Practical approach, benefits
This online article, "Improve alarm management," by G.C. Shah of the Wood Group in Chemical Processing, covers how the main standards—ISA-18.2 (IEC 62682) and EEMUA-191, API RP 1167—provide guidelines for implementing an effective AM system by considering the alarm lifecycle. It also describes gap analysis and alarm system development. Read the article here.
Compare EEMUA 191, ISA-18.2
The 23-page whitepaper, "Alarm management standards—are you taking them seriously?" from Honeywell, demystifies alarm standards and guidelines. It compares EEMUA publication 191, "Alarm systems—a guide to design, management and procurement” with ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009, "Management of alarm systems for the process industries.” Read the whitepaper here.
Develop your philosophy
A 49-minute video, "What's your philosophy? How to create an alarm philosophy document" by Todd Stauffer, PE, reports that an alarm philosophy document establishes guidelines for all aspects of alarm management, including roles and responsibilities, rationalization, design, operations, maintenance, testing, training and management of change. The video then discusses one successful methodology for creating a philosophy that minimizes the time and resource commitment of plant personnel. It also reviews the key content that should be included and the typical decisions that must be made when creating the document. Watch the video here.
Two Fitzpatrick articles
These two articles, "Alarm management lifecycle" by alarm expert Bridget Fitzpatrick in InTech and "Design alarms and HMI for smooth operations" by Control's editor-in-chief Paul Studebaker, detail Fitzpatrick's clear and concise alarm management philosophy and recommendations. Read them here and here.
Committee website, standard
The online home of the ISA18 "Instrument signals and alarms" standards and its committee contains contacts and links to the standards. They're available here. An examination of the standard by PAS is available here. A recent update is here.
ISA.ANSI 18.2 webinar video
This 19-minute video, "ISA/ANSI 18.2 Alarm Management Webinar Series Overview (1 of 6)," by ISA and PAS Inc. and presented by NovaTech, covers development of the standard and its alarm management lifecycle framework. Watch it here.
Alarms at ConocoPhillips
This 43-page whitepaper, "Managing the process, not the alarms," presented by John Huot of ConocoPhillips and Karim Moti of Matrikon, shows how Conoco Phillips plant in Borger, Texas, reduced alarms, implemented continuous rationalization, and adopted a management of change program for handling alarms. Read the whitepaper here.
Adopt effective management
A reprinted article, "Implement an effective alarm management program," by Todd Stauffer, PE, of exida in CEP, demonstrates how to apply the ISA-18.2 "Standard on alarm management" to design, implement and maintain an effective alarm system. Read it here.
Rationalization advice
The online article, "How to perform alarm rationalization," by Bill Mostia in Control, shows how to avoid uncontrolled alarm growth and prevent out-of-control alarm systems. It describes eight steps for alarm rationalization. Read the article here.
