In a refinery, petrochemical plant or power station, the planned shutdown (turnaround) is the event that defines the operating year: all critical maintenance is packed into a few weeks with the plant stopped — that is, not producing. Every extra day is paid for.
The numbers that force caution
An average refinery produces between 1 and 3 million euros a day. A one-week slip in the turnaround means 10-20 million in lost margin, and a chemical plant sits in the same range. Labor missing on the key day is the biggest operational risk of these events.
The calendar that works
- T-12 months: scope definition and engineering contracts.
- T-6 months: maintenance contractors awarded and labor reserved.
- T-3 months: document validation (UNE-EN ISO 9606, A1, PRL, medical check).
- T-1 week: welders, pipefitters and mechanics arrive on site.
- T-0 to T+3/6 weeks: multi-shift execution with continuous inspection.
Where delays sneak in
1) Expired homologation spotted only on arrival. 2) A worker walking off mid-job. 3) Incomplete paperwork (A1, NIE, PRL). 4) Consumable PPE nobody ordered. 5) Broken communication between client, integrator and staffing company.
What a mobilization partner brings
A specialized supplier holds an active pool of professionals with valid paperwork, runs lodging and logistics, and can replace a worker in under 72 hours when needed. In a turnaround, that is the single most differentiating factor.
Where Iron Pulse fits
We have run shutdowns across Spain's industrial hubs —Tarragona, Cartagena, Huelva, Puertollano, Bilbao— for over a decade. See our welders, pipefitters and mechanics and supervisors or talk to the team before the next shutdown.
