TABLE OF CONTENTS Case Studies for Group Discussion... 2 End of Module Quizzes: Answer Key... 6 Pre-Certification Exam: Answer Key...

Transcription

1 Bobtail Delivery Operations Instructor Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS Case Studies for Group Discussion... 2 End of Module Quizzes: Answer Key... 6 Pre-Certification Exam: Answer Key... 7

2 Case Studies for Group Discussion MODULE 9, LESSON 3 REAL LIFE SCENARIO: FILLING BOBTAILS Background This lesson focuses on a hypothetical case study about how an employee, named Charlie, handles a situation when filling his bobtail. You will serve as the expert for this case study and will work with your students to examine the areas that Charlie needs to correct and improve. Directions Instruct your students to quietly read the scenario. When they are finished, discuss Charlie s actions with the students. Then have the students read the outcomes and discuss the lessons learned. Scenario Charlie Thurgood is an employee of General Propane and has been driving bobtail trucks for 15 years. He's a dedicated employee who always arrives on time, follows company policies and regulations, and works hard to do his job well. Charlie received word that he will be assigned a brand new bobtail and he is pleased that he will be able to experience the latest design, safety and equipment advancements. One day, Charlie arrives at the bulk plant, receives his delivery route, list of scheduled deliveries, and prepares to fill his bobtail. He checks the liquid level gauge on both the bobtail tank and the plant tank, ensures all valves are in the proper position, and checks the condition of the hoses. Then, Charlie connects the transfer hoses, performs the sniff test, and starts to fill his bobtail. To monitor the transfer operation, Charlie places himself a safe distance away from the filling operation and stands near the bulk plant's fence, which is well within 25 feet of the bobtail. Most mornings it takes Charlie minutes to load his 3,000 gallon bobtail as the plant pump has an average flow rate of 160 gallons per minute. After about 15 minutes, Charlie notices that although the pressure gauge is showing a significant increase in the reading, the float gauge's dial pointer is barely moving. He is now confused because he remembers that the float gauge s dial pointer had moved normally when he first started the pump. Charlie doesn t understand why the filling rate seems to have slowed and the plant pump seems to be making more noise. He remains patient and continues with the filling process. Notes for Instructor Have the students stop here and discuss Charlie s actions with their group. Then call on a few volunteers to discuss the actions with the class. 2

3 Talking Points for Discussion and Guided Feedback Why is it important to understand the relationship between the pressure gauge and the float gauge? What are the possible consequences of Charlie s decision to stop filling? What would have happened if Charlie stopped filling and notified his supervisor? Here s what went wrong because of Charlie s decision to continue filling: Charlie notices an issue but remains complacent, relies on the float gauge, and continues the filling procedure assuming that the pressure gauge is just malfunctioning. After about 45 minutes, his supervisor comes out to inquire about the situation and asks what is taking so long. Charlie s supervisor notices that the pressure is getting unusually high in the bobtail and shuts down the operation immediately. He also discovers that the excess flow valve has slugged shut, a result that most likely occurred when Charlie first opened the vapor valves too fast. It takes Charlie and his supervisor an additional hour to get the bobtail s vapor down to a safe level and loaded the rest of the way. The supervisor informs Charlie that he will need to call the safety director and fill out an incident report. This report is placed in Charlie s file and may negatively affect his next pay increase. Here s what would have happened if Charlie stopped filling and notified his supervisor: As Charlie is filling the bobtail's cargo tank he is careful to monitor progress. He understands the correlation between the pressure gauge and the float gauge and knows that they have a direct relationship. If the pressure gauge increases, it indicates that the vapor equalizing system is not operating correctly which greatly decreases filling efficiency. Once Charlie notices the pressure indicating an increase in the tank's pressure and the float gauge barely moving, he realizes something is wrong. Charlie stops the filling operation and immediately contacts his supervisor after he re-checks the vapor connections and valves. Charlie and his supervisor work together to check the gauges and problem-solve to find out why the float gauge and pressure gauges readings are not in synch. They discover that the excess flow valve in the bobtail's vapor equalizing system has slugged shut and will not reset to the open position. Charlie admits to his supervisor that he d been consumed with glitz of his new bobtail and did not spend enough time to acclimate himself with the new truck features, their functions, and any operations that may have been different from the bobtail he had previously driven. Because he was sidetracked, Charlie accidentally opened the vapor equalizing valves too quickly. Appreciating his honesty, Charlie s boss reminded him that new bobtails will not always operate or function the same way and dedicating time to familiarizing oneself with a new vehicle is crucial. While troubleshooting, Charlie and his boss realize that the pressure in the bobtail is exceeding the differential pressure of the pump so they close all the valves and after waiting about 3-5 minutes, the excess flow valves recede. They slowly open the valves in the bobtail. As the high pressure is relieved from the bobtail through the vapor equalizing hose to the bulk plant, the pressure decreases in the bobtail. After the bobtail s cargo tank pressure is equalized with the bulk plant tank s pressure, Charlie and his supervisor are able to start the filling process again. Charlie receives a letter of commendation from his supervisor for following his good judgment. Charlie's willingness to follow recommended filling procedures, in this case, notifying his supervisor of a problem, keeps him safe from personal injury, costly damage to his vehicle, and a potentially life-threatening situation. 3

