The Center for Operator Performance (COP) is conducting a survey of how process plants have implemented or interpreted the requirements for highly managed alarms specified in ANSI/ISA-18.2-2016 and IEC 62682, “Alarm management for the process industries.” The results of the survey will be used to identify any issues related to implementation of HMA and to guide future research by the COP. Anyone from a process company is invited to participate in the survey. All survey participants will receive results of the survey.
Highly managed alarms (HMA) is a special group of alarms that require more administration and documentation than regular process alarms. HMA is also referred to as safety alarms in the industry. ANSI/ISA 18.2 specifies HMA as classes of alarms that are critical to process safety, personnel protection, environmental protection, etc. The standard does not prescribe the applications of HMA or how HMA should be implemented for the facility. Operator corrective action of HMA is used as a safeguard to mitigate a risk that is identified during a safety review or HAZOP. In general, the consequence of missing an HMA is severe. Consequently, the lifecycle management of HMA is crucial for successful facility alarm management.
The Center for Operator Performance is a collaboration of operating companies and distributed control system (DCS) suppliers that conduct research focused on ways to improve operator performance. Operating companies include: Chevron (ChevronPhillips), Koch Industries (Flint Hills Resources, Invista Chemical, Georgia Pacific), CITGO, and NOVA Chemicals (Borealis). The DCS suppliers are Emerson and Yokogawa (KBC). The Center is based at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
Dave Strobhar, founder and principal-human-factors engineer for Beville Engineering and the founder of the Center for Operator Performance, regularly conducts Minute Clinic podcasts on operator performance for Chemical Processing.
For more information, visit www.operatorperformance.org