Contractor svcs. - vacuum, hydroblast Cox 250000 O&M use alliance contractors
Contractor svcs. - scaffold & insulation Edwards 100000 O&M bid scaffold work
Example 3.4.2 below is a sample outage organization chart. Again, a word of caution that the
organization chart format accentuates the vertical relationships among participants yet does not
adequately portray the horizontal relationships and lines of communication critical to outage success.
Example 3.4.2, Sample Outage Organization Chart
Outage Manager
Sullivan
Planner-Mech Maint Low NOx burner Supv-Boiler, ash sys Procurement

Allen Proj Ld - Brown Jones Jimanez
Planner-Elect/Control Ignitors Supv-mech, BOP Operations Mgr

Young Proj Ld - Smith Foster Kelley
Scheduler Ash tank refract Supv-Elect Safety

Issac Proj Ld - Davis Griffith Lewis
Precip casing C.C. - vacuum, h-blast Weld code compl.

TBD Cox Murphy
ID fan motors C.C.- scaffold, insul

Proj Ld - Black Edwards
Precip rappers
Proj Ld - Rogers
BFP ovhl
Proj Ld - McBride
Example 3.4.3 below is a sample outage directory. An outage directory listing all outage participants shall
be prepared shortly before the start of the outage (T-2 weeks). This document is extremely valuable as
the inevitable questions, problems, or interferences occur during the course of the outage. The directory
provides a quick reference guide that outage participants can use to easily identify parties they need to
communicate with in an expedient manner. An Excel spreadsheet is an excellent format for the outage
directory because the data can be sorted by company, by last name, or by project.
Example 3.4.3, Sample Outage Directory
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Unit 1, Fall 2006 Outage Directory
Company Name Role Off. phone Cell phone E-mail Project(s)

AES Allen, Rich Planner 555-1000 xxx-xxxx rallen@aes.com mechanical
AES Brown, Bill Proj Leader 555-1003 low NOx burner
AES Cox, Bobby Contr Coord 555-1009 vacuum, h-blast
AES Davis, Miles Proj Leader 555-1005 ash tank
AES Foster, Frank Supervisor, mech 555-1008 xxx-xxxx mech. BOP
AES Issac, Russ Scheduler 555-1002 xxx-xxxx
AES Jones, Dave Supervisor, mech 555-1007 xxx-xxxx boiler, ash sys.
AES Kelley, Robert Lockout/Tagout 555-1010
AES Lewis, Jerry Safety Coord 555-1011 xxx-xxxx
AES Smith, Joe Proj Leader 555-1004 ignitors
AES Sullivan, Steve Outage Mgr 555-1006 xxx-xxxx ssullivan@aes.com
AES Young, Charlie Planner 555-1001 xxx-xxxx elect & controls
Cool Temp Insulation Cool, Kerry Foreman 556-2005 xxx-xxxx insulation
Forney Spencer, Tracy Field Engineer 556-2006 ignitors
G.E. Costo, Hugo Turbine Engr.- days 556-2007 xxx-xxxx costo@ge.ps.com turbine valves
G.E. Dunn, R. U. Turbine Engr.- nights 556-2008 xxx-xxxx dunn@ge.ps.com turbine valves
Safe Scaffold Huber, Mitch Foreman 556-2004 xxx-xxxx scaffolding
U.S. Construction Burke, Don Pipefitter Supt 556-2003 top ash sys
U.S. Construction Hill, Terry Boilermaker Supt, days 556-2001 boiler & casings
U.S. Construction Mount, Harry B-maker Supt, night 556-2002 boiler & casings
4 Outage Planning Timeline

4.1 Outage Timeline Overview
In order to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance and plant improvement work
performed during scheduled outages, it is necessary to start the planning process well in advance. In
general, the suggested outage planning timeline should be comprised of three segments:
Phase 1 Long range, major projects planning T-12 mo. to T-6 mo.
Phase 2 High level, maintenance planning & scheduling T- 6 mo. to T-3 mo.
Phase 3 Detailed planning & scheduling activities T-3mo. to T-0 (otg. start date)
Phases 2 & 3 of the outage planning process are very similar from outage to outage regardless of
whether the upcoming outage is a shorter duration scheduled maintenance outage (typically 2 – 4 weeks
duration) or a scheduled major overhaul (typically 5 – 10 weeks). Phase 1 is where plant and outage
managers see the greatest difference from outage to outage depending on the planned scope and
duration. In general, the more major projects that are planned as parts of a larger overall outage scope,
the more important it is to perform the long range planning activities six to twelve months prior to the start
of the outage.
A list of general planning milestones and a recommended timeline is provided in Section 4.3.
4.2 Projects Requiring Long Lead Time Materials or Services

Even though this Standard suggests the long term planning process for an outage should begin at least
twelve months in advance, plant managers should recognize that some capital improvement or major
maintenance projects actually have even earlier start dates because of long lead times for materials or
services. This may push the planning timeline out yet further in advance for selected projects. A project
milestone schedule should be generated at the time such projects are conceived and budgeted to ensure
appropriate thought has been devoted to anticipating long lead time situations.
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Examples 4.2, Long Lead Time Projects
Replacing large or complete sections of boiler pressure parts such as a pendant

superheater, an economizer section, or panels of furnace waterwall tubes are
examples of major boiler repair projects that might be undertaken on a major outage
for an older generating unit. In today’s market, the lowest prices for replacement
boiler tubing are usually associated with imported steel tubing. Typically, lead times
for boiler tubing of foreign origin are well beyond twelve months.
Rewinding a generator stator or field typically requires consumption or use of very

specialized materials, tools, equipment, and craft labor. Overall, there is limited
demand for these resources so manufacturers and service providers maintain limited
quantities of all of them, but the very nature of scheduling outages often dictates that
many generating units in a given region may have concurrent or overlapping outage
schedules. In order to ensure a generator rewind project can be completed on time
and as scheduled, the generator owner may often have to purchase, or commit to
purchase, materials and services more than a year in advance to reserve a time slot
in the supplier’s schedule.
Many similar examples can be constructed for projects involving long lead times for engineering services,
material procurement, reservation of specialized labor or shop space that is in short supply, or
combinations of these factors. A high level project schedule should be required at the same time a
project estimate is submitted for consideration.
4.3 Outage Planning Process Milestones & Schedule

A milestone is a reference point or flag in an outage (or project) plan that marks a significant event or
accomplishment in the outage process. When planners and schedulers refer to outage or project
milestones, by definition, the milestone has a duration of zero time, but it is usually the result of
completing one or more important predecessor activities before the milestone is reached, and/or it marks
a reference point after which one or more successor activities may begin. The milestone is used primarily
as a reference post to measure actual work progress compared to a schedule.
In an outage plan, milestones are typically used to highlight a key point in the schedule that defines when
multiple jobs can begin, or a point when multiple jobs must be complete in order that other major activities
can commence. Perhaps the best example of a milestone for purposes of this topic would be a
milestone defined as Unit Off-line. The moment when the generator field breaker is opened and the unit
is no longer supplying power to the grid from the generator is an instantaneous event with duration of
zero time, but it marks an end of one process and the beginning of another. The milestone marks the end
of the outage planning process and the beginning of the outage itself.
Just as there are milestones within the project schedule itself, an effective pre-outage planning period has
its own milestones as well. The following table lists recommended pre-outage planning milestones and
an associated schedule for arriving at that milestone. The number to the right of the milestone
represents the suggested number of weeks prior to the start of an outage by when the milestone activity
should be reached.
Some plants may choose to slide the milestone activities earlier or later on the schedule to a degree,
particularly those in the T-52 to T-26 week time window, in response to the complexity or lack thereof of
major project work scope tied to the overall outage plan. As the suggested target dates for milestone
activities approach T-0, plant and outage managers are cautioned to avoid the temptation to postpone or
defer milestone target dates closer to the T-0 mark. The four to six weeks prior to the start of the outage
are a critical time for contractors and supervisors to do detailed planning, scheduling, and pre-staging
activities, and further compression of the milestone schedule is not advised.
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Table 4.3, Outage Planning Milestones & Schedule

Complete by
Milestone Week T - X
Outage Manager assigned 52
Identify all major outage projects 51
Key participants assigned - Proj. Leads, Planner, etc. 50
Charter Statement defined 49
Expected outage duration established 49
Identify long lead time parts & materials 49
Outage kick-off meeting 48
Distribute Level 1 outage schedule 46
Outage planning meeting, T-9 mo. 39
Review of outage recommendations, lessons learned 39
Procurement planning meeting 26
Bid specs issued, contractor services 13
Scope freeze date 13
Review / approve final Work List 13
Bids / estimates due, contractor services 9
Distribute site plan / laydown plan 6
Issue purchase orders / contracts for contractor services 6
Outage planning meeting, T-6 wk. 6
Lockout / tagout planning meeting 2
Distribute outage directory and/or org. chart 2
Distribute unit shutdown schedule & instructions 1
Unit off-line, outage starts 0
4.4 Outage Planning Milestone Descriptions

Milestone: Outage Manager assigned Due week: T-52
The Outage Manager is assigned by the Plant Manager (or he/she may also be the Plant Manager). In
most COMPANY plants, the Outage Manager has other full-time responsibilities so it is important that
he/she understands the role and the responsibilities associated with the position and accepts
accountability for discharging the outage planning and management processes as defined for that facility.
The Outage Manager is the person with primary responsibility for ensuring all subsequent milestones are
met.
Milestone: Identify all major outage projects Due week: T-51

The first activity the Outage Manager should undertake is to compile a list of all major projects to be
completed during the scheduled outage. This list may be compiled using information from the plant’s
capital budget plan, O&M budget, input from the plant manager or other plant staff, and the Outage
Manager’s own knowledge of outage requirements. As a minimum, the major projects list shall include a
brief description of the project scope, the project leader if known, and the expected budget for the project.
Milestone: Key participants assigned Due week: T-50
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Hopefully, all major projects included in the outage scope already have Project Leaders who have been
following those projects since inception. In the event there are major projects which do not have a
designated Project Leader at week T-50, leaders should be assigned at that time to manage the planning
and scheduling associated with those projects. Also, persons responsible for scheduling and planning
activities should be identified by week T-50.
Milestone: Charter Statement defined Due week: T-49

A Charter Statement as described in Section 2.2 shall be completed at this stage in preparation for
distribution at the outage kick-off meeting.
Milestone: Expected outage duration established Due week: T-49

Also in preparation for the kick-off meeting to follow, the Outage Manager shall establish the expected
duration of the outage based on input from project leaders or contractors and organizational history from
previous outages with similar work scope.
Milestone: Identify long lead time parts & materials Due week: T-49
Based on input from project leaders, contractors, maintenance supervisors, and planners, compile a list of
all expected material needs which may have long lead times that could put the outage schedule at risk or
necessitate removal of important maintenance work from the outage plan due to lack of parts or
materials. Assign responsibility to procure and expedite anticipated long lead time items as well as
appropriate additional milestones or checkpoints for the procurement process.
Milestone: Outage Kick-off meeting Due week: T-48

The Outage Manager shall convene an outage kick-off meeting. Attendees shall include, but are not
limited to, the plant manager, project leaders, planners, schedulers, plant supervisors/leaders, and others
in the plant organization expected to play a role in the planning or execution of the scheduled outage.
The Outage Manager shall use this meeting to communicate important high level planning information to
all outage participants including the Charter Statement, a summary of major outage work scope and
schedule, staff assignments, expected resources, and outage schedule constraints. The kick-off meeting
agenda is outlined in more detail in Sections 2.1 through 2.6 of this Standard. The Outage Manager shall
assign someone to take minutes during the kick-off meeting and all subsequent outage meetings and
ensure typed copies of those minutes are distributed to all attendees in a timely manner following the
meeting.
Milestone: Distribute Level 1 Outage Schedule Due week: T-46

At or shortly after the outage kick-off meeting, the Outage Manager shall ensure that a Level 1 outage
schedule is prepared and distributed throughout the plant, especially to all outage team members. A
Level 1 outage schedule is a very early, high level view of the outage plan. It depicts the expected critical
path and other major jobs and the expected duration of the outage, but it does not contain any detailed
WBS or attempt to list the routine outage work scope jobs. To the extent any outage milestones can be
identified, the schedule should depict those as well. An example of a Level 1 (also Level 2 & 3) schedule
is found in Appendix X.
Milestone: Outage Planning Meeting, T-9 months Due week: T-39

The focus of this meeting is primarily on major projects. Project leaders shall report on the progress of
planning and scheduling activities related to their individual project assignments. Project leaders shall
also be prepared to discuss any strategies or issues pertaining to the procurement of materials or
services. The procurement status of all long lead time parts and materials shall be updated during this
meeting. Any updates or revisions to the outage scope or Level 1 schedule should be communicated
during this meeting. As with all outage planning meetings, someone should be assigned to take notes
and distribute those in a timely manner following the meeting.
Milestone: Review of Recommendations, Lessons Learned Due week: T-39

This activity may be done in conjunction with the T-9 month planning meeting. The period between the
kick-off meeting and the next planning meeting is a good opportunity to review prior outage reports,
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including internal reports and reports provided by OEM’s, contractors, or service providers, and compile a
list of all recommendations or observations made following prior outages that should be incorporated into
the work plan for the upcoming outage. For example, if major turbine-generator work scope is planned
for the upcoming outage, the project leader for that area should review any and all reports from and since
the last major turbine-generator overhaul and compile a list of all recommendations that may be pertinent
to the upcoming outage.
As part of this Standard, it is recommended that plants institute a regular process of performing a post-
outage critique or lessons-learned review to determine what went well and what could be improved in the
outage process. To the extent those lessons-learned are available from previous outages, they should be
reviewed and appropriate actions incorporated in the outage plan to leverage that prior experience to
optimize the outage plan. Lessons-learned critiques are discussed further in Section 14.1.

Outage planning activities should begin shifting to a higher gear at the T-6 month mark. Prior to the
meeting, the Planner(s) shall compile an outage Work List of all routine and non-routine outage work
activities that have been identified in the work management system as of this date. It is assumed that
every plant has established or standard outage work lists, preferably embedded in a CMMS database that
define a large list of activities that should be performed at every scheduled outage. In addition to
generating a list of these standard outage list items, the Planner shall also list any corrective and/or non-
routine maintenance jobs submitted through the work management system that should be part of the
outage work scope.
The Project Leaders shall also update plans and schedules related to their respective assigned projects,
and the status of items on the long lead time list for parts and materials shall also be updated.
Milestone: Procurement Planning Meeting Due week: T-26

This meeting may be held in conjunction with the T-6 month planning meeting or it may be a stand-alone
meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to review all the projects and outage activities which may require
use of contractor labor or other professional services during the outage.
The Outage Manager and/or Procurement Manager (if one is named) shall meet with Project Leaders and
Planners to discuss strategies and plans for contracting services in the most efficient manner. In general,
if multiple projects are planned which can be performed by a general contractor (as compared with
specialty contractors), it is usually advantageous to bundle those multiple projects together in a combined
bid package rather than bidding each job separately with a potential to engage multiple contractors within
a constrained plant site. This allows both the plant and contractors to leverage synergies and economies
of scale to provide better efficiency and value to the plant. Other work in the outage work scope may be
performed by specialty contractors (scaffold, insulation, industrial vacuum, etc.); the outage team can
discuss optimum strategies for contracting this work as well.
Once decisions have been made regarding how work should be contracted, leadership should establish
milestones for the procurement process and communicate these to all outage leaders. A more detailed
discussion of procurement issues is found in Section xxxx
Milestone: Bid Specs Issued, Contractor Services Due week: T-13

Whether outage projects are competitively bid or assigned directly to an alliance contractor, a detailed
work scope shall be developed and provided to contractors. If competitive bidding is used, a detailed
technical and commercial specification is required to serve as a basis for the bidding process. Even if an
alliance contractor is used, some formal statement of work scope and schedule requirements is required
so it can be communicated to the alliance contractor(s) who in turn must develop estimates for labor and
materials that will be required and generate their own plans, schedules, and budgets. These alliance
contractor plans, schedules, and budgets are then integrated with the plant’s overall outage plan.
Milestone: Scope Freeze Date Due week: T-13
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The Scope Freeze Date refers to the date by which all known outage work scope must be identified
through the plant’s work management system. The “final” outage Work List is locked in, and Planners
and Schedulers can begin developing final detailed plans and schedules for the outage. No work will be
added to the outage Work List after the scope freeze date unless the request has been submitted through
the Outage Scope Change Request process and approved by plant management. The concept of a
scope freeze date and scope change request process is described in more detail in Section 8.
Milestone: Review & Approve Final Work List Due week: T-13
As soon as possible following the established Scope Freeze Date, the Planner shall compile a list all
projects and maintenance activities identified for inclusion in the overall outage work scope. When such a
list is compiled, the Outage Manager shall facilitate a meeting with all plant outage team participants to
review and approve the proposed final outage Work List. The purpose of the review meeting is described
more fully in Section 5.5. This meeting may be held in conjunction with the T-3 month outage planning
review meeting described below or may be a stand-alone meeting.

