Three-part communication

Three-part communication is a process used in the natural gas and electric industries to limit errors due to lack of effective communication. Sometimes known as the “repeat back” method, three-party communication is used to communicate changes to physical facility equipment during work activities via face-to-face, telephone, or radio and other electronic communications. This communication protocol requires three exchanges between a sender and a receiver to promote a reliable transfer of information and understanding:

1. The sender orally transmits information clearly and concisely to the receiver, directing her to perform a specific action.
2. The receiver orally acknowledges the communication by repeating the message back to the sender. The receiver does not need to repeat every part of the communication verbatim, but she must restate the action-related information exactly as spoken by the sender. If the receiver does not understand the message, she must ask for clarification.
3. The sender acknowledges the reply and confirms to the receiver that the message is correct and properly understood by stating the communication was correct. If he does not understand the receiver’s reply or if the reply does not reflect the initial communication correctly, the sender must respond by saying “that is wrong” and then restating the original message. In this case, the three-part communication protocol must be repeated until the receiver is able to accurately repeat the message.  

In the electric industry, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) requires the use of three-part communication for “operating communications,” which is defined as “communication of instruction to change or maintain the state, status, output, or input of key facilities of the bulk electric system.”  Throughout the gas and electric delivery systems, three-part communication is best practice when performing steps or actions that impact equipment, the safety of personnel, or the environment. Three-part communication should always be used when implementing tasks where the consequences of a mishap are undesirable. It is also often used when discussing the condition of key equipment or the value of an important parameter in operations.