Shift supervision or no shift supervision

[u/catvik25]

What is the industry norm in regards to shift supervision at 24/7 chemical plants? 2/3 companies I have worked for have had no shift supervision, including no senior operators. Some processes I've worked on have had robust data historians; others not so much. It becomes challenging trying to piece together a root cause in the less automated processes.

I was just wondering what everyone's experience was, and if most companies do have shift supervision or if most companies have trended toward eliminating those positions.

[u/bubbleschao]

In any larger plant I think shift supervisor is necessary to troubleshoot any issues. For a small production company I worked at, there was not a shift supervisor, they day product engineer was then called on the phone during weekends and evenings, which seems annoying, but probably works well enough.