Qualification of PTV Operators.

The quality and safety of PTV operations are better served with only a few well-trained operators. Perhaps three operators should adequately balance the need for operational quality against the need for ready availability of an operator when required. All operators shall have a qualitative understanding of the physics of water under high pressure and be able to use the quantitative results in Section 1 to make educated judgments about the relative risks associated with a proposed operation.

• The volume of water that would be expelled during a sudden drop in pressure.
• The relationship between the water volume, the water pressure, and the quantity of energy stored in the compressed water.

Of course, each operator should understand in detail how the pressure vessel functions. Below is an itemized list that each operator should understand.

• How the vessel is plumbed.
• What each high pressure valve does and how it would affect the PTV operation if it were in any given state.
• Which solenoids & valves are controlled by each switch on the control panel, what these solenoids & valves do, and how each control element relates to all of the other control elements.
• How the high pressure pump works.
• Proper documentation of the PTV's usage.

In addition, because the PTV requires use of the overhead crane, each operator is required to be trained in its proper use by the UW's department of Environmental Health and Safety.

A thorough understanding of the electrical & mechanical elements of the vessel together with a basic understanding of the physics of water & steel at high pressures are the best safety measures available. To satisfy state requirements for PTV certification, each new operator should be tested on knowledge of the pressure vessel, its operation, and basic physics of water under high pressure. As this PTV is unique on the UW campus, no relevant training or testing program currently exists. Consequently, this needs to be done within the department by the existing operators who are qualified by previous experience and training, and who have been approved by the Washington State's Chief Boiler Inspector. The Manager for Oceanography's Technical Services Department will be responsible for supervising and documenting the qualification of operators.