Everyone involved in the manufacturing process seeks safety and stability within the plant. It takes a lot of work and effort to maintain the security and integrity of an industrial plant or facility. Synonymous with safety, alarm management in an industrial plant is not just a theoretical philosophy but a way of life. It is not just another project that is carried out. Since you would never enter an industrial environment without the right gear, would you prefer working at a plant that has no proper alarm management? We bet you won’t. Like all other components of a fully functional industrial facility, an alarm management system is highly critical and needs to be updated to match the plant's changing requirements.

Before the Distributed Control System (DCS) became prevalent, in the early years of control systems, alarm configuration was done mechanically using annunciators, light boxes, etc. Ever since the introduction of the DCS, the cost of adding extra alarms has considerably decreased because the majority of the work can now be done by software. However, the operator will still be overloaded with unnecessary alarms if the control system is not handled properly.

Let us look at some of the effective alarm management strategies that can help streamline operations within an industrial facility or plant. In addition, hiring professional alarm management services from industry specialists can also come in handy in most cases.

Seven Key Steps for Alarm Management

Below mentioned are seven critical steps for better alarm management, with alarm rationalisation being one of them.

1. Alarm philosophy creation

The alarm philosophy document is a critical element without which it would be impossible to establish an effective alert management system. The expected KPIs that will be used to gauge the effectiveness of the alarm management system are all listed in this document, which also serves as the foundation for the overall design standards.

The alarm philosophy document must cover the interface design for the operator, making it simple to identify disruptions and have clear images.

2. Alarm performance benchmarking

Understanding the magnitude of the existing alarm problem is necessary to calculate the effectiveness of any alarm management system. What are the existing flaws in the control system? How many alarms are triggered each day, and how many alarms is the operator handling on an hourly basis? Benchmarking is the place to start if you have any of these valid concerns. It would even be advantageous at this point to conduct research like HAZOP.

3. Bad actor resolution

The majority of alarms in the control system originate from a small number of sources, thus checking and repairing them will have a significant impact on the overall alarm count. Industrial facilities and plants might benefit from the assistance of an alarm management specialist like SAROM GLOBAL in developing a bad actor remediation checklist to keep the alarm systems completely under control.

4. Documentation/rationalisation

The most crucial step of alarm rationalisation is making sure that each modification is documented and that the alarm adjustments adhere to the alarm philosophy. By redesigning the DCS or implementing suppression techniques, meaningless alarms can be completely eliminated.

5. Audit/Enforcement

The hard work doesn't end once the rationalisation is over! If suitable change management controls aren't in place, the alarm system will revert to its previous actions. To guarantee that all modifications are implemented, think about using the Management of Change (MOC) method for the alarm system. Commissioning plant information management systems with assistance from alarm management service providers can also be useful. This can help in determining the changes to alarm settings and, if necessary, automatically enforcing the best ones.

6. Real-time alarm management

It is highly advisable to use alarm management strategies for routine activities that will assist rather than restrict the operator by offering alarm shelving, state-based alarming, or other alarm suppression technologies.

7. Control and maintain performance

It is essential to maintain compliance with the alarm philosophy by regularly monitoring the alarm KPIs and making any necessary adjustments using a MOC-style method. Designate an "alarm champion" that will be in charge of handling ongoing problems. However, always keep in mind that managing alarms is a multi-step process.

Highly critical industries like chemical, oil and gas, refinery, and petrochemical require top-class safety and security systems to identify and prevent any types of hazardous situations. Effective alarm management provides a clear view of the operating conditions by removing any blind spots that might cause unexpected plant downtime and emergencies. The above-mentioned strategies not only warrant the safety of the facility and its occupants but also streamline operations.