Philosophy, Rationalization and Implementation, oh my!
Are you on the hook for your company's alarm management program? We can help.
A comprehensive alarm management program helps your facility run closer to ideal operating limits and improves safety. Not to mention ISA 18.2 is already a recognized standard by OSHA and is expected to be a standard in developing industry-specific regulations. PHMSA has already issued a Control Room Management Rule for the pipeline industry, and BOEMRE is currently planning a major rule revision for offshore.
How will this workshop help me?
Please join TiPS, Inc., developer of LogMate and Dr. Doug Rothenberg, a leading authority on alarm management and written alarm management plans, for a two-day workshop in Austin. Learn from the expert for a thorough presentation of everything you need to know, including abnormal situation management, performance review, philosophy development, alarm rationalization, alarm management life cycle, and much more.
Counts toward 16 hours of Professional Development.
Workshop topics:
Getting started in alarm management
Abnormal situation management
Strategy for alarm improvement
Alarm performance review
Permission to operate
Written alarm management plan / philosophy development
Alarm rationalization
Enhanced techniques
Implementation and life cycle
Situation assessment
Next workshop date TBD. Please contact Julie Graham for more information.
Did you miss us at ENTELEC in Houston, May 24-26, 2011? Email us to schedule an appointment or learn more about our products and services.
Alarm Management Compliance: Written Plan
Now that the final rule is effective, pipeline operators must start
developing alarm management plans. According to section: CFR Part
192/192.631 (e):
(e) Each operator using a SCADA system must have a written alarm
management plan to provide for effective controller response to
alarms. An operator’s plan must include provisions to:
(1) Review SCADA safety-related alarm operations using a process
that ensures alarms are accurate and support safe pipeline operations;
(2) Identify at least once each calendar month points affecting safety
that have been taken off scan in the SCADA host, have had alarms
inhibited, generated false alarms, or that have had forced or manual
values for periods of time exceeding that required for associated
maintenance or operating activities;
(3) Verify the correct safety-related alarm set-point values and alarm
descriptions at least once each calendar year, but at intervals not to
exceed 15 months;
(4) Review the alarm management plan required by this paragraph
at least once each calendar year, but at intervals not exceeding 15
months, to determine the effectiveness of the plan;
(5) Monitor the content and volume of general activity being directed
to and required of each controller at least once each calendar year,
but at intervals not to exceed 15 months, that will assure controllers
have suffi cient time to analyze and react to incoming alarms; and
(6) Address defi ciencies identifi ed through the implementation.
According to Best Practice Guides, including the AGA’s Alarm
Management for Control Room Operations in the Natural Gas
Industry and the soon to be released API Recommended Practice
1167 Pipeline Alarm Management, an alarm philosophy is a very
important step in building and maintaining an optimum alarm system
and a foundation for a comprehensive plan.