At or just prior to the T-3 month outage planning meeting, the proposed outage Work List is locked-in
signaling that detailed planning, scheduling, and resource leveling activities can be finalized.
Procurement strategies and plans for contractor services shall be well-defined by this date with
specifications having been issued to contractors for bids or estimates. The status of long lead time parts
and materials shall be reviewed at this meeting.

The Level 2 Outage Schedule has an intermediate level of detail. All major outage milestones should be
defined in the Level 2 schedule along with the outage critical path and expected duration. Major logic ties
are defined. Where labor resources have been assigned, that information shall be noted in the schedule.
All projects and activities identified on the master Work List are listed on the Level 2 schedule, although
WBS and schedules are not required for routine activities as of this date. Examples of Level 1, 2, and 3
schedules can be found in Appendix X.
Milestone: Bids / Estimates Due, Contractor Services Due week: T-9

At some point approximately 2 – 4 weeks after specifications are issued to contractors and service
providers seeking competitive bids and/or estimates for the cost or scope of services requested, a due
date shall be established for contractors to return bids or estimates in response to the plant’s
specifications. Once all bids and/or estimates are received, the Planners and Project Leaders will begin
the process of reviewing the bids and estimates for completeness, clarity, and compliance with the bid
specification.

The Level 3 Outage Schedule has the highest level of detail. The Work List has been broken down such
that a WBS is defined for every outage project and maintenance job. The compilation of all tasks or
activities in the total outage WBS comprises the complete outage Task List. An outage schedule is
developed which includes all logic ties and schedule constraints known to the Planner and Scheduler.
The labor resources for all tasks or activities are defined and levelized. Examples of Level 1, 2, and 3
schedules can be found in Appendix X.
Milestone: Distribute Site Plan / Laydown Plan Due week: T-6

A site plan / laydown plan shall be developed and distributed to all outage participants, both internal and
external, which identifies areas on and around the unit where designated tools, equipment, materials, and
temporary facilities will be located during the outage. The site plan identifies locations allotted for
contractor office trailers, change houses, break areas, tool rooms / tool boxes, and restroom facilities. It
identifies where new parts and materials may be pre-staged, and where scrap trailers will be located for
removal of demolished materials. The plan also denotes where temporary services vehicles (vacuum
trucks, temporary pumping units, etc.) will be located and which plant doorways or drives must remain
accessible throughout the outage.
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Milestone: Issue Purchase Orders / Contracts for Contractor Services Due week: T-6
At this milestone, the plant outage team should have purchase orders or contracts in place with all
contractors and service providers whose services are required during the outage. This allows contractors
and service providers to begin mobilizing resources and pre-staging activities so they can perform their
respective outage duties in the most efficient manner. Please note, that some specialized services may
need to be scheduled and confirmed at a much longer lead time as illustrated in Example 4.2 (generator
example).
Also, in many cases as part of the specification requirement, once the purchase order or contract has
been awarded, the contractor should be required to submit a detailed schedule for its own work in an
electronic format comparable to what is used to develop and track the plant’s master schedule within a
reasonable period of time following contract award.
Milestone: Outage Planning Meeting, T-6 weeks Due week: T-6

Outage planning meetings should come with increasing frequency as the outage start date approaches
as more and more plans and schedules are refined and locked in. Items which should be reviewed and
discussed in this meeting include the Level 3 outage schedule, purchase order awards, site plans and
laydown areas, parts and material receiving information. The basic outage plan should remain
reasonably intact over the next six weeks, but as the plan is continually refined, all information should be
disseminated to all outage participants and stakeholders in this and subsequent outage planning
meetings.
Milestone: Outage Planning Meeting, T-4 weeks Due week: T-4

Continue to meet, refine, update, and communicate the outage plan to all participants and stakeholders.
Milestone: Lockout / Tagout Planning Meeting Due week: T-2

The proper sequence and timing of isolating and de-energizing equipment in order to render it safe to
perform work is critical to the smooth start of an outage. Common errors are isolating equipment and
systems too soon following unit shutdown when it is still needed to support other outage activities and not
isolating equipment and systems that would impact the outage critical path as soon as it could be. The
outage team shall review the outage schedule and critical path to ensure that equipment is locked out and
tagged out neither too soon nor too late after the outage begins. The outage team shall develop,
document, and distribute a written sequence and schedule for lockout / tagout activities.
Milestone: Distribute Outage Directory / Organization Chart Due week: T-2

As a minimum, an outage directory listing the names, project assignments or outage responsibilities,
phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all outage participants shall be distributed throughout the plant,
including people not directly involved with the outage, and to all external outage participants. For larger
plants and/or more complex outages, it may be helpful to distribute an outage organization chart.
Examples of outage directories and organization charts are found in Section 3.4.
Milestone: Outage Planning Meeting, T-2 weeks Due week, T-2

Continue to meet, update, refine, and communicate the outage plan to all participants and stakeholders.
Milestone: Distribute Unit Shutdown Schedule & Instructions Due week: T-1
During the final week of outage preparations, the Outage Manager shall ensure that written plans,
schedules, and instructions are prepared which detail any special requests associated with shutdown,
cool down, and equipment lockout/tagout sequence. These materials shall be distributed to all outage
participants and especially to the plant operations staff which will take the unit out of service and make it
ready for maintenance activities.
Milestone: Outage Planning Meeting, T-1 week Due week: T-1

Continue to meet, refine, update, and communicate the outage plan to all participants and stakeholders.
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Milestone: Unit Off-line, Outage Starts Occurs at: T-0

This is the last milestone of the pre-outage planning process and also the first milestone of the actual
outage schedule.
5 Outage Scope Development

5.1 Overview – Evolution of the Work List
The first and most important part of the outage process is to clearly define the work that is to be
performed during the scheduled outage. It is assumed that any major projects to be completed during the
outage are identified along with the outage as it is scheduled within the long range operating plan, and
that these projects likely represent the expected critical path of the outage schedule. In almost all cases,
there are numerous smaller scale capital and maintenance projects and routine maintenance activities
that also go into the overall outage work scope, or Work List. Just as there is a Level 1, Level 2, and
Level 3 outage schedule, the outage Work List also has three corresponding levels.
Prior to the outage planning kick-off meeting, the Outage Manager or a delegate shall compile a major
projects assignment sheet to list all the major outage projects which are known at that time. Even
projects which have not been formally or finally approved should be listed as it is always easier to strike
something from the work scope at any time than to add it later. All major projects listed on that initial
assignment sheet shall also be listed on the Level 1 outage schedule so the major projects assignment
sheet is really analogous to a Level 1 schedule.
By the time the T-6 month planning meeting milestone is reached, the Work List should also now include
all planned and preventative maintenance and inspection activities that comprise the plant’s standard
outage list package or template. Also added to the Work List are all non-routine projects and activities
which have been identified to date. Examples include work activities recommended in previous outage
reports, OEM recommendations, or made as a result of condition assessment activities.
By the time the Scope Freeze milestone is reached at T-3 months, all corrective or repair type work that
has been entered into the plant’s work management system should be added to the Work List. Shortly
after Scope Freeze, the Outage Manager shall direct a review of all work identified on the Work List to
both add any activities which somehow did not get on the Work List as of the Scope Freeze date and
strike other activities from the Work List in response to budget or labor constraints, irreconcilable
schedule conflicts, or duplications.
5.2 Centralized Collection of Outage Work Scope Information

Before computerized databases and work management systems became so commonplace and
affordable, all outage planning was done using manual processes. Most plant maintenance or outage
managers had some form of standardized outage list which identified all the routine activities to be done
at every scheduled outage, and plants had some non-automated processes to capture emerging
corrective maintenance work for the outage work list, but in large measure, the success and efficiency of
the outage planning effort was dependent on the knowledge and experience of the outage manager and
his key support staff.
Manual or non-automated planning processes served the power generation industry well for many years,
but as the industry has deregulated and the wholesale generation market has evolved over the past
twenty years, there is increasing pressure on organizations to refine and optimize the outage planning
process to control cost, manage schedule, and achieve improved post-outage reliability and availability.
In addition, to these market changes, plant systems have become increasingly complex, particularly with
the addition of new equipment and systems to comply with environmental regulations, and many plants
are being asked to run much longer and harder than they originally designed for as new construction,
particularly for steam plants, slowed to a crawl.
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Fortunately, while the power generation market place has changed and the complexity of outage planning
has increased, computer technology has become dramatically more powerful and less expensive relative
to other costs. It is assumed that at this point in time, most COMPANY plants have some type of
computerized maintenance management system (or CMMS) to process work requests, work orders,
and capture asset maintenance history. It is strongly recommended that all requests or orders for
work activities to be performed during the outage shall be processed through the plant CMMS so
there is a single, central repository for all proposed outage work activities. For any COMPANY
plants that still do not have a CMMS system, it is strongly recommended that someone on the outage
team be designated as a central clearing point for all proposed outage work. Whether an automated or
manual system is used to capture proposed work, everyone who is involved in identifying work
requirements for the outage is expected to direct all proposed work activities through the CMMS or the
designated central clearing person.
5.3 Outage Work Scope Inputs

The following sub-sections describe the various sources used to identify outage work scope. As stated in
the preceding section, even when outage work requirements are identified through sources external to
the CMMS, the request to perform work activities during the outage should be processed through the
CMMS so a central record of all required outage work and associated maintenance history can be
maintained.
5.3.1 Condition Assessments

Outage work is frequently identified as a result of condition assessment, or inspection data. This data is
often collected during the last preceding scheduled outage for the generating unit. The following are
examples of condition assessment inputs to an outage Work List:
Example 5.3.1, Condition Assessment Inputs to Outage Work List
• Routine boiler waterwall tube samples are cut out of the boiler at regular scheduled
outages and the tubes internal surfaces are examined for scale and mineral deposits.
Based on the findings from the most recent tube sample analysis, a boiler chemical
cleaning is to be included in the work scope for the next scheduled unit outage.
• Ultrasonic examinations of the HP-IP turbine rotor bore revealed some indications of
fatigue cracking at the last major turbine overhaul. Based on that finding, the turbine
OEM has recommended that these cracks be removed by boring or honing the turbine
bore at the next scheduled turbine overhaul to be followed by another ultrasonic
evaluation.
5.3.2 Prior Outage Report Recommendations

Frequently, conditions are noted during the course of an outage that may not be severe enough to require
immediate maintenance activity during that outage, but are significant enough to warrant further
inspection or repair at the next scheduled outage. Sometimes work is identified which ideally should be
addressed during a current outage, but budget, schedule, or labor constraints necessitate a decision to
defer the work until the next scheduled outage.
In either case, some notation about the finding and a recommendation for further inspection or repair
activities at a future outage is commonly found in outage reports prepared by plant staff or by external
contractors, vendors, or service engineers. Ideally, these recommendations are entered into the CMMS
as soon as they are received at the conclusion of the preceding outage, but frequently, especially when
the recommendations come from an external source, they may not be captured to the CMMS in a timely
fashion.
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Whenever the process of preparing a budget for the next scheduled outage begins, all outage reports
related to the previous outage should be reviewed and any recommendations contained therein gleaned
for inclusion in the coming outage work scope and budget. At the same time, the recommendation should
be entered into the CMMS.
5.3.3 Performance & Condition Health Monitoring Data

Many plants have capability to capture and analyze tremendous volumes of data related to the thermal
performance of plant equipment and systems and/or condition health data (such as vibration,
temperature, or physical position). This data may be captured continuously in DCS or other control /
monitoring systems, or new generation “smart” equipment condition transmitters. Data collected can be
analyzed manually or with the help of some form of automated data filtering or screening technology.
However the data is captured and analyzed, when it shows, either by rapid step changes or by slow,
steady degradation, that equipment is becoming worn or defective and needs maintenance, it is
imperative that such information be entered into the maintenance work management system as a work
request. When maintenance or repairs cannot be performed with the unit on-line, the maintenance
request should be flagged to indicate a unit outage is required.
When putting together an outage Work List for either scheduled or forced outages, the Planner should run
a report through the CMMS identifying all items flagged for maintenance during an outage. By default, all
open outage-required maintenance jobs should be added to the preliminary outage Work List. During the
Work List review meeting, final decisions can be made about whether to include specific performance or
condition health related maintenance activities in the upcoming outage work scope.
Example 5.3.3, Performance or Condition Health Monitoring Inputs to Outage

Work List
• Monitoring of condenser performance suggests condenser tubes are

becoming increasingly fouled and should be mechanically cleaned at the next
scheduled outage.
• Performance monitoring indicates the thermal efficiency of a high pressure

feedwater heater has deteriorated over time, and analysis of the data
suggests there may be a leak at the heater head partition plate. As a result,
a repair is scheduled for the next scheduled unit outage.
5.3.4 Predictive Maintenance Assessments

Many plants employ a variety of predictive maintenance technologies to routinely monitor and assess the
condition of plant equipment. These technologies may include vibration signature analysis, lube oil
analysis, thermography, and electric motor current signature analysis just to cite a few examples.
As with other inputs to the master outage Work List, it is crucial that as symptoms of equipment
degradation or failure are discovered using predictive maintenance technologies, the information gets
entered into the maintenance work management system as maintenance work requests. When
maintenance or repairs cannot be performed with the unit on-line, the maintenance request should be
flagged to indicate a unit outage is required.
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Example 5.3.4, Predictive Maintenance Assessment Inputs to Outage Work List
• Analysis of oil samples taken from the ID fan lube oil system indicates rising
levels of metallic deposits in the lube oil system warranting inspection of the ID
fan bearings and replacement of the lube oil at the next scheduled outage.
• Routine motor current signature monitoring and analysis indicates the

possibility of a cracked rotor bar in a coal mill motor. The motor, which
continues to operate, is scheduled to be sent to a motor repair shop to be
rebuilt during the next scheduled outage.
5.3.5 Corrective Maintenance (From CMMS)

Consistently throughout Section 5 of this Standard, the importance of putting information and data
regarding the need to perform corrective maintenance on plant assets into the maintenance work
management system, or CMMS has been emphasized. These corrective maintenance requests may
have been identified by virtue of any of the input sources identified in Sections 5.3.1 through 5.3.4 above,
or they may be identified through work requests originated by plant Operations or Maintenance staff, plant
engineers, or others in response to a maintenance issue detected in the course of normal unit operation.
These observed maintenance problems may include items like leaking boiler safety valves, leaking pump
seals, or suspected leaks in boiler casing or ducts use just a few common examples.
Whatever the source of the input information, it is important to distinguish between those maintenance
requests that can be completed with the unit in-service and those which require a unit outage in order to
perform the requested maintenance. When maintenance or repairs cannot be performed with the unit on-
line, the maintenance request should be flagged to indicate a unit outage is required.
When putting together an outage Work List for either scheduled or forced outages, the Planner should run
a report through the CMMS identifying all items flagged for maintenance during an outage. By default, all
open outage-required maintenance jobs should be added to the preliminary outage Work List. During the
Work List review meeting, final decisions can be made about whether to include each requested
maintenance job during the upcoming scheduled outage.
5.3.6 Standard Outage Maintenance Activities (From CMMS)

In addition to being a repository for all corrective work requests, the CMMS should also be a source for a
complete, comprehensive list of all standing or standard maintenance or inspection routines which should
be performed at each and every scheduled maintenance outage regardless of whether operational or
maintenance problems have been detected in a specific asset or system. These are generally
preventative maintenance inspections, procedures, or activities which experience has shown should be
performed at every scheduled outage in order to avoid potential equipment problems or forced outages
prior to the next scheduled outage. Other standard or standing outage Work List activities are listed
simply because they are consistent with accepted industry best practices, while still others are listed
because certain inspections may be required by various external agencies at established intervals.
Such external agencies could include the state pressure vessel regulatory board, insurance carriers, or
environmental regulators to name a few examples.
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Example 5.3.6, Standard Outage Work List Inputs From Various Sources
• Flush & clean boiler / bottom ash tank seal trough at every scheduled outage
– example of experience-based outage activity
• Disassemble & inspect turbine governor / control valve internals every 3

years, repair or replace as required – example of OEM recommendation,
industry best practice, and/or RCM recommendation
• Inspect & reset or test boiler safety valves every 2 years – example of type of
requirement that may be imposed by insurance company and/or state
regulatory authority (Pressure Vessel Board)
Many such standard or standing outage maintenance activities dictate internal inspections of various
assets or systems and infer additional maintenance or repair work may be identified during the inspection.
Outage planners and schedulers must rely on experience in determining how much post-inspection
maintenance is considered routine such that provisions are built into the outage schedule for such work.
When the volume of work discovered significantly exceeds a planner’s expectations, the outage scope
creep control processes should be employed. As an example, a standard outage Work List item might be
to open and inspect the boiler blowdown tank. During inspection, it would not necessarily be uncommon
to see some erosion damage to a target plate or around a tank fitting or penetration. Such damage would
likely be expected and allowed for in a normal outage plan. If; however, the inspection revealed severe
erosion to the tank body or cracking in the tank seam welds, such repairs would be unexpected and the
scope control process should be initiated to document the impact on the outage cost and schedule. How
much time is allotted in the outage plan and schedule for routine repair work associated with regular
outage inspections is largely a function of the experience of the outage Planner and Scheduler.
5.3.7 Capital Projects

