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PartnerNetwork™ Solutions from Rockwell Automation

Manage the Alarms in Your PlantPAx® System with SILAlarm™exida’s SILAlarm software is an alarm rationalization tool and master alarm database. It is capable of integrating PlantPAx and third party alarm informa-tion into a single repository. It helps users optimize the performance of their alarm system so that operators can keep the process running safely and within normal operating limits.

Executing an alarm management program, including alarm rationalization with SILAlarm, can reduce the number of alarms to the operator by up to 80%, eliminate nuisance alarms, reduce unplanned downtime, and turn the alarm system into a tool the operator can rely on. Todd Stauffer, Director Alarm Management

Industriesexida has significant experience delivering successful alarm management programs to the following process industries:• Oil & Gas• Chemical• Power• Refining• Mining• Pulp & Paper• Life Sciences

Compliance with Industry Standards and Regulation• ISA-18.2 / IEC 62682• EEMUA 191• API 1167

Excellence in Dependable Automation (exida) Founded by the world’s top reliability and safety experts, exida is a certification and knowledge company specializing in automation system safety, security, reliability, and availability.

Companies around the world turn to exida for help and guidance related to functional safety, alarm management, and ICS cybersecurity training, tools, and services.

exida’s unique combination of technical depth and hands on experience enables us to provide practical solutions to address even the most difficult challenges.

• OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) 1910.119• PHMSA Pipeline Safety: Control Room Management /

Human Factors Regulation 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195

The Need for Alarm ManagementMost process plants want to enhance their productivity and extend their asset life. One of the easiest and most effective ways to achieve such improvements is to address alarm system problems that undermine the performance of the operator. Unnecessary alarms, such as ones that just provide information or don’t require an action, reduce productivity, add stress, and take time away from managing the process. Transforming the alarm system into a useful tool for the operator can also prevent process safety incidents and help comply with industry regulations and corporate / insurance risk management mandates.

Signs that you or your customer could benefit from an alarm management program:• Operators frequently ignore alarms that they consider meaningless (nuisance alarms) • Operators complain about getting too many alarms• Operators get flooded with excessive alarms after a plant upset or unit trip causing them to miss critical alarms• The alarm summary screen is always full of old (standing) alarms• When multiple alarms occur, the operator does not know which one is higher priority to respond to first• Alarms are taken as safeguards in your process hazard analysis (PHA)• Operators don’t know what some alarms mean, or how they should respond

The PartnerNetwork program is a framework of well-managed relationships formed as a result of customer need. It provides manufacturers with access to a local, regional and worldwide network of best-in-class suppliers. These specialists offer the industry experience and technological know-how to help solve business challenges both large and small.

Through the PartnerNetwork program, Rockwell Automation delivers a wide array of solutions, easier access to knowledge and consistent delivery of solutions to help improve our customer’s business results.

What Makes an Effective Alarm Management Program?The most critical elements of an effective alarm management program are the creation of a comprehensive alarm philosophy and performing a thorough alarm rationalization.

Alarm Philosophy

An alarm philosophy establishes the guidelines for how to address all aspects of alarm management, including the criteria for determining what should be alarmed, how to prioritize alarms, design, roles and responsibilities, management of change, and performance measurement. exida’s process for helping users create an alarm philosophy includes training on industry best practices and the underlying alarm management functionality available in the DCS. Requirements for what should go into an alarm philosophy are defined in the ISA-18.2 / IEC 62682 standards.

Alarm Rationalization

Alarm rationalization is a process where alarms are reviewed systematically to ensure they meet the criteria established in the philosophy and to document their design requirements. The SILAlarm tool guides the user through the alarm rationalization process, helping them to make and document necessary design decisions (alarm priority, limit, deadband, on/off delay) as well as the basis for an alarm (cause, consequence, corrective action, time to respond, etc.). The results of rationalization can be imported into PlantPAx so that configuration changes are implemented automatically. Operator Alarm Help files can be created automatically for each alarm so that they can be displayed to the operator via single click from a faceplate or alarm summary list. The running configuration can be audited against the master alarm database (SILAlarm) to identify changes which can be accepted or rejected / reset (Enforcement).

SILAlarm Alarm Rationalization Tool – Documenting the Basis for an Alarm

Publication ENCOMP-BR0035A-EN-P – February 2017 Copyright © 2017 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA.

Allen-Bradley, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., PartnerNetwork, PlantPAx and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.

80 North Main Street Sellersville, PA 18960 USA Phone: +1-215-453-1720 For more information, to request a demo or a quote, go to www.exida.com

exida is the choice of leading companies for help implementing and achieving compliance to the global standards IEC 61508 / 61511 for functional safety in the process industry; IEC 62443 for industrial control system cybersecurity; ISA-18.2 for alarm management; ISO 26262 for functional safety of automotive, and IEC 62061 for machine safety.

Rockwell Automation and PartnerNetwork companies collaborate to help you develop an ongoing approach to plant-wide optimization, improve your machine performance and achieve your sustainability objectives.

Alarm Rationalization Products & Servicesexida provides tools, training, and services to help companies improve their alarm management practices. exida will work with you to craft a program that is tailored to your requirements, complies with industry standards and guidelines on alarm management (e.g., EEMUA 191, ISA-18.2, IEC 62682), improves operational performance, and is sustainable over the long term. A partial list of available products and services is shown below.

Delivering Results on Your Investment in Alarm ManagementAn effective alarm management program can deliver quantifiable business benefits in the following areas:• Reduction in unplanned downtime (lost production)• Increased operator productivity• Reduction in avoidable maintenance of process equipment• Production optimization / debottlenecking / increased throughput• Capital savings for SIL requirement reductions (improved safety)• Reduced environmental / regulatory incidents

Product or Service Description

Alarm Philosophy Development Training on Alarm Management Practices & Principles (1 day)Alarm Philosophy Development Workshop (2 days)Completion of Alarm Philosophy Document for Review & Approval

SILAlarm (Product)Tool to support the rationalization process, record results (Master Alarm Database), and configure settings in PlantPAx

SILAlarm Product TrainingTraining on how to perform alarm rationalization with the SILAlarm tool, manage / maintain the master alarm database, and propagate the results into PlantPAx

Rationalization Ready™Create the initial SILAlarm master alarm database from the PlantPAx system alarm configuration and setup per the alarm philosophy document

Rationalization / Facilitation TrainingKickoff / lead the alarm rationalization process, document the results in SILAlarm, and train Client’s team to be able to lead the process