Process control and factory automation systems are increasingly refined, powerful and unfortunately also complex. In addition to PLCs and HMI/SCADA systems connected on buses and industrial networks, current configurations see increasingly advanced actuators and sensors as well as machines and systems with on-board IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) devices that generate further measurements and alarms.
The risk is that the multitude of measures and alarms could become an obstacle for operators.
So here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do plant operators use alarms correctly to control important and critical processes?
- Do operators see and receive too many alarms (“alarm flood”) or, worse, ignore alarms from HMI/SCADA systems because too many and insignificant ones arrive?
- Do operators have the right tools and work in an environment that allows for concentration and good decision making?
- Are we compliant with safety/safety rules, insurance obligations and/or industry standards?
The evolution of automation processes and the change in technologies has made the overload of alarms a widespread problem and the benefits of effective alarm management are often underestimated. A well-designed alarm system, monitored and optimized over time will improve the safety and security of a plant, the performance of machinery and the alarm system and will increase the productivity of a plant, all with repercussions on efficiency, productivity and profitability.
The subject has been known for some time and international committees and bodies have been activated to systematically address the problem: for this reason the ISA 18.2 standard, which became ANSI, then EEMUA191 and finally the IEC62682 standard were released.
Alarm management and ANSI / ISA 18.2
ANSI/ISA 18.2 is a security standard for alarm handling developed by ISA for various automation industries, such as chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, mining and metallurgical, electrical and manufacturing industries, etc. The standard focuses on operator safety for SCADA systems and presents the “alarm management lifecycle” as a guideline for the requirements to effectively implement and manage an alarm system.
For example, ISA 18.2 recommends “Monitoring and Evaluation” as one of the best places to start understanding and improving alarm management practices. Alarm monitoring and evaluation tools can highlight problem areas to reduce “noise” and improve alarm system performance, provide insights for maintenance and alarm rationalization, and support an operator's ability to respond promptly. effectively, reducing accidents.
Improve Alarm Management with AlarmWatch
AlarmWatch is a solution designed to improve the performance of the alarm system and increase the overall safety, productivity and profitability of a plant.
AlarmWatch is a dynamic alarm monitoring and reporting software component for effective alarm management, easily integrated with GE Digital's iFix HMI/SCADA, distributed and supported by ServiTecno (www.servitecno.it). Designed for Industrial and Utility Plant Operators and Supervisors to assess their alarm system situation and reduce operator alarm overload in accordance with ISA Standard 18.2.
AlarmWatch it is the most suitable solution if you do not know in detail the alarm management practices according to ISA18.2 and you need a simple and cost-effective solution for continuous monitoring of alarm system performance, compliance towards continuous improvement.
AlarmWatch with iFIX Productivity Tools aggregates alarm and event data from GE Digital iFIX, analyzes alarm data (against ISA 18.2 recommended alarm metrics), and displays alarm summary on an interactive dashboard, the “AlarmWatch KPI Dashboard ”.
This ready-to-use solution allows Operators and Supervisors to:
- Collect and View alarm system performance in seconds.
- Identify problem areas of the system and opportunities for changes, e.g. “Bad Actors” and/or nuisance alarms.
- Detailed analysis for a detailed investigation.
- Act purposefully and economically.
- Monitor alarm system improvements.
- Monitor and receive constant information for optimizing systems and processes, to achieve alarm management objectives.
AlarmWatch is a modern, simple yet sophisticated analysis tool enables managers to promptly take actions to identify and resolve maintenance issues, scope and priority of activities for alarm rationalization, minimize alarm noise, reduce overload for operators , improve alarm performance and security. Extensive reporting, KPIs and data comparisons track progress and provide key business insights for continuous improvements.
IEC 62682 the technical standard for alarm system management for HMI/SCADA/DCS in industry
The IEC 62682 standard specifies principles and processes for operating alarm systems based on DCS and SCADA / HMI technology for process industries, and covers alarms of all systems presented to the operator, which may include process control systems basic, announcing panels, safety instrumented systems, fire and gas systems, and emergency response systems.
The practices are applicable to continuous, batch and discrete processes. The process industry sector includes many types of manufacturing processes, such as refinery, petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, cement, rubber, plastic, glass, paper, energy, etc.
Find out more by reading our white papers
