The team working on the SP18 document is picking up steam
as we approach the final few drafts before opening up for
public comment. With the light at the end of the tunnel becoming
visible, the meetings and discussions of suggested changes
become more focused on ensuring that the document includes
all of the content to make it a very functional and applicable
standard.
The SP18 committle understands that if the document is to
be endorsed as a standard it will need to be sensitive to
very real business issues, yet also be a catalyst for the
change necessary to achieve effective alarm management. Not
an easy task, but one we strive to accomplish.
Over the next year or so, we will see the document morph from
a conglomeration of various sections into a seamless guide
to management of alarm systems. Current SP18 summaries may
fall quickly behind the pace of the document itself.
One of the biggest issues the SP18 group is striving to address
is the lack of structure applied to the engineering and maintenance
of an alarm system. To provide a framework and guidance for
"management" of an alarm system, the SP18 document
introduces the concept of an alarm lifecycle, similar to the
lifecycle in the S84 safety standard. Much of the discussion
at the June 25th meeting of the SP18 committee revolved around
the lifecycle's basic design, its clarity, and its relevance
to a broad range of industries and plants at different stages
in their own lifecycle.
The committee is committed to development of a document that
is well organized and crystal clear to the variety of people
who will use it. Anyone who has worked within a committee
will acknowledge that keeping things simple is very difficult
when broad viewpoints are seated at the same table. The SP18
group appreciates and welcomes all viewpoints, therefore,
distilling all input into a concise document - however difficult
- is crucial.
The biggest changes discussed were:
- The absorption of the various actions within the design phase
(i.e. identification, rationalization, training) into a broader
"design" category.
-
Simplification and better alignment of the document sections
with the lifecycle, such that someone referencing the lifecycle
diagram will be able to easily navigate to relevant detail
in the document, and vice versa.
-
A grandfathering clause that more strongly encourages adoption
of the S18 design, allowing for grandfathering while endorsing
change.
-
Clarification of the differences between an alarm with critical
"classification" as compared to critical "priority".
There is a need for a way to identify an alarm as important
to accurately engineer, record, and report, even when its
priority from an operator impact is low.
The next meeting of the SP18 committee is in October at the
ISA EXPO. Look for another update after that meeting, and
perhaps announcement of an expected date for public comment.
If you would like to offer your opinion or advice to the SP18
committee, please submit it through the SP18 website
here.
Rationalization Quality Assurance Kit
Download the TiPS alarm rationalization kit, including a spreadsheet
and white paper, which will help you understand the content
of a rationalization project and give you a basis for planning
and reviewing your deliverables. The kit is a valuable resource,
whether you are pursuing rationalization on your own or hiring
an outside service provider.
The kit is available at
www.tipsweb.com/rationalization.
Download TiPS Conference Presentations
Don't forget that all of the TiPS User Conference presentations
are available for immediate download at
the
conference wrapup site.
Click here to download now!
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