Operators take control with new association

Australia now has its own peak body for mission-critical control room operators.

A new association charged with representing the interest of, and fostering information exchange between, control and dispatch room operators has been established in Australia. The formation of the Australian Control Room Network Association (ACRNA) was announced at the Comms Connect critical control rooms workshop in Sydney by Mark Holmes, Co-Founder and Secretary of the ACRNA and Chairman of Circadian Australia.

Holmes told the Comms Connect audience that, over the past several years, representatives from organisations that operate control rooms as an integral part of their business have attended an annual conference to share operational experiences and to meet with others who offer support services. Those services cover fields such as ergonomic advice, enhancing control room operator sustainable shift work performance, safety and control room design. Industries that were represented included oil, gas, electricity, ports, air, road and rail.

At the 2016 conference, attended by more than 100 delegates, it was agreed that it was time to establish a new non-commercial association, run by the industry, for the industry.

According to Holmes, the association will facilitate collaboration between organisations that operate control rooms as well as with supporting industries. This collaboration will provide the means to share improvements and opportunities, which will ultimately result in best practice.

Additionally, the ACRNA will have the profile to support the development and review of standards used in operating control rooms.

Holmes said the ACRNA will seek to collaborate with similar industry associations including the International Critical Control Rooms Association, the Australian Pipelines & Gas Association, and the United Kingdom Operations Managers Association.

He added that the association is looking to hold its first formal conference in Parramatta, Sydney, in late 2018.

Holmes said the association is inviting organisations that operate one or more control rooms to become corporate members, and those who work in the control room industry to become individual members. Members will have access to a special portal on the ACRNA website and will be able to take part in training and education courses, knowledge-sharing forums and industry forums.

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ACRNA mission statement

The Australian Control Room Network Association (acrna.org) is a non-commercial industry association formed to support operators of Australian control rooms. Association members are encouraged to share ideas and experiences with the overall aim of achieving continuous improvement with the control room services delivered. The association, through its members, will facilitate discussion and interaction by means of conferences, webinars and meetings. All members of the association are encouraged to participate and support the activities of the association.

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Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/SIKOV

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