Refinery Scheduler: Safety-Compliant Workforce Scheduling System
An automated scheduling system built for oil refinery operations that enforces RP-755 fatigue policies, prevents scheduling conflicts, and ensures regulatory compliance across complex shift patterns.
View on GitHub →The Challenge: Manual Scheduling in a High-Stakes Environment
Managing workforce scheduling at an oil refinery is not like scheduling shifts at a retail store. The stakes are significantly higher — fatigue-related errors can lead to safety incidents, environmental violations, and regulatory penalties.
The refinery was managing complex shift schedules manually, which created serious risks:
- •No automated enforcement of RP-755 fatigue management regulations
- •Duplicate shift assignments and day/night scheduling conflicts going undetected
- •Consecutive day limits being exceeded without warning
- •Hours spent each week building and validating schedules by hand
One scheduling mistake could put workers at risk and expose the operation to serious compliance violations.
The Solution: Automated Scheduling with Built-In Safety Validation
I designed and built an automated scheduling system with safety compliance baked into every layer. The platform validates every shift assignment against RP-755 fatigue policies, detects conflicts before they happen, and enforces consecutive day limits based on operator classification.
Schedulers now work with a visual calendar interface that flags violations in real time, preventing unsafe schedules from ever being published. The system understands the difference between regular operators and APS Green Hat trainees, applying the correct limits to each.
Key Features Delivered
Multi-Day Shift Scheduling
Interactive calendar view powered by React Big Calendar, allowing schedulers to create, edit, and manage multi-day shift assignments with drag-and-drop simplicity.
RP-755 Fatigue Policy Compliance
Every schedule is validated against API RP-755 recommended practices for fatigue risk management, ensuring workers get adequate rest between shifts.
Conflict Detection
Automatic detection of duplicate shift assignments and day/night shift conflicts, preventing dangerous scheduling overlaps before they reach workers.
Consecutive Day Limits
Enforces maximum consecutive working days — 4 days for regular operators and 7 days for APS Green Hat trainees — with automatic warnings when limits approach.
Job Assignment and Training Validation
Validates that operators are assigned only to jobs matching their training and certifications, preventing unqualified assignments.
Role-Based Admin Dashboard
Secure dashboard with role-based access control, giving supervisors and schedulers the appropriate level of visibility and editing capabilities.
Technology Behind the Scenes
The platform is built on a robust stack designed for reliability and safety-critical operations:
Every technology choice was made with reliability in mind — in a refinery environment, the scheduling system must work correctly every time.
Business Impact: Results That Matter
The scheduling system transformed how the refinery manages its workforce:
automated RP-755 compliance catches issues before they become safety risks
no more duplicate shifts or day/night overlaps slipping through
built-in validation means every published schedule meets safety standards
what took a full day now takes minutes with automated validation
The system replaced a risky, time-consuming manual process with an automated platform that puts worker safety first while dramatically reducing administrative burden.
Ready to Transform Your Operations?
I build custom software for industrial operations, workforce management, and safety-critical environments where off-the-shelf tools fall short.
If your scheduling or operational processes carry compliance risks, let's talk. I'll build a solution that enforces your safety policies automatically — just like I did for this refinery operation.