Many times some of the greatest challenges to constructing an overall outage plan and schedule are
associated with integrating plans and schedules for a major capital improvement project with the plant’s
routine outage maintenance work list. Many times these major projects tend to dictate the outage critical
path schedule and create roadblocks or interference points for performing other essential outage work.
As an example, replacement or upgrade of a new DCS control system may impact the plant’s ability to
perform normal instrument or drive unit calibration or maintenance off the outage schedule critical path, or
replacement of boiler bottom tubes may impact the plant’s ability to install scaffold and perform necessary
maintenance in upper elevations of the boiler.
Outage Managers, Planners, and Schedulers are usually challenged to plan and schedule the remainder
of the outage work scope efficiently around major capital improvement projects. Sometimes schedule
conflicts cannot be avoided and it becomes necessary to lengthen the overall outage duration, eliminate
jobs from the overall outage Work List, spend additional monies to implement “work-around” strategies, or
plan some combination of all these measures. The optimal solutions are characterized by early planning
and preparation, communication, flexibility, and cooperation among all outage stakeholders.
5.3.8 OEM Recommendations

Earlier in this section it was stated that some outage Work List inputs may be based on recommendations
from a previous outage inspection report provided by an equipment manufacturer. Other sources of OEM
recommendations are technical bulletins or service recommendations that are provided outside the
context of a previous outage at any given facility. Such technical bulletins are somewhat analogous to
vehicle recall notices from an auto manufacturer. Because the OEM’s have such large installed bases of
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equipment throughout the industry, they often acquire knowledge of systemic or design-related equipment
problems well before a known failure mechanism manifests itself at a given facility.
As an example, certain designs of low pressure steam turbines are susceptible to stress-corrosion
cracking at the root of the last stage blades which can lead to a catastrophic failure event. Turbine
OEM’s, aware of these problems across their installed base of equipment, may issue technical service
bulletins recommending specific inspection techniques and inspection intervals as well as redesigning
blade/bucket attachment points to mitigate failure risk.
5.3.9 Other Miscellaneous Sources

Although the preceding sections identify most sources of tasks that should ultimately make their way onto
the master outage Work List, the summary is not all inclusive. Sometimes work requests may be added
to the outage list based failure events or discovery of potential failures in other power plants that have
come to the attention of station staff. Sometimes a work request may be based on specific knowledge or
curiosity of various plant staff members or in response to information learned at trade shows, industry
magazines, or vendor presentations.
Ideally, as these requests or needs are identified, the originators enter related work requests into the
plant CMMS so they can be flagged for easy retrieval when the master outage Work List is compiled.
5.4 Compile Master Outage Work List

Throughout the preceding sub-sections numerous sources of input information to the master outage Work
List have been described. Consistently throughout these sub-sections, it was stressed that the
maintenance work management system or CMMS should be used as the central repository of all outage
related work requests. All CMMS have provisions for flagging or identifying work requests which require a
unit outage to perform the necessary work. After the Scope Freeze date and prior to the designated
milestone target date for review and approval of the master outage list (recommended at week T-13), the
outage planner should run a pre-established report or manually sort the CMMS database to generate a
list of all work requests and standing work orders that have been designated with an “outage required”
code for the appropriate generating unit.
It is generally far more helpful to sort the CMMS database by equipment or system hierarchies rather than
by date entered, work order type (PM, corrective, inspection, etc.). This makes it easier to review the
work list and assess the completeness of the planned outage work scope for each critical system and
asset or identify work items that may be impacted by other planned activities in the outage scope
package.
Frequently when compiling a preliminary outage list, there is confusion or indecision as to whether to
include all the outage tasks that have been flagged in the CMMS for the upcoming outage. Sometimes
this uncertainty is related to budget constraints, other times there is a legitimate reason why a given task
may be unnecessary, wasteful, or otherwise unadvisable to perform a task during a particular scheduled
outage. Even so, for the preliminary master work list, it is recommended outage planners include all
outage-related work requests on the preliminary list unless they know with 100% certainty that a given
task need not be performed, i.e. – no need to include a standing work order to inspect and re-set air
heater seals if all air heater seals and baskets are slated for replacement during the upcoming outage.
For those plants which may not have a CMMS, the process of compiling a preliminary master outage list
is considerably more cumbersome and labor intensive. If no CMMS exists, it is particularly crucial that
someone be assigned and clearly identified as the keeper of all outage-related work requests. This
person shall then manually sort and compile all outage work items by system in preparation for the
outage scope review and approval meeting.
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5.5 Review & Approve Master Outage Work List

As soon as the preliminary outage Work List is compiled, the Outage Manager shall convene a meeting of
all outage stakeholders to review the preliminary list. It is reasonable to assume that the number of
outage related work requests can easily number 500 or more inspection or repair jobs. This preliminary
list should be reviewed, filtered, and revised in a group or team setting to establish a final master outage
Work List. A group meeting forces the outage team to focus and think collectively about the outage and
ask questions or test assumptions on other members of the outage team. It should not suffice as a
substitute for the review meeting to simply distribute copies of the preliminary list and ask stakeholders to
respond independently with suggested additions or deletions. As a result of this “group think” process, it
is expected that some items will be removed from the outage work scope while other items may be
added.
Jobs may be removed from the list during the same meeting for a wide variety of reasons. It is not
uncommon to see duplicate or overlapping work requests in the CMMS database resulting in removal of
one of the duplicate requests. Standard or standing outage jobs may not be required because some
capital improvement or major repair project supercedes the routine maintenance activity. Sometimes it is
determined that a given work order can and should be done with the unit in service rather than waiting for
an outage. Often times corrective maintenance or repair work has been done in response to a work
order, either on or off-line, but the job was never reported as closed and thus it still appears on the CMMS
list.
There will be occasions when jobs are deleted from the current outage Work List because the costs
associated with the requested work are excessive compared to the outage budget or to the expected
benefit of performing the requested work. Finally, jobs may be eliminated during the review process
because it is felt that there are insufficient labor resources to do the work or that a job would have an
unacceptable impact on the outage schedule and duration.
By the end of the review process and group discussion, items will have been added and/or deleted from
the preliminary Work List by the outage team and a revised “final” outage work list may be prepared and
distributed. This revised, final outage Work List becomes the basis for the detailed Level 3 outage
schedule. The revised, edited final outage Work List shall be distributed to all outage stakeholders as
promptly as possible following the review and approval meeting.
6 Outage Budget Development

6.1 Budget Overview
It goes without saying that controlling costs and managing outage budgets are important functions for any
power plant manager and outage management team. That noted, it is also observed that the amount of
effort devoted to development of outage budgets, the degree of accuracy and precision required in the
budgeting process, and level of effort expended to track expenditures and control costs varies
considerably among facilities due to differences in the economic and market environments, relative
emphasis and trade-offs with other plant performance metrics, and the plant culture and historical track
record with respect to budget compliance associated with individual generating stations.
It is important for Outage Managers to know up front what expectations are with respect to budget
accuracy and compliance. It is assumed that all Outage Managers are accountable for cost control and
budget management, but there is considerable variability as to how exacting those budget standards are
among various facilities. A number of budget strategies are employed in the industry with some overlap
between the various methodologies. The following is a brief summary of some alternative outage
budgeting scenarios:
• The overall outage budget is a target amount with some expected deviation in the estimated total
cost. For example, “the Unit 1 outage budget is $2,500,000 ± 10%.” The counter to this
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approach is to decree the outage budget represents a hard and fast cost ceiling and any cost
overruns in one outage project have to be offset by reduction or elimination of other outage
projects. In the former, the outage budget uncertainty contingency is the ±10% margin built in up
front; in the latter, the contingency must be accounted for within or under the established hard
ceiling, thus reducing the effective actual budget.
• Post-outage reliability is so important to a plant that if forced to choose between holding the line
on outage budget or performing other work essential to ensure a positive impact on the forced
outage rate, some cost overrun is acceptable to achieve the improved post-outage reliability
standard. Contrast this approach with a scenario where unit capacity factors are relatively low
and reliability is not assigned as high a premium as cost control. In this scenario, plant
management would likely accept greater reliability risk in favor of keeping a lid on plant
maintenance costs.
• An outage budget may simply be based on past historical averages escalated for inflation, or
Outage Managers may be required to build each budget from the ground up starting with a clean
sheet of paper, or the budget process may be based on some combination of the two.
Plant Managers must give their Outage Managers clear direction regarding expectations for budget
preparation and management in order to achieve the desired end results.
6.2 Budget Inputs

As with developing the outage work scope, development of sound outage budgets should be a
collaborative process for all members of the outage team. It is unlikely that any one person in the power
plant can accurately estimate all expected outage costs without input from colleagues or external
sources. The following sub-sections list some potential sources of information that will aid the Outage
Manager in preparing realistic outage budgets.
In reality, the overall outage budget is likely to be the sum of numerous individual project estimates
developed by using a combination of the budget input tools described in sections 6.2.1 through 6.2.3
below.
6.2.1 Budget Input - Historical Data

Past experience is usually a good predictor of future performance. Many of the jobs in a typical work
outage Work List have been performed during previous work outages, or are sufficiently similar to other
outage projects such that a reasonable budget projection can be extrapolated.
Some plants can capture this experience based knowledge accurately and easily if good activity-based
cost tracking information and/or detailed maintenance histories are captured in the CMMS. Previous
outage reports may be another source of cost history information related to the overall outage costs or
specific job costs. Provided a generating station has well-established, effective processes for capturing
cost and/or maintenance histories, this information can be gleaned for use in the outage budgeting
process. Obviously, past outage cost information must be adjusted for inflation.
Even when detailed cost information is unavailable, maintenance history information captured in the
CMMS or earlier outage reports may provide insight into the number of man-hours or the volume of parts
and materials used for given outage jobs. Using these historical values, the outage team can calculate a
new project estimate based on current labor rates and material costs.
6.2.2 Budget Input - Contractor / OEM / Vendor Estimates

Contactors, OEM’s, and other non-OEM vendors are another source of information that can be input into
an overall outage budget. These sources can provide reliable project estimates based on performing
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similar work scopes for other clients at other facilities. Sometimes these estimates must be adjusted to
account for differences in the size or configuration of another generating unit, schedule differences, or
other factors, but the contractors, OEM’s, and other vendors should have very accurate records as to the
specific costs associated with similar prior projects.
6.2.3 Budget Input - Build Estimates from Scratch

When no historical data is available from which to draw from for developing cost estimates for the
upcoming outage, and estimates are not available from the external sources described in the preceding
section, the outage team must develop cost estimates from scratch.
For large, complex outage projects, it is helpful to break the large project down into many discrete pieces
as would be done in developing the work breakdown structure. These smaller, more discrete pieces are
usually easier to estimate with accuracy. When there is still uncertainty about the estimate for a given job
step, a contingency factor can be applied to individual steps or to the sum of all step estimates.
The level of effort that should go into developing these estimates is a function of the size of the individual
outage project with respect to the overall outage work scope and to the budget expectations of plant
management.
6.3 Preliminary vs. Detailed Outage Budgets & Decision Points

Frequently preliminary outage budgets have to be estimated for long term operating plans or budget
forecasts several months before detailed outage scoping and budgeting activities begin. When detailed
outage scope and budget development work is performed, the Outage Manager may be faced with a
situation where the detailed outage budget estimate is significantly higher than the amount initially
approved in the plant’s operating plan. The budget variance may be due to additional work scope that
was identified after the preliminary estimate was developed, unforeseen cost increases for labor,
materials, or services, improved accuracy from more detailed scoping and estimating, or a combination of
these and other factors.
When such variances are identified, plant management must determine if an increase in outage costs can
be absorbed within the overall plant cost structure without compromising important financial performance
goals. Management must assess whether the outage cost variance can be mitigated by adjusting the
outage duration, removing certain tasks from the outage Work List, or scaling back major projects work
scope. Assuming such cost reduction opportunities are available, the plant must also assess whether
cutbacks in outage scope or schedule will significantly increase the risk of reduced post-outage reliability
and availability.
If it becomes obvious that the detailed outage budget is significantly in excess of the approved preliminary
budget, the Plant Manager and Outage Manager must take decisive action to address the budget
variance issue. Failure to do so results in paralysis of the outage planning and scheduling process for the
entire outage team. It is the Outage Manager’s responsibility to identify options and implications
associated with addressing the budget variance and present those options to the Plant Manager. Options
include allowing for higher outage costs by cutting back in other areas of the plant budget, cutting work
scope from the outage Work List by eliminating some jobs entirely or scaling back the scope of major
outage projects, or some combination strategy. Whatever the decided course of action, those decisions
should be promptly communicated to the entire outage team. Prompt, decisive action in addressing
budget and outage scope issues sends a clear signal to the entire outage team, reinforcing plant priorities
and encouraging commitment to outage goals and objectives.
7 Risk Assessment & Management

One of the advanced skills found in the best Outage Managers is an ability to evaluate and identify risks
to the overall outage plan and schedule and develop effective plans to mitigate those risks. The old
adage that “experience is the best teacher” is often proved true as many of the lessons power plant
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veterans have learned about outage plans and schedules have been learned the hard way through
painful prior experiences. As difficult as those lessons are to endure, outage teams can benefit from
them by taking away the “lessons learned” and applying those experiences to future outage projects.
The most effective Outage Managers are those that can determine the worst potential outcome from a
given situation and then develop a plan to deal with that situation in advance.
Outage Managers should encourage all members of the outage team to assess outage plans and
schedules with a critical eye toward anything which could seriously disrupt the outage schedule. The
outage team should focus particularly on outage projects which appear to be on or approaching the
outage critical path.
The list of potential derailers of an outage schedule and budget are too lengthy to be listed in this
standard, but the following scenario illustrates the kind of risk assessment and associated thought
process that should take place when developing an outage plan.
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Example 7, Risk Assessment & Mitigation, HP Turbine Nozzle Box Repair
Disassembly, inspection, and repair of the HP-IP turbine is on the outage critical path.
Based on the previous outage report, it is known that some damage to the HP steam
nozzle box blades was apparent, but not severe enough to require repair at that time.
Now, 8 years later, it is reasonable to assume repair work will be required. It is
presumed the scope of the repairs required are relatively minor, and routine repairs
can be made on site with no impact to the overall outage schedule.
The Outage Manager looks at this task with a critical eye because he knows the unit
capacity factor has increased substantially over the past 5 years with a corresponding
increase in steam flow passing through the turbine over that period. If nozzle box
erosion is too severe, the damage cannot be repaired by simple grinding and
blending of the blades, and the nozzle box blades must be built up by welding and
remachining, and then the entire nozzle box must be stress-relieved following the
weld repair.
The Outage Manager realizes a major nozzle box repair must typically be performed
off-site where stress-relieving facilities are available. Shipping the nozzle box off-site
for a major repair could easily disrupt the turbine reassembly schedule, and in turn,
extend the overall outage schedule.
Instead of waiting for the outage to occur and letting events to play out as they will
and dealing with any expanded nozzle box repair scope in a purely reactive manner,
the Outage Manager should assess potential contingency plans and the cost and
schedule implications of those actions. The Outage Manager may consider the
following actions to mitigate the risk of an extended outage.
• Can the turbine disassembly schedule be adjusted to expose the nozzle box
for visual inspection any earlier in the outage than presently scheduled?
• If a major nozzle box repair is required, what service shop would it be sent
to,? What is the expected or committed work load in that service shop at the
time of my outage? Can they dedicate people and shop space to my repair
work?
• Is it feasible to perform major nozzle box repairs on-site thus eliminating
travel time to and from a repair shop? This may necessitate setting up a
temporary stress-relieving enclosure and pre-staging turbine repair tools and
equipment prior to an internal inspection.
• Are there changes that can be made to the order of turbine reassembly that
would accommodate a longer nozzle box repair without extending the overall
turbine outage duration?
• Are there any other diagnostic tests or checks that can be made to assess
the condition of the nozzle box before the scheduled major outage? Is there
any way to insert a borescope into the nozzle box during an earlier scheduled
outage or during a forced boiler outage in order to get a preview of the
condition of the nozzle box?
Each of these actions is likely to have off-setting costs. For example, the Outage
Manager may have to pre-commit to mobilization costs without knowing whether a
major repair is required. Rearranging the schedule to disassembe or reassemble the
HP-IP turbine may have its own associated costs to consider. A boresonic inspection
of the nozzle box may have additonal costs associated with lost generation
opportunity. The costs of deploying one or more of these proactive mitigation
strategies must be weighed against both the expected benefit to the schedule, the
financial impact of delaying the overall outage schedule, and the probability that more
extensive nozzle box repairs might be required at all.
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The point of the example is that the Outage Manager tries to proactively identify and manage risk rather
than allowing the risk to manage the outage. On a case by case basis, sometimes these decisions may
backfire on the outage team. A good decision making process may still lead to a poor outcome because
there is a lack of perfect information until equipment is exposed or problems are discovered, but on the
whole, outage organizations which apply this sort of critical assessment of risk and potential mitigation
strategies will complete more outages on-time and on-budget compared to organizations which don’t plan
and expect for the worse and face emergent problems in a totally reactive mode.
8 Managing Work Scope Growth / Scope Creep