4 MODULE 10, LESSON 3 REAL LIFE SCENARIO: FILLING CUSTOMER CONTAINERS Background This lesson focuses on a hypothetical case study about how an employee, named Lawrence, handles a situation when filling a container at a customer location. You will serve as the expert for this case study and will work with your students to examine the areas that Lawrence needs to correct and improve. Directions Instruct your students to quietly read the scenario. When they are finished, call on a few volunteers to discuss the talking points. Scenario Lawrence Johnson has driven cylinder delivery trucks and bobtails for 20 years. As a dedicated employee of General Propane, he always arrives on time and follows company policies and regulations to do his job well. One cold winter morning, Lawrence is asked by his supervisor to deliver propane to a rural customer, not on his usual delivery route. His supervisor explained that the will call customer s tank was extremely low. It is Lawrence's job to make sure that a family with a newborn baby does not run out of heat. Lawrence pulls up to the customer location and examines the propane container installation. Now ready to fill, Lawrence positions the bobtail, performs a site inspection, checks the liquid level in the container, sets the meter, opens the valves, and engages the PTO. He then prepares the hoses and filler valve, connects the hoses and checks for leaks, and begins to fill the customer container. As he monitors the filling process, Lawrence notices the fixed maximum liquid level gauge is squirting propane vapor, but the float gauge only shows a reading of 70%, so he decides to rely on the float gauge reading and continues the filling process. Lawrence continues to fill the tank until the float gauge reads 85%. He wants to make sure that the tank is full and does not run low on propane again. What Lawrence does not realize is that he has really filled the tank to 95% full. He moves on to his next scheduled delivery. Notes for Instructor Have the students stop here and discuss Lawrence s actions with their group. Then call on a few volunteers to discuss the actions with the class. 4

5 Talking Points for Discussion and Guided Feedback Why is it important to understand a container s gauges and valves and the relationships they have with one another? What are the possible consequences of Lawrence s decision to keep filling? What would have happened if Lawrence stopped filling and notified his supervisor? Here s what went wrong because of Lawrence s decision to continue filling the customer s container: Lawrence continues to fill the tank until the float gauge reads 85%. He wants to make sure that the tank is full and does not run low on propane again. What Lawrence does not realize is that he has really filled the tank to 95% full. He moves on to his next scheduled delivery and as the day gets warmer and the sun hits the tank, the liquid expands. The tank s relief valve pops open and as propane is released into the air, the owner of the home walks past the tank with a lit cigarette that creates a source of ignition and starts a devastating fire. Horribly, the homeowner is caught in the fire and has to be rushed to the hospital. He suffers both second and third degree burns. Lawrence s company is later sued and Lawrence loses his job. Here s what would have happened if Lawrence stopped filling and notified his supervisor: Lawrence's good judgment and adherence to proper filling operation procedures allow him to prevent a potentially dangerous situation. As Lawrence is filling the customer's container, he is careful to monitor progress. He understands that the fixed maximum liquid level gauge and the float gauge have a direct relationship. If the fixed maximum liquid level gauge squirts propane, this indicates that the container is full and the filling operation should be stopped. Lawrence also knows that he cannot rely solely on the float gauge. Once he notices the discrepancy between the gauges, he realizes something is wrong so he stops the filling operation and immediately calls his supervisor. His supervisor reminds him that the float gauge is most likely broken or inaccurate and they will have to replace the customer's container as soon as possible. In the meantime, because Lawrence stops the filling as soon as propane is emitted from the fixed maximum liquid level gauge. The container is prevented from being overfilled and a potentially dangerous situation is avoided. 5

6 End of Module Quizzes: Answer Key Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 3. D 5. C 1. C 2. C 6. B 2. C 9. C 1. B 6. B 9. B 11. D 12. A C 15. D Module 5 Module 6 Module 7 Module 8 4. C 9. C 1. C 3. D 4. A 9. C 1. D 5. C 6. A 7. A 1. B 2. D 3. D 4. D 7. D 8. C 10. A Module 9 Module 10 Module D 2. A 4. C 6. A 7. C 9. B 10. A 2. D 4. A 6. A 8. C 1. D 2. C 4. A 5. C 6. D 7. A 9. A 6

7 Pre-Certification Exam: Answer Key 1. B 2. D 4. D 6. B 7. C 8. B 10. A 11. D C A 17. D 18. C 19. B 20. A C 23. D A 27. A B 30. C 31. B 32. A C A 37. C 38. B 39. C 40. C D 43. D A 47. A 48. C 49. A 50. C 51. B 52. A 53. C 54. D A 57. D 58. C 59. B 60. D (5 years. This was labeled as option e. in the first print run of the 2016 edition) 61. B A D 67. A 68. B 69. B 70. D 71. C 72. C C 76. B 77. C A 80. D 7