Ask Ron Besuijen

Ron's Response:

In high-pressure situations, even the best technical knowledge is of little use without focus and the ability to manage stress effectively. Simulation training helps operators develop these essential skills by:

• Teaching Prioritization: In a high-stakes scenario, operators must quickly determine what needs immediate attention. Through repeated exposure to complex situations, simulation training helps operators practice prioritizing tasks and managing competing demands. As Dave Strobhar aptly puts it, “Sometimes a move has to be good enough, and you have to move on.”
• Avoiding Fixation: It’s easy to get stuck on one problem or explanation, especially under stress. Simulation training teaches operators to stay flexible, exploring alternative possibilities and keeping their perspective broad.
• Stress Management Techniques: Techniques like tactical breathing, self-talk, and visualization are incorporated into training, helping operators stay calm and maintain clarity under pressure.

Familiarity breeds confidence, and simulation training minimizes the fear of the unknown by allowing operators to face and overcome challenges repeatedly. This confidence shifts stress from being debilitating to becoming a focusing tool—helping operators channel their energy toward solving the problem at hand.

The strategy for a trip of a large compressor in one petrochemical facility is you have one chance for a quick restart, which means only a short interruption of production. A problem while testing the auto starts on a seal oil pump caused a trip and during the restart the machine failed to move through the compressor critical speeds fast enough, returning the speed to slow roll. Because the operator had trained for this scenario on the simulator, he felt comfortable trying one more restart and was successful. This prevented a day of lost production.  

With consistent practice, operators learn to embrace stress as a challenge rather than a threat. This mental shift transforms them into resilient problem-solvers, capable of thriving in even the most demanding situations.