8.1 Scope Growth / Scope Creep Overview
Section 5 of this Standard contained a fairly lengthy description of the process of defining the scope of
work for the outage and developing the master outage Work List. In a perfect world, once the master
Work List has been compiled, reviewed, and approved, that pre-outage list developed approximately
three months before the outage start date would represent a complete picture of all work to be performed
during the outage.
In reality, that is never the case. Invariably, new unforeseen, unplanned maintenance or repair jobs must
be added to the outage Work List and completed during the course of the outage. In many cases, new
outage work requests are identified before the outage starts, but after the master Work List has been
approved. Even more common is the need to add unforeseen new repair jobs or increase the scope or
magnitude of previously known repair projects based on the as-found condition when assets and systems
are opened for inspection during the outage. Scope creep is a term often used to identify this unwanted
growth in outage work scope and a term which will be used repeatedly throughout this section.
Although it is nearly, if not completely, possible to eliminate outage scope creep, it is critical that Outage
Managers don’t roll over and surrender to it without a fight. Unchecked or unmanaged scope growth will
definitely increase the cost of the outage and can easily have a negative impact on outage schedule and
the quantity, quality, or effectiveness of other outage work performed.
The following sub-sections outline some tools that can be used in the fight to manage and control scope
creep.
8.2 Scope Freeze Date

In Section 4.4, one of the recommended pre-outage planning milestones is a Scope Freeze Date at
approximately 3 months (13 weeks) prior to the scheduled start of the outage. The Scope Freeze Date is
the date by which all requests or orders for inspection, maintenance, and repair work to be performed
during the outage are to be submitted for consideration during the final Work List review and approval
meeting. In plants which use a CMMS to for maintenance work management, outage related work
requests should be submitted using that system. For plants which do not have an automated work
management system, all outage related work requests shall be directed to a designated outage team
member, usually the Outage Planner or Outage Manager.
Ideally, plant maintenance needs would always identified in a timely manner, most frequently by operating
staff, and work requests would be promptly entered into a CMMS, reviewed, and approved in an equally
timely manner. The Outage Manager would not have to urge, prod, or push plant staff to submit outage-
related work requests to meet an outage planning deadline. Unfortunately, in most plants, some degree
of urging, pushing, and prodding is still necessary in order to get all outage-related work requests
submitted in a timely manner. Setting and enforcing a deadline for submitting outage-related work
requests is an effective tool to impose a measure of accountability on the plant staff to ensure all outage-
related maintenance and inspection requests are captured on the master outage Work List in time to
allow for appropriate attention to planning and scheduling functions.
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Despite the establishment of a Scope Freeze deadline, not all outage related work requests will be known
or communicated to the Outage Planner or Manager by this date. Sometimes staff simply overlooks the
need to enter a particular work request. Other times, a maintenance issue demanding an outage repair
does not emerge until after the Scope Freeze date has passed. In either case, whether a work request is
simply tardy or if it represents an emergent maintenance issue, the work request shall be processed
using the Outage Scope Change Request form and approval process described in section 8.4 below.
8.3 Managing Scope Creep during the Outage

As stated in section 8.1 above, probably the major cause of scope creep during the outage is hidden
damage or wear that is not discovered until equipment and systems are opened and accessed for
inspection or disassembled to reveal internal equipment damage.
Sometimes damage is completely unexpected. For example, during a routine condenser internal
inspection, it is discovered that a few internal steam drain target plates are badly eroded and an
extraction steam line expansion joint to one of the low pressure feedwater heaters is cracked. This
damage was not expected, but if repairs are not made during the current outage there is a very real
prospect that continued wear will lead to more severe damage to other condenser internals after the unit
is returned to service, and such damage could easily cause post-outage derates or forced outages. Even
though in this example it is obvious that the repair work must be done during the outage, there are very
good reasons to require the Outage Scope Change Request process be followed to document the
estimated impact on outage budget and schedule. This process is described in section 8.4 below.
Other times when damage or wear is detected during the outage after equipment has been opened for
inspection or disassembled, the plant may have some latitude as to whether or how to proceed with a
repair because damage is not as severe, or because qualified outage team members feel the unit could
return to service following the outage and be operated reliably until there is another opportunity to take a
planned outage. Ideally, one would repair any and all damage or defects discovered during an outage,
but as a practical matter, this typically does not happen. Sometimes budget or schedule constraints
preclude performing the additional maintenance, other times labor resources may be so constrained as to
prevent repairs. Again, it is important that as soon as the unexpected wear or damage is detected, the
Project Leader, Engineer, or Supervisor making the discovery shall initiate an Outage Scope Change
Request form so a decision can be made promptly as to whether a complete or partial repair should be
performed during the outage.
When confronted with an Outage Scope Change Request, the Outage Manager needs to act on the
request promptly and communicate the decision to all outage participants. It is certainly appropriate for
the outage manager to consult other members of the outage team to make the decision. When a scope
change request has been received, the Outage Manager has the following options:
Possible Outcomes for Outage Scope Change Requests
• Approve the request; make a complete or partial repair with no off-setting reduction in other
outage work scope required. Decision will impact outage cost and may impact schedule.
• Approve the request; make a complete or partial repair, and eliminate other less critical outage
work scope to minimize impact on overall outage cost and/or schedule.
• Reject the request; defer repairs till next regular scheduled outage.
• Reject the request; defer repairs until another special outage can be accommodated by system
operators and develop a plan and schedule for the special outage.
• Reject the request; accept risk of derates or forced outages prior to next scheduled outage.
The decision to approve or reject outage scope change requests shall be communicated to all outage
stakeholders, not just the originator of the request. The decision may have cost or schedule implications
for other outage activities that would otherwise not be known or anticipated by other outage project
leaders or supervisors.
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Realistically, outage scope creep issues are never completely eliminated. The mere fact equipment is
inspected suggests there is some reasonable basis to suspect maintenance or repair work may be
required. Sections 8.3.1 through 8.3.3 contain some suggested actions to mitigate the impact of scope
creep on the plant.
8.3.1 Perform Inspection Work As Early As Possible

If emergent work is discovered in the first week to ten days of an eight-week major outage, it can usually
be accommodated with less disruption to the overall outage cost or schedule than if the damage or wear
is not discovered until week 4 or 5 of the same outage. Some plants form internal “swat” teams of
inspectors or use contractors to conduct required inspections and assessments early in the outage
schedule in order to maximize the opportunity to react in an efficient and less costly manner.
8.3.2 Fit Outage Schedule to Suspected Trouble-Spots

Many plants have a relatively standard approach or schedule with respect to routine outage inspection
and maintenance activities. There are times; however, when it is advisable to deviate from that normal
inspection sequence in order to maximize the time available to react and respond when there is some
basis to suspect a particular piece of equipment or system may have some wear, damage, or defect, but
the severity of the suspected problem cannot be confirmed until the equipment is opened or
disassembled for inspection.
Example 8.3.2, Revise Turbine-Generator Overhaul Plan In Response to

Operating Data
The outage plan calls for a full disassembly and overhaul of the turbine-generator,
valves, and auxiliaries. The normal or expected critical path for the overhaul project
is typically focused on early disassembly of the HP-IP turbine since that is usually
where the most hidden damage becomes apparent, but in the months leading up to
the scheduled outage the generator stator winding temperatures began running at or
near alarm points and the generator core monitor began detecting small traces of
decomposing insulation in the hydrogen cooling gas.
Given these symptoms, it would be appropriate to revise the usual turbine-generator

overhaul plan and schedule to concentrate on opening up the generator stator at the
earliest possible date for visual inspection and electrical tests. Such a schedule
change might only yield access to the generator a couple days earlier than the
normal overhaul schedule would have provided, but if the generator issues become
critical path for the overhaul, saving even a couple of days of overall outage duration
could avoid significant added costs for replacement power.
Many more such examples could be constructed throughout the plant. The point is that the Outage
Manager and the outage team should take inventory of their collective knowledge base going into a
scheduled outage and think about what systems or equipment is displaying warning signs that more than
normal maintenance or repair work may be required. Then the outage schedule may be developed in
such a way that those same systems or equipment are made accessible for inspection and evaluation at
the earliest possible date during the outage in order to provide the maximum amount of time to respond.
8.3.3 Document Inspection Findings

When inspections of systems or equipment reveal unexpected or hidden damage and deterioration, it is
helpful to document those findings with photographs, field sketches, or write-ups. The documentation
should also include the use of defect or location dimension information to better define the location and/or
scope of the finding. If the party making the initial discovery and inspection documents the as-found
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condition clearly and conveys that information with the Outage Scope Change Request, the Outage
Manager can make a faster, better evaluation of the extent of the damage and determine the most
appropriate response, often without having to go re-examine the area first-hand.
Assuming the wear or damage is repaired during the outage, the documentation becomes part of the
outage report and maintenance history. It helps illustrate where and why monies were spent during the
outage. In addition to documenting the as-found condition, it is also useful to document the as-repaired
condition for the plant history records. If no repairs or partial repairs are made during the outage, the
documentation will be a valuable planning tool for the preparation of future outage Work Lists and
budgets.
8.4 Outage Scope Change Request & Review Process

A requirement to adopt and implement a well-defined, regimented process to document, review, and
approve changes in the planned outage work scope or Work List is an important tool that serves many
useful purposes for the Outage Manager and the Plant Manager. Some of these benefits are listed
below:
Expected Benefits of an Outage Scope Change Request & Review Process
• The process holds plant staff accountable for submitting known outage work requests by the
Scope Freeze date.
• The Outage Scope Change Request form documents the estimated impact of the additional (or
in some cases reduced) work requirement on the outage cost, labor resources, and schedule. All
requests taken together provide estimates of the combined impact of all requests on outage cost,
labor resources, and schedule.
• A formal submission and review requirement allows the Outage Manager to evaluate the
expected benefit of the additional requested work against the cost and schedule implications of
performing the work so a rational business decision can be made about whether or not to
approve a request and proceed with the work.
• Outage Scope Change Requests may be rejected (not approved) by the Outage Manager due to
cost, resource, or schedule implications. Even so, that information may be useful as a budget
and planning tool for a future scheduled outage.
• Outage Scope Change Requests, whether approved or not, are a useful tool in budgeting,
planning, and scheduling future outages. If an item shows up as a scope addition to the current
outage, one may assume that the same work may be required on a future outage on a similar
generating unit at the same station, or on a future outage on the same unit.
8.4.1 Outage Scope Change Request Process Defined

A copy of a blank generic Outage Scope Change Request form is attached as Appendix xx of this
Standard. The required approvals noted on the generic form can be modified to reflect differences in
plant organizational structures, but the sections on work description, estimated cost, duration, and
manpower impact should always be included on the standardized form. The following steps are a
description of Outage Scope Change Request process.
Outage Scope Change Request Process
(1) - Initiate Outage Scope Change Request

Anyone on the plant staff can initiate an Outage Scope Change Request. All required fields shall
be completed including a description of the work requested, the reason or justification for adding
the work to the outage package (reliability, safety, efficiency, etc.), estimated dollar cost,
estimated duration, labor resources required (mechanical maint., I&C tech, contractor, etc.), and
estimated man-hours. It is recognized that all request originators are not experienced
maintenance planners, so some latitude is called for when evaluating and approving these
requests. These estimates can be amended at any point along the review and approval process
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as necessary. If the plant has a CMMS, the work request should also be entered into that
system, and the associated request or work order number is also referenced on the scope
change request form.
(2) – Review, Approve or Reject Request

The request originator forwards the completed form to his/her immediate supervisor for review
and approval. If approved, the form is forwarded to the department head (assuming this is a
different person than the first line supervisor). Once the form has been reviewed and approved at
the department level, the form goes to the Outage Manager for review. Depending on the
directive of the Plant Manager, final approval of the request form may be delegated to the Outage
Manager, or the Plant Manager may reserve the right of final approval based on a
recommendation from the Outage Manager. Once the approval hierarchy has been tailored to
each plant’s unique organizational structure, the intended approval process shall be clearly
communicated to all plant staff.
Supervisory review at all levels of the organization is a very important part of the scope
management process. If a request is made after the outage Scope Freeze date has passed, and
the nature of the requested work should have reasonably been known to the request originator,
that person should be held accountable for not initiating the request in a timely manner before the
Scope Freeze. This is not to suggest that disciplinary action must be taken, but some level of
accountability will help influence the plant culture to make the staff more proactive in identifying
outage work scope prior to the scope freeze date and minimize needless late additions to the
Work List. Obviously, some maintenance issues legitimately emerge after the Scope Freeze, but
before the start of the outage, or issues are not discovered until the outage is underway. In these
cases, there is no question or accountability issue about the timing of the request.
As suggested in section 8.3, the scope change request can be approved, approved conditionally
setting limits on the amount of time or money to be spent on the issue, or rejected. Whatever the
outcome, a mechanism shall be in place at each plant to notify the request originator of the
decision to approve or reject the request, and if rejected, the reason(s) why.
(3) – Approved Outage Scope Change Requests

All approved Outage Scope Change Requests, both unconditional and conditional approvals,
shall be immediately forwarded to the Outage Planner and Scheduler (could be one person or
two) who will identify the work breakdown structure associated with the request, identify logic ties
to other outage projects, and review the availability of required parts or materials. The Scheduler
will take the appropriate logic ties into consideration and insert the new or additional outage work
into the master schedule. This may or may not affect the critical path and duration of the outage.
If it is determined that the scope increase is likely to impact the outage critical path and duration,
and that information had not already been obvious during the approval process, the Scheduler
shall immediately notify the Outage Manager of this conclusion. The Outage Manager and/or the
Planner will assign the new or additional work to a Supervisor or Project Leader who will be
responsible for getting the appropriate labor resources assigned to the work and executing the
required additional activities.
(4) – Document Control & Archiving

The Outage Planner shall retain the original copy of all Outage Scope Change Request forms
which have been through the review and approval process. At the conclusion of the outage, the
Planner shall ensure that all relevant information from the request forms has been entered into
the CMMS either as maintenance history, or as a work request for future outages. When all
useful information from the form has been captured in the CMMS, the forms shall be returned to
the Outage Manager, who in turn will ensure they are included in the formal post-outage report.
INSERT PROCESS FLOW CHART HERE
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Examples of sample Outage Scope Change Request form are also included in Appendix xx along with a
blank form template.
9 Detailed Planning & Scheduling Tools & Techniques

9.1 Section Overview
This section covers some very basic concepts related to performing detailed planning and scheduling
activities that are an essential function of the outage process. It is geared toward plant staff who have
relatively little experience in establishing and documenting formal or detailed project plans and schedules
using commercially available project management computer applications. Experienced outage or project
planners should skip this section of the Standard as they are undoubtedly already familiar with the tools
and techniques described in this high level overview. On the other hand, outage managers, planners, or
schedulers who have never worked with defined project management techniques or used project planning
software applications are likely to need additional coaching and training above what can be covered in
this brief overview. There are numerous channels for obtaining additonal information about project
management techniques and tools including consultants, web-based training, books, and college or
vocational programs to name just a few.
The charts and documents used to present detailed outage or project plans and schedules can be
intimidating to plant staff who have never been exposed to project management tools, but in actuality, the
basic methodology behind project planning is logical and can be easily taught to novice planners, and the
more popular project management computer applications are relatively simple to use at a basic level. To
be sure, the degree of sophistication and detail that can be achieved by an experienced or “power”
planner using an advanced project management application takes more time to learn and master, but the
benefits of using even basic project planning and scheduling techniques and tools provides significant
dividends to the outage team in terms of improved communication, accountability, schedule compliance,
and cost control.
9.2 Project Management Computer Applications

