Shift Log Basics
What to record each shift — flows, DO, chemical usage, and any abnormal conditions.
Example Template
Fillable daily shift log, ready to copy for your plant.
A complete shift log records influent/effluent flow, key process readings (DO, MLSS if sampled, chlorine residual), chemical feed rates, and any equipment status changes.
Abnormal conditions (alarms, odor complaints, unusual visual observations) should be logged with time, description, and action taken, even if resolved quickly.
Good logs create a paper trail regulators and supervisors rely on during inspections or incident investigations; vague entries are far less useful than specific ones.
Cross-shift handoff notes (what to watch, what's pending) prevent the most common cause of missed follow-up: information that only lived in one operator's head.
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