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TiPS Newsletter - October 2006

A Low Alarm Rate Does Not a Healthy Plant Make

A quick look around most alarm management information will have you thinking that the main gist is reducing alarms. That's not necessarily untrue, but it's not the focal point of alarm management.

The concept of alarm management has changed in the past few years. It has grown to include evaluation and improvement of anything that influences operator information, including but not limited to the alarm system. The point is improvement of the information and resources available to those responsible for managing upsets.

There are a number of other "soft" factors that must be considered in conjunction with a drive to reduce alarm rate. Yes, a reduction in alarms where there is an excess is a good thing, but unless the alarm was completely meaningless you should understand what you are eliminating, why it might creep back in, and how to prevent that from happening.

Can we classify a plant with a very high alarm rate as being overloaded? Consider the possibility of a plant that has a very advanced alarm interface, including roll-ups and dynamic shelving, plus basic setpoints appropriate for normal status. It's very possible that a basic alarm activity assessment might indicate a high activation rate. If the operators aren't seeing them, that activity is invisible to the people it would be affecting, so it would be inaccurate to classify this plant as Overloaded.

On the other side of the coin is the plant that has a very low alarm rate. What if the plant has a low alarm rate, but the console displays are practically useless and operators are given no training or documentation on which to base corrective action? Do you think they'll still be overloaded at a low rate?

Alarm rate is an important measure of plant health, and it should be used as a part of ongoing performance monitoring, but there are qualifying factors that must be considered along with the message of the data.

What do you think? (Answer Back!)

Possible Internet Explorer® Update Conflict

It has come to our attention that Microsoft® may include a beta version of Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) as a download option in upcoming Windows Update® packages. If you are offered this option, DO NOT INSTALL IE7!

The LogMate web browser product has not been tested in the IE7 environment and may suffer performance or feature loss if the upgrade is completed. IE7 is currently in Beta stage and may contain bugs or security flaws that have not been corrected.

TiPS encourages you to wait until LogMate has been tested with the final release of IE7 before upgrading, and also encourages you to consult the software companies who have provided you with applications that rely on the IE framework for their advice before any upgrade is attempted.

Thank you for your consideration. As always, please contact us if you have any questions.

Visit TiPS at the 2006 ISA EXPO in Houston

We'll be sharing the latest insight into alarm management techniques and showing our most recent software accomplishments.

Come see us - Booth 1620!