QP-6.2 Training and Competence

Revision E · Effective 2025-02-10

1 Purpose

This procedure ensures that everyone whose work affects product quality, safety or compliance is competent on the basis of education, training and experience, and that the evidence of competence is recorded.

2 Scope

Applies to all Tallgrass employees at the Wichita plant and the Overland Park office, and to contractors who perform work on product, measuring equipment or controlled data.

3 Definitions

Training matrix (F-620-01) - a table, maintained per department, listing each job role, the training and qualifications it requires, and each person's status.
OJT - on-the-job training delivered by a qualified trainer at the workstation.
Qualified trainer - an employee signed off as competent on the task for at least 6 months and approved as a trainer by the department manager.

4 Responsibilities

Department managers - maintain the F-620-01 training matrix for their department, identify training needs, and sign competence.
HR Manager - runs new-hire orientation, keeps training records, and schedules annual company-wide training.
Quality Manager - owns this procedure, approves inspection qualifications and issues inspection stamps.
Employees - complete assigned training before performing the task unsupervised.

5 Procedure

5.1 New-hire orientation

HR conducts orientation during the first week of employment and before the employee works on the production floor. Orientation covers the quality policy and objectives (QM-01), how to find controlled documents on SharePoint (QP-4.2), nonconforming material tagging (WI-610), FOD awareness (QP-7.7), PPE (EHS-02), injury and near-miss reporting (EHS-03), IT acceptable use (IT-01) and export control awareness (EXP-01).

5.2 Job-specific training

The supervisor assigns training from the F-620-01 matrix for the role.
A qualified trainer delivers OJT using the current work instruction.
The trainee performs the task under observation until the trainer and supervisor agree the trainee is competent.
The trainer and supervisor sign the F-620-02 Training Record / OJT sign-off, and the matrix is updated within 5 working days.

Until sign-off, the trainee's work is checked by a qualified person before it moves to the next operation.

5.3 Annual company-wide training

The following are completed every year by all employees and are tracked on the matrix:

ITAR and export control awareness (EXP-01)
FOD awareness (QP-7.7)
IT security awareness (IT-01, IT-05, IT-06)

Lockout/tagout training under EHS-01 is completed annually by authorized employees. Annual training is scheduled by HR and must be completed by the end of the anniversary month. Employees who are 30 days past due are reported to their manager and to the HR Manager.

5.4 Inspection qualification and stamps

Personnel who accept product (receiving, in-process, final and CMM inspection) must complete the inspection module on the matrix, demonstrate measurement proficiency to the Quality Engineer, and be approved by the Quality Manager. The Quality Manager then issues an inspection stamp and logs it on F-410-03. Stamps are personal and are never shared or lent. A stamp is withdrawn when the holder leaves the company or changes role, and the log is updated the same day.

5.5 Training on document changes

When a DCR (F-420-01) identifies a training impact, the document owner lists the affected roles and the supervisors train those employees before the new revision's effective date. Read-and-acknowledge in the SharePoint training list is acceptable for minor changes; changes to methods or acceptance criteria require OJT.

5.6 Contractors

Contractors complete the EHS-04 contractor safety orientation before working unescorted. Contractors who program or operate measuring equipment, such as contract CMM programmers, must provide evidence of competence (certificates or prior work samples) reviewed by the Quality Engineer and recorded on F-620-02. Contractors complete annual ITAR awareness training (EXP-01) and, if they work on the production floor, annual FOD awareness training.

5.7 Effectiveness and competence review

Supervisors review the matrix for their department at least annually and after any NCR or CAR where training is identified as a cause. Training effectiveness is evaluated by observation, inspection results or a written check, and recorded on F-620-02.

6 Records

Training records (F-620-02) and training matrices (F-620-01) are kept by HR on the HR SharePoint site and retained for the duration of employment plus 5 years, per the retention table in QP-4.2. Inspection stamp logs (F-410-03) are quality records retained 10 years from creation.

7 Revision history

Rev	Date	Change	Approved by
C	2019-06-03	Added OJT sign-off form F-620-02.	Ruth Okafor
D	2022-04-11	Added annual IT security awareness training.	Ruth Okafor
E	2025-02-10	Added FOD awareness to annual training; added contractor competence review for contractors who program or operate measuring equipment.	Ruth Okafor