Computer software applications are not necessarily required to in order to lay out and document an
outage plan. Twenty years ago, most outage or project plans were comprised of task lists, milestone
dates, and schedules compiled manually. Gannt or Pert charts were rarely, if ever, used for power plant
outage schedules, and even when such charts were developed for major construction projects, they were
generally confined to serving as high level overviews of the project because detailed charts were simply
too time consuming and challenging to create manually.
Today, the cost of computing power has decreased dramatically and nearly everyone in the power plant
now has access to some kind of computer system or network. Also, the capability, functionality, and user-
friendliness of commercially available software applications to assist in the project planning process
continues to evolve such that professional quality project management computer applications are very
affordable and easy to use by nearly any person possessing a basic familiarity with Windows based
software applications.
The two most popular project management tools commercially available are Microsoft Project and
Primavera Project Planner (P3). Either application is an excellent platform for project planning,
scheduling, and cost tracking. Persons who are novices at using project management applications tend
to gravitate to Microsoft Project because of its association with other Microsoft Windows applications, and
it is usually a lower cost option compared to Primavera P3. Most “power” schedulers tend to favor one of
the Primavera products. They find the scheduling power to be more robust and stable compared to the
Microsoft product. Primavera offers somewhat greater flexibility and capability for integrating multiple
schedules, graphical presentations, and cost tracking tools. This higher level of sophistication is reflected
in the Primavera product line of applications. Primavera Project Planner, also known as P3, is the core of
flagship application. Primavera also markets variants of the P3 application such as SureTrak (in effect a
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“light” version of P3), Maintenance & Turnaround, Enterprise, and many others. Primavera offers
technical sales support to help prospective clients select the specific variant that best meets their needs,
but the flagship P3 application is the most well known and widely used version of Primavera applications.
Many newer or updated CMMS claim to offer seamless integration with P3 and/or Project. In general, the
industry consensus tends to indicate users experience fewer technical problems when the integration is
done with the P3 application compared to Project. Even so, the degree of stability accuracy, and true
integration tends to vary among the many CMMS applications found across the industry. In the worst
case, some dual or redundant entry of data may be required to keep both the scheduling application and
the CMMS up to date and working in parallel.
9.3 Developing the Work Breakdown Structure, or WBS

The WBS is a breakdown of individual steps or activities required to complete a project or job assignment.
The WBS defines the activities to be performed, the sequence in which individual job steps are
performed, the relationship to other job steps or tasks in the overall process, and defines who
(what resources) will perform each task in the overall project. Each job or sub-project within an
outage Work List can have it’s own WBS, and then the structures for all outage jobs should be linked
together into an integrated master outage schedule.
We will use a sample project schedule for a very simple maintenance project which might be performed
within a typical regularly scheduled unit outage. Example 9.3 illustrates an outage job to replace a
condensate pump assembly with a spare lower assembly during a unit outage. For purposes of this
example, we have not tried to show how this sub-project fits within the context of the larger overall outage
work scope.
The first step of identifying the WBS for this sample project is to break down the overall job into a number
of smaller, more specific steps. As the example shows, the job of replacing the lower rotating assembly
for a condensate pump has been broken down into 22 distinct steps as identified in the column labeled
Task Name. One could argue that the breakdown is too detailed, while others might argue the project
can be broken down to a significantly greater level of detail. In fact, there is no single right answer. The
level of detail to which any given project is broken down is largely a matter of personal preference and the
level of familiarity and understanding one has with a given project. In general, the more the scope and
expected schedule of any given project is well-known and understood by outage participants, the
less detail is required in the WBS. For projects which are large, complex, and where the overall
expected duration of the project is less clearly defined or understood, it is helpful to break the
project down into more discrete pieces.
Another key to deciding what level of detail is required in outlining the individual tasks required to
complete a project is to look for hand-off or exchange points where one resource group or specific
individuals have to step in to execute any given step or can be released to go back to other work. To
illustrate, please note the following hand-offs in the example schedule. In step 3, the Operations group is
charged with removing the pump from service and ensuring all lock-out / tag-out work is done to safely
isolate the pump from any energy sources. At that point, the project is turned over to the electricians for a
brief period so they can unwire the motor leads since the motor has to be removed in order to pull the
pump. After the leads have been disconnected in step 4, the pump can be turned over to mechanical
crews to handle step 5. The mechanical and electrical crews, and an overhead crane operator than work
together in step 6 to remove the motor. In general any time a different labor resource joins or exits
the work process, it is good to have a step built into the WBS to reflect that transition.
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Also, please note that the schedule above identifies the resource group or groups required to work on
each task. In this case we’ve used terms like Mechanical Crew A, Electrical Crew B, and Crane Operator.
In your WBS, resources could be identified as individual workers, project leaders or foremen, work crews,
or as contractors. The nomenclature should be tailored to best fit your needs and organizational
structure.
9.3.1 WBS Terminology

The WBS should also identify the logic ties or sequential relationships between the individual steps
required to execute the project. Returning to our pump example, the electricians cannot safely begin to
unwire the motor leads in step 4 and mechanics cannot safely disassemble the pump to motor coupling
until the pump is safely isolated from energy sources and lock-out / tag-out protection is in place as
identified in step 3. Thus, step 3 is a predecessor task to both steps 4 and 5.
In the first example, one task, step 3, was a predecessor to two successor tasks, steps 4 and 5. It is also
possible, and often common, to have multiple predecessor tasks to a single successor. Take a look at
step 10, “remove discharge head;” this step cannot be completed until steps 7, 8, and 9 have been
completed. If time was not a critical issue, these tasks would likely be completed by the same crew in any
order once the motor had been removed. If the unit was on-line and time was a critical consideration in
getting the pump back in service as quickly as possible, steps 7, 8, and 9 could be completed
simultaneously by three or more different mechanics. Thus, steps 7, 8, and 9 are all predecessor tasks
to task 10.
Another common term used in project management applications is milestone. A milestone is a reference
point in a project timeline that marks a significant event or accomplishment in that project. The milestone
may designate a junction point linking the completion of several preparatory or preliminary tasks, or it may
signal a starting point from which many separate work activities can begin. Although milestones are
identified as tasks in the WBS, by definition there is no actual work associated with the milestone itself.
The milestone is accomplished by the completion of one or more predecessor tasks before it. Since there
is no work associated with the milestone task itself, milestones have a duration of zero time and are
represented on a Gantt chart as a diamond shape.
In the very simple example schedule 9.3 we have only identified two milestones, step 2 when an
operator shuts off the pump, and instantaneous act with no duration which sets the pump replacement
project in motion, and step 22 which signals the completion of the project.
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Example 9.3.1, Typical Outage Milestones
It may be easier to understand the concept of milestones within the context of a

typical outage schedule. Examples of the kinds of milestone tasks that might be
found in a typical outage schedule could include some of the following:
• Unit off-line: This typically signals the start of the outage and a point from
which many subsequent activities can begin. This is a predecessor to
many outage projects and repair jobs.
• Turbine off-turning gear: Generally, most major turbine-generator work
cannot commence until the turbine has cooled sufficiently to allow
operators to shut off the turning gear and secure the lube oil pumps.
Accordingly, this milestone is usually a predecessor milestone for most
outages where significant T-G work is planned.
• Ready to fill boiler for hydro-test: This is an example of a typical milestone
which has many predecessor tasks. Reaching this milestone generally
signals that work on the condensate and Feedwater systems is complete;
work on boiler pressure parts is complete, the Hotwell is secured and filled
with water, and at least one condensate pump and boiler feed pump is
available for service.
• Boiler air & gas path work complete: A milestone like this signals that all
predecessor projects in the combustion air and flue gas path have been
completed and that it is safe to run ID & FD fans for test and/or to air load
the precipitator. Such a milestone would signal that all work has been
completed inside the windbox, the fans, the boiler enclosure, flue gas
ducts, air heater, precipitator, and stack.
9.3.2 WBS Tips

Once outage planners have been given access to computer-based project management applications, a
natural tendency is to begin establishing a WBS working directly within the project management software.
While a WBS can certainly be generated working straight from the computer application, doing so can
easily lead to confusion and frustration, particularly for novice planners. Defining the WBS is purely a
manual or non-automated process, and it is recommended that planners and schedulers who are not
expert in use of tools like Microsoft Project or Primavera create the WBS working completely independent
of their computers, and only after the WBS has been created manually, then transfer that structure to the
project management application.
One very useful tip for creating a WBS is to use the Post-It Note Method. One of the many benefits of
this process is that it can be used collaboratively with both small and large groups to break down a given
project or number of projects into a series of logical individual steps or tasks, and then arrange those
individual steps in a logical sequence. People using the Post-It Note Method identify all the individual
steps or tasks required to do a given project and write those steps down on individual Post-It Note
papers, one step per note. When all the steps have been identified, schedulers begin arranging the Post-
It notes sequentially on a whiteboard, bulletin board, or any other large, flat workspace. Post-It Notes are
arranged with predecessor tasks to the left of successor tasks. Post-It Notes representing job steps that
can be done concurrently are stacked vertically to the right of any required predecessor task or milestone
and to the left of the next logical successor task or milestone. Some of the advantages of the Post-It Note
method compared to setting up a schedule directly in the project management computer application are
listed below:
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• It is very easy to add a forgotten task or step simply by filling out an additional Post-It Note and
sticking it on the wall at the appropriate place.
• Is is easy to adjust predecessor and successor relationships simply by relocating notes from
place to place along the work surface.
• It is an interactive process and much easier for participants to become engaged in filling out task
slips and moving them around on the work space to adjust the sequence of the work. This
interaction is much more difficult to achieve when the WBS is developed on a computer screen.
9.4 Scheduling Terminology

If a WBS is perfectly defined with all tasks and logic ties perfectly defined, project management computer
applications will accurately predict the duration of the outage and define the critical path. As the outage
planner enters the expected duration for each task in the WBS, the software will adjust the overall
duration of the outage based on the work schedule defined for all resources assigned to critical tasks and
the logic ties or predecessor / successor relationships defined within the WBS. The project or outage
start date can be defined when the project is set up in the project management application and the
program will calculate the projected outage end date. Conversely, the scheduler can define when all
outage work must be completed, and the software will calculate the latest date by which the outage must
be started in order to achieve the specified end date. For simplicity as we move through this discussion,
assume the outage start date is fixed and the outage end date will be calculated based on logic ties,
resource scheduling, and resource loading.
An outage critical path is the series of critical tasks that must be completed as scheduled in order for
the outage to meet its expected end date, or minimum duration. Any variance in the actual duration
compared to the scheduled duration of any critical tasks will cause a corresponding variance in the
overall length or duration of the critcal path.
Tasks or projects which are not on the critical path will have some degree of float associated with their
schedules. Float is a term which refers to the amount of flexibility an outage Scheduler has in performing
a given task or series of tasks which are not on the outage critical path. These tasks may be allowed to
start a little later during the outage than logic ties might dictate in order to help level or properly allocate
labor resources, or the expected completion date may slip behind schedule a bit without compromising
the overall duration of the outage. Tasks with schedule float are, by definition, not critical tasks, where
critical refers only to the relationship of the task to the outage critical path, and not necessarily to the
importance of completing that task during the overall outage period.
Please refer to the following example which hopefully clarifies the concept of critical tasks, the critical
path, non-critical tasks, and float.
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Example 9.4,1 Outage Critical Path
Planners have carefully defined a WBS for an upcoming major outage which includes all
planned outage tasks and makes appropriate logic ties between the various individual
steps. Many important projects are planned for the outage, but it may not be intuitively
obvious at the outset, which project defines the critical path for the outage. As Planners
and Schedulers begin to input the expected durations for each task identified in the
WBS, they develop expected durations for each of the following major outage-related
projects.
Task Est. Duration

Turbine-generator disassemble, inspect, repair & reassemble 44 days
Replace front pendant reheater assemblies 41 days
Repair precipitator collector plates, wires, and enclosure 38 days
Overhaul boiler feed pump turbine drive 28 days
Upgrade DCS system, install new operator interface 35 days
Assuming these estimated project durations already represent the optimal series of
logic ties and resource allocation, we can see that the turbine-generator overhaul
defines the critical path of the outage because it has the longest expected duration for
all major outage projects. While every task within the turbine-generator overhaul WBS
is not necessarily a critical task, all critical tasks that make up the outage critical path
are associated with the turbine-generator overhaul.
Assuming the WBS is properly bounded, the other outage projects listed can
presumably start a day or two later after the unit comes off line or the expected finish
can be extended slightly without increasing the overall duration of the outage. On the
surface, it appears the precipitator repair project has as much as 6 days of schedule
float; 44 days – 38 days, so in theory, precipitator work may be able to start as many as
6 days after the start of the outage without compromising the expected outage end date,
provided it does not take longer than estimated, and that the turbine-generator overhaul
does not take less time than estimated..
In reality, determining the precise amount of float associated with each non-critical
project may not be as simple as subtracting its expected duration from the critical path
expected duration. For example, one must know if the 41 days required to replace the
reheat pendant assemblies includes provisions for hydro-testing the boiler following
completion of all tube welding, or if the boiler hydro-test falls outside the 41 days
specified for reheater replacement. If the reheater project schedule does not include
the boiler hydro test and related activities, that project could easily challenge for the role
of the critical path project.
Other terms that will be encountered in project management software applications are dependency
relationships, leads, lags and fixed constraints. Dependency relationships define the schedule
relationship between two or more linked tasks. There are four basic types of dependency relationships
that are freqently found in schedules; these are:
• Finish to Start (FS) – Predecessor task must finish before successor task can start (most
common relationship used in scheduling, usually the default relationship)
• Start to Start (SS) – Both linked tasks must start at the same time.
• Finish to Finish (FF) – Both linked tasks must finish at the same time
• Start to Finish (SF) – The start of the predecessor is determined by when the successor task is
finished (rarely used, potentially confusing, can generally be avoided
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Example schedule 9.3 contains all Finish to Start dependency relationships, which is the most commonly
used of the four. Sometimes the selection of the right kind of dependency link is purely a manner of
preference for the scheduler. In the example schedule we showed three tasks, 7, 8, and 9 with a
common FS predecessor, task 6, and the same three tasks were all FS predecessors to task 10. We
could have just as easily linked tasks 8 and 9 to task 7 with SS dependencies, or linked tasks 7 and 8 to
task 9 with FF dependencies. In general, the main reason a scheduler would want to use SS and FF
relationships in a schedule is to provide somewhat more flexibility for the automated resource leveling
capability provided by the project management computer application.
Lags and leads are also used in project schedules to show a need for a forced delay between linked
tasks (lag) or for an overlap in execution between two linked tasks (lead). The following represents an
example of a typical outage schedule lag and lead.
Example 9.4.2 Lags & Leads in a Typical Outage Schedule
Lag: Task 110 is to coat the internal surfaces of the ash sluice pump with an
epoxy-based, wear-resistant coating, but the coating must be allowed to dry and
cure for 24 hours before proceeding with pump reassembly by moving to task 111,
reinstall the ash sluice pump rotor. The scheduler can link task 111 to task 110
with a FS dependency and a lag of 24 hours. This would be depicted in the project
schedule as a predecessor for task 111 expressed as 110 FS + 24 hrs. The
computer application would not schedule task 111 to start until task 110 had been
completed for 24 hours.
Lead: The plant maintenance group is nearing the end of a major turbine overhaul,
a project on the outage critical path. Millwrights are finishing tightening and
stretching the high pressure turbine horizontal shell bolts, task 200. The next
logical successor task is to reinstall the insulation blankets over the shell bolts (task
201), but it is not necessary to finish final tightening of all the turbine shell bolts
before the insulation reinstallation work can start. The insulators can begin
reinstalling the insulation blankets on the left side of the turbine shell while
millwrights are finishing with the bolts on the right side of the shell. In this case, the
scheduler can denote this relationship by installing lead time to the start of activity
201. (The computer scheduling programs treat lead as negative lag; in other
words, a lead time of 10 hours is entered as -10 hours of lag time) In this case, we
would express this relationship in the project schedule with task 200 as a
predecessor to task 201 with a dependency relationship for task 201 expressed as
200 FS -10 hours.
The final term we will mention in this section is schedule constraints. Absent any constraints built into
the schedule, the project management software will schedule an activity to begin at the earliest point in
time after a defined predecessor task has been completed. Sometimes from a practical standpoint this
does not reflect reality in an outage schedule. Regardless of exactly when a predecessor task was
completed, the successor task will not start until a predefined time. Constraints are usually placed on
non-critical tasks such that a forced delay in the sequence of completing tasks will not impact the outage
critical path.
There are many examples where constraints are placed in an outage schedule. Assume that as part of
a planned outage, the boiler feed pump internal assembly is to be replaced, but this project is not on or
near the outage critical path. The Outage Manager may direct that he wants a factory service engineer
on site after the old pump assembly has been removed, but before the reassembly begins. Maintenance
crews may start disassembling the pump in order to remove the internal barrel assembly on Wednesday
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morning of outage week 1 and finish removing the pump assembly by noon on Friday of the same week.
As a practical matter, the Scheduler is unlikely to have a factory service engineer standing by to witness
the installation of the new assembly at precisely noon on Friday, nor be willing to pay overtime rates for
weekend field service. The more practical alternative is that after the Scheduler determines that
maintenance crews should easily be able to get the old pump assembly out of the casing in week 1, a
factory service engineer will be scheduled to report on Monday morning of outage week 2 to assist with
the installation of the replacement assembly. Thus, the task for reinstallation of the pump assembly has a
schedule constraint placed against it in the schedule stipulating that the task cannot begin until the
second Monday of the outage, regardless of when the predecessor task was completed.
Sometimes significant outage milestones are locked down with schedule constraints in order to define the
basis of contracts with outage contractors or service providers. For example, an outage Scheduler may
determine that the optimum time to schedule the boiler hydro-test is 6 days prior to the scheduled end of
the outage. This may be weeks before all the major outage contractors are hired to perform work which
may impact or be impacted by the boiler hydro-test. This date is locked down in the schedule with a
constraint on the start date for the boiler hydro task irrespective of how predecessor / successor
relationships might move the potential hydro target time earlier or later in the outage schedule. This
schedule constraint then imposes a commitment or accountability function on the contractor since the
milestone is integral to their contract to perform work or services during the outage.
9.5 Outage Scheduling – Tips & Cautionary Notes

