(a) The owner or operator shall ensure that each employee presently operating a process, and each employee newly assigned to a covered process have been trained or tested competent in the operating procedures provided in § 68.52 that pertain to their duties. For those employees already operating a process on June 21, 1999, the owner or operator may certify in writing that the employee has the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely carry out the duties and responsibilities as provided in the operating procedures.

(b) Refresher training shall be provided at least every three years, and more often if necessary, to each employee operating a process to ensure that the employee understands and adheres to the current operating procedures of the process. The owner or operator, in consultation with the employees operating the process, shall determine the appropriate frequency of refresher training.

(c) The owner or operator may use training conducted under Federal or state regulations or under industry-specific standards or codes or training conducted by covered process equipment vendors to demonstrate compliance with this section to the extent that the training meets the requirements of this section.

(d) The owner or operator shall ensure that operators are trained in any updated or new procedures prior to startup of a process after a major change.