Product Overview

Summary: This SOP sets out a clear, step-by-step approach for safely optimising waste heat recovery systems in Australian industrial and commercial facilities. It balances energy-efficiency gains with robust WHS controls, ensuring that adjustments to heat exchangers, boilers, turbines, and associated plant do not introduce unacceptable risks to workers or operations.

Waste heat recovery systems can deliver substantial energy savings and emissions reductions, but optimising their performance is not simply a technical exercise. Changes to operating parameters, flow rates, temperatures and control logic can introduce new hazards such as over‑pressurisation, equipment fatigue, burns, leaks and unplanned plant interactions if they are not managed under a structured WHS framework. This Safe Operating Procedure provides a rigorous, repeatable method for assessing, implementing and verifying optimisation initiatives while keeping workers safe and ensuring compliance with Australian WHS legislation.

The document guides your team through pre‑optimisation risk assessment, isolation and verification steps, safe access to high‑temperature areas, monitoring of critical process variables and communication protocols between operations, maintenance and WHS. It also embeds energy-efficiency and reliability considerations, helping you capture the full value of your waste heat recovery assets without compromising plant integrity or worker health. By standardising how optimisation work is planned, executed and reviewed, this SOP reduces variability, supports defensible decision-making, and helps integrate energy projects into your existing safety management system.

Designed for Australian industrial, manufacturing, resources and large commercial sites, the procedure aligns with relevant WHS duties, pressure equipment requirements and plant safety expectations. It is suitable for both existing installations undergoing tuning or upgrades, and new systems being brought up to optimal performance after commissioning.

Key Benefits

• Ensure that all waste heat recovery optimisation activities are carried out under controlled, clearly documented WHS procedures.
• Reduce the risk of burns, leaks, over‑pressurisation and other plant failures when changing temperatures, pressures or flow conditions.
• Improve energy efficiency and system reliability through a structured approach to performance monitoring, tuning and verification.
• Standardise communication and sign‑off between engineering, operations and WHS teams for any parameter or configuration changes.
• Demonstrate due diligence and compliance with Australian WHS and pressure equipment requirements during optimisation projects.

Who is this for?

• Plant Managers
• Maintenance Supervisors
• WHS Managers
• Process Engineers
• Energy and Sustainability Managers
• Mechanical Fitters
• Boiler Operators
• Facilities Managers
• Commissioning Engineers

Hazards Addressed

• Exposure to hot surfaces and high-temperature fluids or gases
• Burns and scalds from steam, condensate or hot oil leaks
• Over‑pressurisation of heat exchangers, boilers, piping and associated plant
• Failure of pressure equipment due to incorrect set‑points or bypassing of safeguards
• Contact with moving machinery such as pumps, fans and turbines connected to heat recovery systems
• Confined space risks in heat recovery ducts, boiler rooms, plant rooms or associated enclosures
• Release of hazardous combustion products or process gases during adjustments or purging
• Electrical hazards when working on associated control systems, variable speed drives and instrumentation
• Slips, trips and falls around elevated platforms, ladders and congested plant areas
• Manual handling injuries from handling insulation, access panels, valves and instrumentation

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and System Overview (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Turbines, Ducting, Controls)
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 5.0 Pre‑Optimisation Planning and Risk Assessment (SWMS/JSA)
• 6.0 Plant Isolation, Lockout/Tagout and Verification of De‑energisation
• 7.0 Required PPE, Tools and Instrumentation for Optimisation Activities
• 8.0 Access, Housekeeping and Confined Space Entry Controls
• 9.0 Baseline Performance Data Collection and System Condition Checks
• 10.0 Step‑by‑Step Optimisation Procedure (Parameter Changes, Sequencing and Limits)
• 11.0 Monitoring of Critical Variables (Temperature, Pressure, Flow, Emissions) and Alarm Settings
• 12.0 Managing Process Safety and Pressure Equipment Risks During Adjustments
• 13.0 Emergency Shutdown, Fault Response and Incident Reporting
• 14.0 Post‑Optimisation Verification, Performance Review and Sign‑off
• 15.0 Documentation, Recordkeeping and Change Management
• 16.0 Training, Competency Assessment and Refresher Requirements
• 17.0 Inspection, Maintenance Interfaces and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent State and Territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) and equivalent State and Territory WHS Regulations, including provisions for plant and pressure equipment
• Safe Work Australia – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace: Code of Practice
• Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities: Code of Practice
• Safe Work Australia – Confined Spaces: Code of Practice
• AS/NZS 1200: Pressure equipment
• AS 4343: Pressure equipment – Hazard levels
• AS 3788: Pressure equipment – In-service inspection
• AS/NZS 3000: Electrical installations (Wiring Rules)
• AS/NZS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (for organisations integrating energy optimisation with compliance reporting)