9.5.1 Question the Accuracy of Critical Path & Estimated Outage Duration
In theory if the outage WBS is defined accurately and precisely, with all the correct logic ties, project
management computer applications like Primavera or Microsoft Project can accurately identify the critical
path and expected duration of the outage. As a practical matter, outage schedulers are advised to avoid
placing blind faith in schedules generated by the computer. Unless the Planner and Scheduler have a
good deal of experience, both with power plant outage schedule coordination and with project
management software, it is very easy to have flaws in logic ties, task estimates, and resource loading that
lead to inaccurate critical paths or outage schedules that are unrealistically too long or too short. Outage
Schedulers are cautioned to take a careful and critical view of the critical path schedules generated
automatically by the computer. The larger and more complex the outage schedule becomes, the more
difficult it is to develop a schedule that has perfect logic ties. As a general rule of thumb, it is suggested
that the computer-generated outage schedule should serve as a sanity-check for a traditional or
experience-based schedule, and vice versa.
9.5.2 Outage Schedule Review

One technique that is is helpful for larger projects is to subject the computer generated schedule to a
horizontal and a vertical schedule review. A horizontal schedule review is a check of the completeness
and sequencing of tasks and the appropriateness of predecessor / successor relationships within that one
project or repair job. During the horizontal review the outage team should re-evaluate estimated task
durations, lead/lag relationships, and other schedule constraints on a purely project by project basis
without consideraton at this stage for how those plans integrate with other outage projects and
maintenance activities.
Once each separate project, repair job, or maintenance activity in the outage plan has been reviewed on
a horizontal level as described above, the outage team should then conduct a vertical schedule review.
The goal of the vertical review is to check and test the logic ties between multiple projects or activities up
and down the schedule. For example, if one of the projects in the outage work scope is to test run the ID
fans, during the vertical review the outage team would assess the schedule impact on all other projects
which could be impacted by starting the ID fan. Examples could include, but are not limited to precipitator
repair, stack work, flue gas duct inspections and repairs, and electric motor and switchgear maintenance.
Reviewers would ensure that either outage activities were either completed by the time the fans were
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scheduled to be started or other adequate provisions for equipment and personnel safety were in place to
address any potential hazards.
The horizontal and vertical schedule reviews are most effective if performed in a collaborative manner
with a cross-section of the outage team. The more eyes that review the schedule, the more effective the
review process is in identifying schedule flaws. Engaging a wide cross section of outage participants also
promotes buy-in and commitment to the schedule later during the outage itself.
9.5.3 Near-Critical Path Projects & Changing Critical Path

Outage Managers must be very careful to not only identify and critique the outage critical path. They
must also have a keen awareness of what other projects, repairs, or maintenance activities are near the
outage critical path at any given point in the outage. As the outage schedule is based on imperfect
estimates of expected task durations, they are subject to some degree of inaccuracy
Referring back to the very simple outage critical path example 9.5 above, our simple story line indicated
the critical path for a hypothetical outage was estimated at 44 days, while the next largest outage project,
the replacement of front pendant reheat assemblies had an estimated duration of 41 days. If the outage
went perfectly to plan, the crew working on the reheat assemblies would expect to have a 3 day schedule
cushion compared to the turbine-generator; however, we can easily construct a schedule whereby the
two jobs pass each other in mid-outage to swap places as the critical path project. Suppose planned
repair work on the high pressure turbine nozzle box went 1 day quicker than planned, and the turbine
realignment work went ½ day faster than estimated in the original schedule. Now the overall length of the
turbine overhaul project has shortened to 42-1/2 days. At the same time, the boilermakers had problems
aligning the new reheat pendant assemblies to the existing tubes because the old tube stubs had warped
or shifted. This cost the boiler crew an extra 2 days work. Compounding the problem, the welding quality
inspector determined that a number of tube welds failed post-weld inspection and had to be ground out
and rewelded, and this effort required another 2 days which had not been factored into the outage
schedule. Now, assuming the boiler crew could not mitigate the impact of these two delays, the boiler
reheater project now takes 45 days to complete. As you can see, not only has one project fallen off the
critical path to be replaced by another, the outage completion has also been delayed by an extra day.
This highlights the importance of tracking and managing the outage schedule while the outage is
underway, a subject which will be covered in more detail in Section 13 of this Standard.
9.5.4 What-if Scenarios

Once a “reasonable” outage critical path and duration have been established, the project management
computer applications are great tools to evaluate different outage scenarios that might impact the overall
outage. For example, an outage manager might determine that because the outage critical path was
projected to be substantially longer than other scheduled outage projects, there might be an opportunity
to save money by scaling back on the amount of overtime scheduled for workers on non-critical tasks
(tasks not on the critical path). Conversely, a series of tasks for a major project that was close to, but not
on the outage critical path might be based on labor resources working 10 hours a day, but only 5 days per
week. A proactive Outage Manager would likely want to know how much time he could shave from that
project by working the same crew 6 days a week instead of 5, and/or 12 hours a day instead of 10 in the
event the assumed critical path project went better than expected. The computer based project
management applications give the Scheduler tools to easily make such hypothetical changes to the
schedule and assess the impact on the overall outage plan. These kinds of recalculations or what-if
scenarios were difficult if not impossible to assess without the aid of computing speed and power.
9.6 Resources for Developing High Quality Outage Schedules

The task of identifying an appropriate WBS for every job or project on the outage Work List and creating
reasonably accurate estimates of time durations for every task listed will undoubtedly appear to be a
daunting if not impossible task to those persons who are not familiar with project planning and scheduling
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techniques and tools, particularly if the outage Planner and/or Scheduler is not familiar and experienced
with certain types of projects that would by representative of a typical outage schedule. For example, an
outage Planner or Scheduler with a work background in the plant electrical or instrument tech group may
not be sufficiently familiar with mechanical maintenance work to plan a boiler internal inspection, and as a
result, may feel ill-prepared or unqualified to develop a realistic plan and schedule for such work.
To be sure, any overall outage plan and schedule is only as good as the integrated work breakdown
structure and time estimates that comprise it, or stated in the negative, it can be a situation of “garbage in
– garbage out” if the WBS and associated estimates of time and manpower resources required are not
appropriate for the outage work scope.
Thus, it is extremely important that the outage Planner and Scheduler seek help from knowledgeable
resources to develop reasonable outage work plans and schedules. The outage schedule should not be
a document developed by one or two persons operating in a vacuum. Rather, the outage schedule
should be a collaborative effort put to paper by a Planner/Scheduler with high quality input from other
knowledgeable outage participants and stakeholders. The job of the Planner/Scheduler is to look for the
right information resources to support the scheduling function and pull the required information together
from those sources.
The following paragraphs describe suggested sources of information that can be used to develop high
quality outage WBS and time estimates:
Historical Records: Many items in the outage Work List should be repetitive tasks that have been
performed during prior outages (or perhaps every outage). To the extent the plant has maintained good
equipment maintenance history records in the CMMS and/or high quality outage reports, information can
be gleaned from those sources that is invaluable to the outage planning effort. For example, if the
maintenance history or outage reports
10 Communication & Review of outage plan and Schedule

10.1 Documenting, displaying, and distributing the outage plan and
schedule
The outage schedule needs to be displayed in a prominent location before and during the outage. This
can be a rolled up or detailed version of a Gantt chart that covers the wall of a control room, lunch room
or conference room. It/they should be visible to all levels of staff. If rolled up versions are posted a work
list should accompany them. It is important for all people in the plant to know what is going in in the plant
during the outage. The work list is a great way to give a sanity check of the scope. People should be
encouraged to review the lists/schedule for missing items and or items that should not be on the list.
10.1.1 Detailed vs. roll-up views
If rolled up versions are posted a work list should accompany them.
10.1.2 Types of presentations Gantt charts, PERT charts, Calendar

views.
Gantt charts are perhaps the most common form of a presentation used. The logic flow is available but
not as readily apparent as on a Pert chart. Gantt charts do provide the best method of indication
durations and progress on tasks. Calendar views are also a useful way to look forward during an outage
and determine what need to be lined up next.
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10.2 Schedule review

10.2.1 Review at multiple levels within plant organization
Everyone needs to know how long outages will last, what drives the schedule and the cost. The wider the
audience the better.
10.2.2 Horizontal and vertical schedule review.

Schedules are reviewed in a horizontal direction to check durations and dependencies. Verticle checks
are made to check for resource limitations or conflicts.
10.2.3 Milestone and duration fit expectations.

Are the selected milestones appropriate? Will the turbine be on oil soon enough to accommodate a
generator air test and re-gas the machine, Who ordered the gas by he way?
10.2.4 Identify actual or potential choke points.

What areas of the outage process have their nature such that regardless how many people/resources you
throw at it the work can not get completed faster? Challenge the choke points. Is a process change or
repair procedure possible? Often times a replace versus repair is a quicker but perhaps more costly
solution.
10.3 Revise schedule and distribute

As schedules are revised they should be dated and posted. All people need to be encouraged to review
and comment.
11 Assigning labor resources to execute the outage plan

11.1 Who will perform: Contractors, in-house labor, or combination
This determination needs to be made early in the planning stages. T – 6 months at the latest. It must be
determined before work scopes can be put together for contractors. Do not over-assign in house
personnel they may be needed to oversee contracted help. Consideration of the level of complexity and
experience levels of contractors and in-house personnel needs to be considered. Mixing crews is a
common practice in that in house people work along side contractors to accomplish the work. The in-
house people plan the work, obtain clearances and permits, obtain parts and the contractors keep the
work moving forward.
11.2 Develop procurement strategy - contract labor, services and

materials
Determine how many contractors will be needed to complete the required work. Will you have only one
boiler repair contractor? Will there be a separate contractor for the generator work or the same as the
turbine. Will vacuum services be required? Is there one contractor that can handle all the work or should
there be a back up contractor. Will the contractor be providing the materials and equipment to install.
Will the work be performed on a lump sum basis or cost plus?
11.3 Develop procurement schedule
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11.4 Specification development

As the work scope is developed for a contract you need to think through the job that you expect the
contractor to accomplish, step by step. It is a good practice to include a Work by Owner, and a Work by
Contractor section to clarify what services that you will be providing as the owner. As you step through
the work scope include needs on one list or the other. If it is not on either list you will provide it.
Specify technical requirements, deliverables, reports and payment terms. Indicate who will provide
special tools, technical direction, supervision, and consumables.
See common pitfalls in - Appendix A
Estimate the quantity of lump sum work and T&M work. This is necessary for budget completion and
evaluating the bids.
11.5 Request for bids/estimates

Requests for Proposals should be sent out to qualified contractors in accordance with plant purchasing
manual. Terms and conditions should be included at this point for consideration by the contractors. This
is the point that you have some leverage with the contractor and they are less likely to take exception to
the Terms and Conditions. After a review and award is made is not the time to work in the terms and
conditions.
Have a pre-bid meeting with all the qualified contractors. Review the work scope and make certain that
they understand. Issue minutes to the meeting and addendum to the requests for proposals. Allow the
contractors ample time to prepare a bid.
Request mark up rates for materials and subcontractors. Request safety statistics and procedures
(welding and heat treating).
Specify milestones in the RFP and ask the contractor to provide a time line indicating when milestones
are completed.
Ask for the schedule that the contractor expect to work, number of days per week, shifts per day and
hours per shift. Request a manpower loading to accompany the schedule. He should tell you how many
people that he anticipates to work on activities on the job.
Ask for a list of equipment to be mobilized on site and when the contractor will mobilize and with how
many people.
11.6 Bid/estimate review

Compare lump sum prices and apply T&M rates to estimates of manhours.
11.7 Issue contracts
11.8 Contractor preparation and mobilization
11.9 Define contractor requirements for providing detailed schedule.

Schedules need to be developed for critical
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11.10 Incentives and Penalties

Consider awarding Contractor on critical path an incentive to finish up early. He should already be
providing a best effort schedule but as planning progresses opportunities may come up that a contractor
can perhaps take advantage of more or larger resources. If the contractor does not have incentives he
may overlook. Know what your lost revenues are and understand what the contractor’s costs are to
accelerate the schedule. A suggested offering would be the lesser of twice the contractors cost to
accelerate the schedule, and a third to half your daily lost margin. These days need to be capped to
minimize budget exposure and the possibility that the critical path will shift. If incentives are planned
leaders of all areas must understand that and realize the possibility that their slack time might evaporate.
12 Additional Pre-outage deliverables.

12.1 Site plan/ laydown plan
Site plans should be developed and indicate where resources are to be located. - Contractor change and
office facilities need to be laid out to make certain that mobilization occurs smoothly. Plans should be
available to site security personnel.
Laydown Plan – Component, Equipment and material storage laydown areas need to be well thought out
so that movements do not conflict or interfere with one another. As materials are delivered prior to the
shutdown it is efficient to have a plan that can be given to drivers and off loading personnel so that
material ends up where it is supposed to be and with out delay. Components coming out of engines,
turbines, generators need to have a home designated prior to execution of the outage. The home should
be clearly indicated on a laydown plan that should be posted on the turbine deck.
12.2 Unit Shutdown list (for Operations Department)

Shut down tests. - Over speed tests, valve tightness tests, Water induction tests, Emergency oil pump
test.
Harding Street
Empting fuel bunkers and day tanks
Overspeed trip tests
Critical systems check i.e. high low drum level trips
Lockout Tagout
Boiler, turbine and condenser cool down procedures
Generator de-gassing
Ash removal
Deepwater
Sweeping Coke Mills
Having selected tank levels at required levels
Testing of certain protective relays
12.3 Energy isolation or lock out tag out plan.

Isolation and tagging requests should be turned into the outage isolation and tagging coordinator at T- 2
weeks. Time to prepare and think through the requests is important. The coordinator will need time to
plan how many resources will be necessary to issue the request as required by the schedule.
Consideration of the time to issue and verify the mark up needs to be considered in the schedule.
12.4 Outage directory and organization chart
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12.5 Contractor Management Plans

12.5.1 Worker Orientation (includes site safety orientation)
Safety Rovers are a big help in this area. All contractor personnel need to have a safety orientation
consistent with the plant procedures. Schedule a specific time up front of when this is to occur. Consider
conducting them in a large setting. A good time to do this is 30 – 40 minutes after the start of the shift.
When the orientation will occur should be coordinated with the contractors so they can do their own
orientation as a follow up and coordinate it with signing up the people. During the orientation the
contractors need to be told what the charter of the outage is and what specifically their role will be in
accomplishing it.
12.5.2 Security and admission policy

Plants need to consider the influx of contractor personnel on the first shifts of an outage. Usually getting
people through the gates the first morning/afternoon can be a lengthy process. If ID’s need to be
photocopied. Make certain that enough supplies and equipment is available. (paper, back up photocopy
machine). The person waiting to get his id scanned will not only be on someone’s payroll but he might
also be working on the critical path of the outage.
12.5.3 Parking
Contractors should be told where to park in the plant as they arrive. Outage planning process should
have identified where specific contractors and visitors are to park. The security personnel should be
aware of the determinations. Maps of the site indicating who parks where are useful.
12.5.4 Temporary facilities - offices, communications plant services.

