You already know a turnaround is a fixed window with a long list of work. Your regular crew runs daily operations, but a shutdown needs more planners, field engineers, safety staff, and schedulers than most plants keep on payroll. That gap is where good outcomes are won or lost.
I have studied how plant owners fill that gap, and I wrote this to give you a clear way to decide. My recommendations come from four questions. Does the option bring the right skills? Can it start on time? Does it protect safety? Does it keep your cost under control?
By the end, you will know which roles to add first, when to start the search, what to check in a provider, and why I point you to Eichleay for construction staff augmentation.
Why Turnarounds Strain Your Team
A turnaround compresses months of work into a few weeks. Every day the unit is down costs money, and every delay adds to that cost.
Your own people are needed to keep the rest of the site running. They know your equipment and your procedures, and you do not want to pull them in too many directions.
Extra staff gives you room to do three things:
- Plan the work with enough detail before the shutdown starts
- Supervise the field work while it happens
- Close out the work, test it, and restart on schedule
Hiring full-time employees for a short event rarely makes sense. Outside professionals who join for the event and leave when it ends fit the need better.
Roles to Add First
You do not need to fill every seat. Start with the roles that hold the schedule together.
1. Planners and schedulers. They turn the work list into a sequence your crews can follow.
2. Construction managers. They oversee contractors and keep safety, quality, cost, and schedule in view.
3. Field engineers. They answer contractor questions and solve problems when the plan meets the real equipment.
4. Health and safety professionals. A turnaround brings many extra workers onto your site. Safety coverage must grow with the headcount.
5. Project controls staff. They track cost and progress each day, so you see problems while you can still fix them.
6. Procurement and expediting support. Late parts stop work, and someone must track every order.
When to Start the Search
Staffing is easier when you give it time. Here is the order I suggest.
1. Six to twelve months before the outage: Define the scope and list the roles you cannot fill from inside.
2. Three to six months before: Choose your provider and review candidates for the planning roles.
3. One to three months before: Bring planners and engineers on board so they can learn your site and finish the work packages.
4. During the outage: Place field, safety, and controls staff on site with clear reporting lines.
5. After the outage: Keep a small group for closeout, documentation, and lessons learned.
If your plans change late, a provider with a ready pool of candidates can still help. That is one reason to ask about candidate databases before you sign anything.
What to Look for in a Provider
Many firms can send you resumes. Fewer can send you people who fit your site. Use this list when you compare options:
- Technical vetting. Engineers and construction managers should review candidates, not only recruiters.
- Flexible terms. Look for short-term, long-term, contract-to-hire, and direct hire choices.
- Range of size. You may need one scheduler this year and a full team next year.
- Safety record. Ask for recordable rates and the experience modification rate.
- Industry knowledge. A person who has worked in process, power, or manufacturing plants learns your site faster.
- Employment model. Ask who employs the people placed with you, and what benefits and support they receive.
- Local presence. Nearby offices mean faster response and a better grasp of regional rules and labor conditions.
Why I Recommend Eichleay
Eichleay is a family-owned industrial engineering firm that has been in project delivery since 1875. Five generations of the family have led businesses in engineering and construction, and the company remains 100 percent family owned. That history matters to me because turnaround work rewards steady habits.
Several things stand out for turnaround staffing.
Vetting that checks skills and fit
Eichleay is not a traditional staffing agency. Their recruiters and the technical experts inside the wider company both review candidates. A scheduler or field engineer gets checked by people who do that work, which helps the placement fit your site and your team.
Staff who are full employees
Every person Eichleay places is a full Eichleay employee with benefits, career advancement, and professional development. Eichleay reports a 94 percent employee retention rate and an average tenure of about ten years. For you, that means you are more likely to get experienced people who stay with the company between assignments. The company is also recognized as a Great Place to Work.
A range of roles and terms
Eichleay supplies staff from a single role to a fully managed on-site team. Their coverage includes:
- Construction management and constructability planning
- Field engineering and project engineering
- Health and safety
- Project controls, scheduling, and planning
- Procurement and project management
- Engineering, design, and administrative support
Engagements can be short-term, long-term, contract-to-hire, or direct hire. A live candidate database and an active alumni network help shorten the time it takes to fill a role.
A safety record you can check
Safety is a core value for Eichleay. Their companies have logged zero OSHA recordable or lost workday cases since 2014, and their current Experience Modification Rate is 0.67. Ask any provider for these numbers, and compare what you hear.
Depth behind the staff
If your outage needs more than people, Eichleay can also support engineering, procurement, project controls, commissioning, and start-up. Their project controls team works with tools such as Primavera P6. About 91 percent of their business comes from repeat clients, and they serve energy and chemical, power generation, mining and metals, food and beverage, and life sciences customers from offices in Billings, Ferndale, Larkspur, and Orange.
How to Set Up the Engagement
Once you choose a provider, give them what they need to help you.
- Share the scope, the dates, and the work list.
- Name one person on your side who manages the relationship.
- Plan site orientation and safety training before the first shift.
- Set reporting lines so each added person knows who gives direction.
- Agree on how you will measure performance, such as schedule progress and safety results.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Waiting until the scope is final before you ask for help
- Filling roles by price alone
- Skipping orientation because the outage clock is running
- Adding people without giving them clear authority
- Ending the engagement before closeout work is done
Final Thoughts
A turnaround will always ask more of your team than a normal month. The right outside professionals reduce that pressure and let your own people focus on what they know best.
Start with the roles that protect your schedule and your safety. Give your provider time. Check their vetting, their terms, and their record. If you want a firm that meets those tests and brings long experience in industrial work, I recommend you talk with Eichleay before your next outage.