Sanitary - Determine who will provide and service these facilities prior to the procurement RFP phase and
make certain that they are set up well in advance of contractor arrival. Paging system – set up plant
communications system in the contractors area to enable the contract coordinator to be able to reach the
contractor readily.
12.6 Communication plan and schedule
13 Outage Management & Execution

13.1 Importance to working to the schedule
You put together a schedule for a reason. Plan the work and work the plan. Deviations from the
schedule are likely to have an impact on other activities. These may not be apparent to the individuals
involved in the decision to deviate. It must be stressed to all involved during the planning and execution
stages of the project that schedule must be followed. Completing an activity late should not be allowed or
tolerated. It will undoubtedly delay the start of other events. Starting early can also be detrimental.
Starting work earlier than scheduled on a sump pump piping system may make it unavailable to be used
during a planned activity such as an air heater wash. Delaying the start of the wash that needs to be
completed before the seals can be changed. Working completely off the schedule should not occur. It
may make resources unavailable that may have been counted on. Finishing activities early for the most
part might be acceptable but it might mean that a system is no longer available to complete work on that
was anticipated to be accomplished after the early finish.
13.2 Daily work in progress updates

Conduct on each shift change.
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13.3 Master Schedule and updates & tracking tools

For long projects, Turbine/engine majors, the master schedule should be updated a minimum of two
times a week.
13.4 Outage Progress meetings

Conduct Progress meetings on a daily basis. Begin each meeting with a discussion on the importance of
conducting a safe outage. Discuss any and all safety concerns first. Review accidents of injuries or near
misses.
Review activities that are coming up in the near future and consider how others might be impacted. Ie air
flow.
13.5 Surprises/scope creep - unplanned and emergent work

13.5.1 Early Awareness and Warning
The sooner you find out about surprises the better. This will allow more time to rectify the situation.
Emergent work is going to happen. Labor resources and materials of a reasonable amount should have
been mobilized as a part of contingency preplanning.
13.5.2 Potential impact on schedule and budget

The outage manager should Have someone determine the time required to fix/repair the emergent work.
Approximate man-hours is a good method. This not only gives you an idea of how much it will cost but
also how long it will take. You need to ask how many people can work on the issue simultaneous. What is
the saturation point when people will start becoming less efficient. (getting in each others way). If it is 100
man-hours and there is only one person available then it will take 100 hours for that person to complete
the task. If you assign 100 people to it can it get done in 1 hour? That is not likely to occur.
13.5.3 Response plans
13.5.4 Review and Approval

The outage manager or his designee needs to review and approve all unplanned and emergent outage
work. This is essential for cooping him informed on unplanned work.
13.5.5 Communicate issues, decisions and impact to all stakeholders.
13.6 Release Systems to Operations

The release of systems to operations needs to be carried out in an orderly method. Just as it was
important to get systems on the critical path isolated and tagged first at the front end of the outage there
are systems that operations can use earlier than others and those with complicated mark up permits. One
might be the condenser and condensate system. There are other systems that can wait. Systems such
as coal mills, bottom ash system, or air fans. These are not all needed until the unit is on line and up on
load.
13.7 Start-up checklist

Particular attention needs to be paid to all and any equipment that has been worked on. Valve line up,
oil/lubrication levels, temperatures.
Harding Street
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The start up check list should start with a general operator check list used to start the unit up at any time.
This is normally derived from OEM instruction manuals and integrated into a narrative and check list used
by the station operators as instructions. Depending on the scope of work during the outage there may be
one time operations that may need to be performed to insure longevity and reliability. Below are
examples:
Packing adjustments
Vibration checks
Balancing
Oil analysis
Refractory cure
Steam blows
Trip tests
Instrumentation checks
In the event of major control changes or modifications loop checks and wire termination checks
Hydro test procedures
Lockout Tagout removal
Fuel availability
Deepwater
Meg all large motors (some 480volt, all 4160volt)
Meg Generator, Exciter transformer
LOTO’s signed off and breakers racked in
Hydro Boiler
Tank levels at required levels
Coke Silo’s full
Limestone Silo full
13.8 Start-up maintenance support plan

A skeleton crew of mechanical maintenance and I&E people should be available the first 24 hours of unit
operation.
14 Post-Outage Management
14.1 Post outage critique meeting, lessons learned.
14.1.1 Acknowledge success and analyze shortcomings
A post outage review meeting should be accomplished shortly after the outage. T+ 2 to +4 weeks is
usually an acceptable time frame. The outage manger should conduct the meeting and assure that
minutes are taken. All members of the outage team are invited. All should be copied on the minutes.
Praise all who contributed.
The outage manager is responsible to keep the meeting upbeat. Short comings should be considered
opportunities for improvements. Document what went well and why they did. Was it because of good
preplanning or were you lucky?
During the meeting ask the question. Was the outage conducted in a safe fashion? If so why or why
not? What could have been done to do it safer? If outside rovers were utilized they should also be
invited back to participate.
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Review the shutdown… were all the standard shutdown tests completed? Was equipment available whrn
it was scheduled? Did things take longer to isolate or cool down longer than anticipated?
Review the execution – Was the planned work all completed and on time? Was the over all schedule on
time? If not determine what pushed it out and determine why? What could have been done differently to
make it less likely to have occurred?
Evaluate how contractors performed. List in the minutes who the key outside players were and how they
performed. Outstanding, average or poor.
Review the start up… Was equipment ready to operate when it was released? Was it released in an
orderly fashion? How long did it take to clear tags/locks?
14.1.2 Document findings and recommendations
Prominently list the findings that resulted from the meeting both good and opportunities for improvement.
Recommendations for continuing or discontinuing, or modifying a practice should be clear and concise. If
recommendations are not apparent during the meeting action items need to be created and assigned and
due dates. Action item responsible individuals need to be documented. The minutes are to be reviewed
during the planning of future outages.
Build good practices or recommendations into the routine outage template or CMMS whrnever possible.
14.2 Outage report preparation

14.2.1 Standard Report format
Electronic is the best method now. This allows the document to be shared outside of the plant. Read
only is the best method when reports are shared outside the plants.
14.2.2 Due Date

Detailed reports from contractors should be specified as a deliverable in the contract. They should be
delivered in approximately T+ 3 months. Money should be held back from the contractor until it is
revived… 5 – 10 % is not unreasonable. Get a draft from the contractor before he leaves he site.
Consider allowing them to stay another day or so to complete it on site at least to a draft form.
14.2.3 Content
Areas of the plant need to consolidate the data collected by inspectors and plant personnel during the
outage. The areas of the plant can consolidate it into a plant wide document if desired. It has been a
standard practice to
14.3 Recommendations to CMMS for future outages

Review all area and contractor outage reports to determine what did not get fixed that was planned, what
did not get repaired that was identified during the outage and what had a temporary type repair
implemented. All these items need to be entered into CMMS to make certaint that they get incorporated
into the nest outage planning process.
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Appendices
A Common Pitfalls
Common Outage Pitfalls to Consider
Pitfalls – read through scope of work for contractors to see who provides the following… If in doubt you
do!
• Utilities and General
o Normal plant services required for the outage water, compressed air, electric power,
lighting, heat
o Supplementary lighting
o Permits, licenses, public – utility expenses, inspection fees,
o Materials and labor for insulation removal and reinstallation
o Special insurances
o Vacuum services
• Environmental health and safety
o Personal safety equipment
o Safety orientation for contractors
o Appropriate containers for generated trash, liquids, and contaminated wastes
o Waste disposal fees
o First aid facility, special safety training
o Fall protection plans
• Tools and consumables
o Normal tools to accommodate the scope of work
o Special tools and jigs supplied with the unit
o Expendable materials (rags,, hones, joint and bolt compounds, solvents, sandblasting
media)
o Acetylene and oxygen, shielding gases.
o Welding machines (determine who connects them and check to see plugs are compatible
with house receptacles)
o Turbine oil, grease, spare, and renewal parts required to complete the scope of work.
(Lint free rags for lube oil use)
• Contractor support
o Wash facilities (who maintains the facilities)
o Parking
o Sanitary facilities
o Change facilities
o Office facilities telephone, internet, plant paging system,
o Transportation to/from off site facilities to ensure timely component repair
o Receiving off loading and storage of all new and refurbished parts
o Technical experts scheduled concurrent with contract labor to facilitate
removal/installation of parts and conduct of other outage activities
o Plant operating personnel assigned to facilitate outage activities – such as equipment
shutdown and starting, filling up oil systems…
o Machine shop facilities on site machining and painting as required.
o Parts handling and laydown
o Temporary crane and operator
o Designated work and laydown areas accessible to crane, turbines and others major
equipment needing the same.
o Material for protection of lay down surfaces and equipment therein
o Rotor supports and cribbing for equipment while in laydown
• Scaffolding
o Scaffolding services, who builds, who inspects every shift?
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• Electrical
o Periodic megger testing to monitor the generator field condition during the outage
o Testing and repair of motors and power circuits
o Personnel to disconnect and reconnect wiring and conduit necessary for disassembly
and reassembly
o Plant electricians to disconnect tag out, and reconnect electrical apparatus
o Electricians to assist generator specialist.
o Isolation and tag out of equipment
o Protective coatings and heaters to maintain generator while disassembled.
• I&C test equipment
o Personnel and equipment to disassemble and calibrate instrumentation.
o Non destructive testing services including surface preparation and other preparations
necessary to conduct the testing.
o Calibration of all test equipment
Stock up on slings and things, consumables, lights, string of lights, bulbs, PPE,
Tips –
Micro-manage the critical path!!!
Get started quickly
Boiler lights – insert through soot blower openings
Micromanage any non routine lifts!
Determine component weights ahead of time! Make up lift tables with description and weight
Use induction heaters in lieu of cal rods.
Map laydown area and mark on floor
Inspect crane and hoists one month prior to outage. Have crane contingency plan.
Inspect rigging equipment – special and conventional
Measure, count, layout three times, then mark, then check , then cut… test fit up soon
Segregate work areas with bulkheads to isolate hazards
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B Sample Bid/Work Scope Specifications
C Routine Work Template

Trip tests
Inspections
Lubrication
Calibrations
Repairs we know will occur on predetermined frequency
Code inspections and Certifications i.e. boiler, un-fire pressure vessels
Heat exchanger inspection and cleaning
Boiler fire side cleaning i.e. explosive blasting and water washing
Boiler hydro testing
Fan and motor bearing oil changes
Damper ductwork and turning vane inspection
Motor winding cleaning
Safety valve inspection and repairs
Main and auxiliary transformer service
Breaker and switch gear service
Protective Relay calibration
Valve work
Instrument repairs and calibrations
Non destructive examinations UT, dye penetrant, magnet particle, replications
Deepwater
ransformer testing and oil analysis
High Voltage insulator cleaning
Protection relays, calibration and testing
Switchgear cleaning and testing
Infer Red inspections of electrical equipment prior to outage
Instrumentation calibrations
Inspect and clean Generator brushes and housing
Boiler inspection and cleaning
Grease and stroke all fan & mill dampers
Change oil as needed on gear boxes
Test PRV
Inspect airflow duct and expansion joints
Air Heater wash
D Sample Work Control

Work Control
Harding Street
That depends on who is doing the work and the extent. If is work done by in
house craft labor then it would be document in our CMMS and inventory system
and a report would be written by supervision or our engineering department. If it
is out of scope on a turbine outage it would be documented by a change order to
the contractor which would require a detailed report to be completed at the end of
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the job. If the job is very complex the OEM would be on site and a report
submitted by them.
Work Control
Deepwater
The work would be documented in (AMMS) our CMMS and communicated in the
daily plant outage meeting. The area Team Leader has to approve the emergent
work in his area. Completion would be verified, accepted and confirmed by the
person overseeing the work, the Area TL, Maintenance TL or the COMPANY
Contract Administrator.
E. Sample Start up Check List

Deepwater Check list
Meg all large motors (some 480volt, all 4160volt)
Meg Generator, Exciter transformer
LOTO’s signed off and breakers racked in
Hydro Boiler
Tank levels at required levels
Coke Silo’s full
Limestone Silo full
COMPANY Warrior Run Start Up Procedure

Revised !!!!! 4/2002
Note: This is a normal startup with all auxiliary equipment running including:
-Closed Cooling Water
-Primary Cooling Water
-Instrument and Service Air
-All Electrical Buses and Breakers
-Emissions Control and Monitoring Equipment
________________________________________________________________Note:
Check off each item as startup proceeds.
At dispatch, verify that the following tank and silo levels are established:
-Demin Tank about 50% min.
-Condensate Tank about 50% min.
-Fuel Oil Tank at 75% min.
-Coal Silos full (start up coal reclaim equipment if necessary).
-Limestone Silo full (start up limestone mill equipment if necessary).
TURBINE
-Turn on Lube Oil Function Group
verify lube oil temp at 77deg. F.
verify lube oil pump and vapor extractor start test start emergency lube oil
pump
Page 65 of 79
_____ VERIFY GLAND STEAM EXHAUSTER IS ON
-Vent Lube Oil Coolers and Filters.

check oil pressure at 21.8 psig minimum.
check bearing drain sight glasses for oil flow
check oil system for leakage
-Valve in Cooling Water to Lube Oil Coolers.

check standby lube oil cooler for venting and alignment
-normal lube oil operation temp is 104 to 113 deg. F
-Check Turning Gear for Operation

start jacking oil pump
push in jog button at turning gear
operate hand pump to turn shaft
-After test is complete start turning gear function Group
check that turning and jacking oil pump is running.
-Check that turning gear engages and speed runs to 17 rpms.
-if speed goes to 34 rpms, ensure that only one jacking oil pump is
running.
-Verify condenser hotwell levels normal at 21”.

check that make-up and dump valves to condenser are lined up and
in auto.
-Start condensate transfer pump, place standby pump in standby.
-Place demin water pump in auto, place standby pump in standby.
-Select normal operation for Disch to Cond (DE-LV-012)
-Start condensate pump.

set condensate recirc flow (CO-FCV-30) to 250 kpph (per pump)
set hotwell level control to 21” (16 to 25 inches normal range)
set deaerator level control in auto at about (100 inches)
normal operation two condensate pumps running and one in standby
BOILER STARTUP
-Verify that the following vents and drains are in startup position
Economizer vent closed
Economizer drain closed
Steam Drum vent wide open
Water Wall drains closed
Superheater Startup Vent open ( control board )
Reheater vent open( control board )
Reheater drains open
Main Steam drains 12, 12A, 21, & 21A open ( control board )
Page 66 of 79
East and West Superheat drains open

-
Establish Boiler Steam Drum Level by using condensate crossover to
feedwater header.
set drum level to about 2 inches high
VERIFY THAT BOILER CIRC PUMPS ARE FILLED AND PURGED

check that CCW is lined up to cooler
check that discharge valves are open
-Start Boiler Circulating Pump
place other boiler-circulating pump in standby
-Open Economizer Recirc. Valve and place in Auto.

Note: Recirc. Valve to be open when feedwater flow is below 100,000
lb. per hr.
-Place Baghouse in Operation

Note: Minimum baghouse inlet temp. is 130 deg. f after startup.
Note* Before starting I.D. Fan, ensure that P.A. and S.A. dampers are in startup
position.
check I.D. inlet vane at 0%
check S.A. inlet vane at 100%
check P.A. inlet vane at 100%
check all other P.A. and S.A. dampers are at 50% minimum.
Check that SA Master output is at 29%
-Prior to starting fans, verify the following checks of all fans

check oil level
start oil skids
verify CCW lineup to bearings and coolers
-Start ID Fan
place ID fan dampers in auto at -.5”wg.
-Start Ammonia Injection Blower
-Verify that FA vent is open, discharge is closed, and inlet is closed
-Start Fluidizing Air Blowers

after start, set inlet valve to auto after 10 seconds
set FA flow to 128,000 lb. per hr.
Allow discharge air temp to warm up to 165 deg. Before
Opening discharge into boiler.
Close vent valve after discharge is open and place in auto
Page 67 of 79
-Close S.A. Fan Inlet Vanes slowly and monitor draft
-Start S.A. Fan

slowly open inlet vane to 20% while monitoring draft
verify that SA upper ring dampers and slant wall dampers go to
purge position (SA Master output at 29%)
SA fan inlet vanes should be set to a process of 25 “
SA upper north and upper south should be at 105 kpph
SA lower north and lower south should be at 85 kpph
-Close Primary Air Fan Inlet Vane to 0% and monitor draft.
Start Primary air fan

set primary air header pressure to purge permissive position.
(approx. 20-25%)
Adjust front and rear PA dampers until even flow is
Established through both
Set primary and secondary air fan dampers to achieve 30% total air
flow on purge screen on DCS.
-ADJUST SA FLOW MASTER OUTPUT TO 29%.
-Adjust Secondary Air flow to admit air to Start-up burners.

-Open all start-up burner air dampers to 12%.
VERIFY THAT ALL PURGE PERMISSIVES ARE SET ON FBSS PURGE PAGE
ON DCS.
-Start Purge
purge for five minutes (five volume changes of air/flue gas)
-Verify Fuel Oil System lineup for Oil Burners
-Start a Fuel Oil Burner Pump
-Start Atomizing Air Compressor

verify that atomizing air isolation valve is open (CA-Fv-123)
-Verify that Startup Burners are in place

check that burner isolation valves are open
Page 68 of 79
PURGE COMPLETE
-Maintain Air Flow at 30% minimum on SA Master Process.

verify secondary air fan flow at 303,370 lb/hr.
Verify all lower slant wall and two upper slant wall secondary air
valves are open
close all other secondary air valves
verify primary air fan flow at 600,000 lb/hr.
(50% MCR)
NOTE* All coal feeders and fuel shutoff valves must be proven closed prior to
ignition of startup burners.
-Verify that all burner oil flow valves are at minimum settings for startup.
-Open Fuel Oil Trip Valve
-Scavenge and retract burners as needed to set startup positions.
-Initiate a start of a burner at minimum firing rate (about 5gpm)

min fuel oil burner pressure is 14 psi
-Place burner air and burner oil in Auto and operate off
oil burner Master
-Increase firing rate as needed to maintain start-up curves

not to exceed 200 deg f. per hour on cyclone outlet temps.
downcomer and economizer temps should be maintained to within
100 deg. f of each other
-Start additional burners as needed and place in auto
-Reduce primary air as firing rate increases to reduce heat in gas leaving
combustor and reduce heat
transferred to waterwalls.
NOTE: DO NOT REDUCE TOTAL AIR FLOW BELOW 25% PROCESS ON SA

AIR FLOW MASTER.
-Maintain mid-combustor temp and seal pot temp to within 100 deg f.
-Close drum vents at 25 psig.
-Maintain gas temp leaving cyclone below 1,000 deg f. to prevent

overheating of backpass
Page 69 of 79
superheater and reheater and economizer hanger tubes.
-As drum pressure increases, throttle the following drains

east & west superheater drains two turns
backpass superheater drains two turns
backpass reheater drains two turns
Turbine Generator
-Verify Cooling Tower Level

about 3.5 ft.
-Start Main Circulating Water Pump

normal operation two circulating water pumps running one in
standby.
-Close Vacuum Breaker
-Turn on Drains Function Group

verify that turbine drains are open
-Verify Reheater Blackout Valves and Reheater Vent Valve are closed
When drum press is between 150 psi to 200 psi start one boiler
feed pump
Verify that recirc flow is in auto at 187 kpph
Check discharge valve for full open after starting
Normal operation two feedwater pumps running and one in standby
-When Main Steam Pressure is at 320 psig minimum
-Start Functional Group for Gland Steam

check gland steam temp control set at 356 deg f
check gland steam press control set at 14.0”wc (.5 psig)
When Main steam pressure is at 580 psig or greater or Main Steam

superheat temp is about 20 deg. F. or 45 minutes prior to turbine roll
-CLOSE REHEATER DRAINS AND VENTS ON BOILER PRIOR TO Vacuum
-Start Air Ejector System

check air ejector steam temp. control set at 450 deg f.
check air ejector steam press. control set at 165 psig.
Page 70 of 79
-Start Hogger Air Ejector pull vacuum as low as possible.

-insure air ejector loop seal is charged with water.
-Place Main Air Ejector Set in service.
Note: the hogger should be shut down after the air ejectors are able to
maintain vacuum alone at approx. -26” hg.
-Check Hydraulic Fluid Tank Level.

-level should be just below max. and temp should at least 68
deg f.
-Start the Hydraulic System Function Group

check that pressure is greater than 580 psig
check main steam superheat temp greater than 36 deg f.
check that reheater blackout valve is shut
check that turbine stop valves are shut
check that turbine control valves are shut
check that condenser pressure is less -23.5” hg for start-up
check that reheat pressure is 4 psia or less.
-PRIOR TO TURBINE RESET

start second condensate pump
place standby condensate in auto
start second feedwater pump
place standby feedwater pump in auto
start second main circ pump.
-Reset the Turbine by switching on the functional group reset system

check that safety oil pressure comes up
all main and intercept valves open slightly
target speed goes to 3600 rpm
cancel all nrv alarms
turbine should go to between 17 –23 rpms.
-Place the Program Device On.
-Run up Turbine speed with Program Device (Turbotrol)

check that turbine hood spray comes on at 1400 rpm
check that aux oil pump shuts off at 3600 rpm
CRITICAL SPEEDS
700 – 1200 rpms
1700-3100 rpms
Page 71 of 79
THERE IS A 20 MINUTE HOLD AT 1420 RPM.

*On a cold start, hold turbine at this speed by turning off Program
Device for 45 minutes to reduce risk of vibration trip.
Return Program Device to ON after 45 minute warmup.
-At 3607 rpm prepare for synchronizing and loading.

Verify Turbine Program Device goes Off
Verify Main Steam Drains MS-12, MS-12A, MS-21, MS-21A
close
-Close Field Breaker

check voltage, current, hertz, amps
place AVR in Auto
Adjust voltage using AVR
Place Synch Switch in Auto
-Generator will synch. automatically and go to 5% load (about 10 mw)
-Place Synch Switch in Manual
-Place Program Device On

increase target load setpoint as header pressure allows
-Close east & west Superheater and backpass drains
-Verify Economizer recirculation valve closes after feedwater flow is above

100,000 lb/hr.
-Place Feedwater flow/Drum level control in automatic with setpoint at

normal.
-Verify turbine hood spray is off after 20 mw load.
-Verify turbine drains close above 30 mw load.
-PLACE FEEDWATER HEATERS IN SERVICE WHEN PRESSURE

PERMITS OPERATION.
-Place Cooling Tower Fans in service as needed to maintain Circ Water at

80 deg. f.
-Place Ash Removal System in service

check CCW on ash screws
Page 72 of 79
check Potable water on jackets

check that bed ash conveyor and crusher are running
check that fly ash is ready for service
check economizer, air heater, and baghouse hopper isolation valves
are open
-Place Reverse Gas Fan in Service

place standby reverse gas fan in auto
-Verify Soot Blower System is ready for Operation

check lineup on air heaters
check lineup on back pass
place in service at 1500 psi
MID BED TEMPERATURE AT 1100 deg f.

-Check that all FBSS permissives are achieved
-Increase SA Fan pressure to 60” and place remaining SA dampers

in auto except for the Upper Ring Damper (this will be done after
the last oil burner is out of service).
-Increase PA Fan pressure to 80” and place in auto

-Increase PA Flow to 750k lb/hr and place in auto
-Balance front and rear PA dampers and place in auto
-Start up limestone feed

start desired limestone blowers
verify that proper rotary feeders start
verify that proper valves open to feed limestone to boiler
-Verify that Coal Feed System is ready for Operation

verify that coal silo isolation gates are open
verify that coal is on belts
verify that coal feeder is in remote
verify that seal air is on
verify that coal shutoff valve is open
verify that sweep air is on
-Start solid fuel at min flow (10%) on one feeder
-Start other coal feeders at min. in cross corner pattern.
Page 73 of 79
*At 1150 deg f. reduce oil burner fire rate
*At 1250 deg f. reduce oil burners to min fire rate and take off line
*Solid Fuel Permissive is met at 1200 deg f. without support fuel
-Place Superheater and Reheater Spray Valves in Auto at 1005 deg f.

setpoint.
-Increase combustor temperature at 275 deg f. per hour 1560 deg f.at 75%
load.
-Place Fuel and Air controls to Auto
-Set O2 control to auto.
-Boiler control is now on Boiler Master
CONTINUE TO SLOWLY OPEN TURBINE GOV. VALVES TO INCREASE

LOAD.
STEAM FLOW AT APPROX. 475K lb/hr.
-Place 3-Element Feedwater Control in Service as Drum Level Demands
-Set Bed Ash Screws at D.P. setpoint and place in auto
-Fill FBHE’s when combustor D.P. allows
-Place Seal Pot Ash Control Valves in auto at proper levels and temps.
#1 and #3 SEAL POT VALVES CONTROL SUPERHEATER OUTLET
TEMP at 1005 deg f.
#2 SEAL POT VALVE CONTROLS COMBUSTOR TEMP at 1560 deg f.
#4 SEAL POT VALVE CONTROLS REHEATER TEMP at 1005 deg f.
TURBINE CONTROL
-BOILER PRESSURE AT 925 PSI AND GOV. VALVES AT 105%
Page 74 of 79
-Refer to Predicted Performance Curve at end of notes.
GOING TO HEADER PRESSURE CONTROL
NET MEGAWATTS SHOULD BE AT LEAST 70 PRIOR GOING TO

THROTTLE PRESSURE CONTROL
-Increase header pressure to 1700 psi.

-Switch Turbine Control to DCS.
-Place Turbine Master in auto on LDC page (turbine follow)
-Increase pressure controller setpoint to 1800 psi.
-Increase Boiler Master to increase MW output
-Place LDC in BOILER FOLLOW + MW
-Set target load to desired MW.
-Set Load-Up Rate at desired mw/min.
-When desired load is reached and system is stable, load can be

transferred to APS.
-Place Ammonia Injection System in service if required for NOX removal
OPERATOR NOTES:
High Cyclone Temperatures

-1850 deg f operator required trip
-1800 deg f operator required runback
High Combustor Temperatures

-1700 deg f operator required trip
Drum Level
-High Trip +10”
-Low Trip -12”
Drum Safeties
-#1 Drum 2280 psig
-#2 Drum 2348 psig
Main Steam Safety

-2085 psig
Page 75 of 79
ERV Safety
-2043 psig
Cold Reheat Safeties

-#1 550 psig
-#2 558 psig
-#3 566 psig
Hot Reheat Safety

-524 psig
Fan Pressures
-Primary Air 80” wg.
-Secondary Air 60” wg.
-Fluidizing Air 205” wg.
Furnace Pressure Trips
-High High +15” trips fans
-High trip +6” MFT
-High alarm +3”
-Low alarm -4”
-Low trip -9”
Combustor Differential Pressures

-Upper 8-9” drop
-Lower 45-50” drop
-Plenum 15” drop across nozzles.
-Total Combustor55-60” drop
Generator Info.
-229,000 kva
-0.9 power factor
-voltage 18,000 + 5%
-current 7345 amps
-60 hertz
Turbine Info.
-minimum oil temp. 77deg f.
-bearing oil press. 21.8 psi
-normal oil temp. 104-113 deg f.
-turning gear speed 17 rpm
-min superheat temp 36 deg f
-hood spray on from 1450 rpm to 10% load
-Cold Start Probe temp <320 deg f.
Page 76 of 79
-Warm Start Probe temp between 320 and 824 deg f.

live steam temp 90-180 deg f higher than probe temp
-Hot Start temp > 824 deg f.
Shutdown Times
-Cold >100 hours
-Warm 8-100 hours
-Hot < 8 hours
Loading Times to Full Load

-Cold 3 hours
-Warm 1.5 hours
-Hot 20 minutes
Bearing Metal Temps

-212 deg f. max on thrust brg.
-248 deg f. max on journal brg.
Bearing Vibrations
Brg alarm trip
Mad30 cy021/22 3/3 9.45
Mad20 cy021/22 3.5/3 9.45
Mkd 10 cy021/22 4.5/3 9.45
Mkd 20 cy021/22 3/3 9.45
Mkd 50 cy021/22 3.5/3.5 9.45
Differential Expansion
-minimum -79 mils
-maximum +217 mils
Axial Vibration
-16 mils alarm
-32 mils trip
Turning Gear Time

Shutdown time Turn Time Required
Less than 1 day 2 hours
Up to 7 days 6 hours
7 to 30 days 12 hours
More than 30 days 24 hours
Emissions Limits
Page 77 of 79
-SO2 Averages
annual 0.16 Lb/mmBTU
24 hr. 0.19 Lb/mmBTU
3hr. 0.21 Lb/mmBTU
-NOx Average
24 hr. 0.10 Lb/mmBTU
-Opacity Average
3 min in any hour 10% max.
-HEAT INPUT 2060mm for 3hr avg.
APS EEPA REQUIREMENTS

-Min Load
72mw +5% (3.6 mw)
-Max Load
All net available capacity 180 mw +5mw
-Manual Dispatch
Requires dispatched change response within 30 minutes.
-Auto Dispatch ACE CONTROL
Requires ramp rate change of 6 mw per minute, however, not
outside of safe and reliable practice.
-QF Mode
180MW (not manual mode).
14.4 SLIDING PRESSURE PREDICTED PERFORMANCE PER HEAT

BALANCE.
MW UNIT LOAD THROTTLE PRESS.

51.25 25% 925psig
61.5 30% 925psig
71.75 35% 925psig
82 40% 925psig
92.25 45% 975psig
102.5 50% 1038psig
112.75 55% 1102psig
123 60% 1165psig
133.25 65% 1228psig
143.5 70% 1292psig
153.75 75% 1355psig
Page 78 of 79
164 80% 1444psig

174.25 85% 1533psig
184.5 90% 1622psig
194.75 95% 1711psig
205 100% 1800psig
215.25 102% 1830psig
Page 79 of 79

Company Outage Managemet STD Rev 2

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DRAFT - COMPANY Outage Planning & Management Standard

1 Outage Planning & Management Standard Overview ........................................................................... 3

6.1 Budget Overview ............................................................................................................................ 34

12.1 Site plan/ laydown plan .............................................................................................................. 57

1 Outage Planning & Management Standard Overview

1.2 Outage Definition & Types

1.3 Outage Planning Variables

1.4 Importance of Outage Processes

Benefits of Effective Outage Process

Impacts of Ineffective Outage Process

1.5 Measures of Effective Outage Processes

2 Defining the Outage Project (High Level)

2.2 Purpose of the Outage – Charter Statement

Example 2.2.1, Charter Statement

Example 2.2.2, Charter Statement

2.3 Establish Outage Duration

.Example 2.3, Re-engineering Outage Processes

2.4 Identify All Major Projects

Example 2.4, Non-Routine Major Maintenance Projects

2.5 Roles, Responsibilities, & Resources

Assign Project Leaders

Example 2.6, Typical Outage Constraints

3 Outage Organization – Roles & Responsibilities

The following is a list of suggested outage roles:

3.2 Outage Roles & Responsibilities

3.2.2 Project Leaders (Project Managers)

3.2.3 Outage Planner(s)

Definition of Work List & Task List, Jobs & Tasks

3.2.4 Outage Scheduler(s)

3.2.6 Contractor Coordinator

3.2.7 Operations Manager

3.2.8 Procurement Manager

The procurement processes are covered in greater detail in Section

3.2.10 System Owners

3.2.11 Shift Manager

3.2.12 Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS) Coordinator

• Confined space entry

3.2.13 Lockout/Tagout Coordinator

3.2.14 Quality Assurance & Control

3.3 Limits of Authority / Decision Responsibility

Sample Guidelines for Outage Authority Limits / Decision Responsibility

3.4 Organization Charts / Assignment Sheets / Directories

Example 3.4.1, Sample Outage Project Assignment Sheet

Project or Area Leader Auth. Budget Cap/O&M Notes

Example 3.4.2, Sample Outage Organization Chart

Planner-Mech Maint Low NOx burner Supv-Boiler, ash sys Procurement

Planner-Elect/Control Ignitors Supv-mech, BOP Operations Mgr

Scheduler Ash tank refract Supv-Elect Safety

Precip casing C.C. - vacuum, h-blast Weld code compl.

ID fan motors C.C.- scaffold, insul

Example 3.4.3, Sample Outage Directory

Unit 1, Fall 2006 Outage Directory

Company Name Role Off. phone Cell phone E-mail Project(s)

4 Outage Planning Timeline

4.2 Projects Requiring Long Lead Time Materials or Services

Examples 4.2, Long Lead Time Projects

Replacing large or complete sections of boiler pressure parts such as a pendant

Rewinding a generator stator or field typically requires consumption or use of very

4.3 Outage Planning Process Milestones & Schedule

Table 4.3, Outage Planning Milestones & Schedule

4.4 Outage Planning Milestone Descriptions

Milestone: Identify all major outage projects Due week: T-51