Alarm Management

DAY 1
Introduction, aims, and objectives of the course. Key Issues:

• Guidance document EEMUA 191

  • Basic Alarm Management philosophy, what does it include?

  • 5 Justifications for Alarm Management

  • Alarm Management, all plants need it!

• Project Plan Outline – not a one-off project!

  • Benchmark & Assessment

  • Alarm Management Philosophy

  • Alarm analysis/rationalization

  • Implementation and execution

  • Continuous Improvement

• Functional definitions of systems

• Case Study – Milford Haven Texaco Refinery, 1994

DAY 2
Principles of an Alarm Management Programme

• Managing an improvement program – who should be involved?

• Personal and Team targets

• Alarm proliferation

• Alarm review and control of modifications

• Increased hazards, use of alarms, control, and protection

• Major commercial hazards will involve risks to people and the environment

• Strategy and / or Culture of Improvement

• Operator involvement and ‘no-blame’ reporting

• Integrating Alarm Management to boost Plant Production

• Case Study and DVD - Piper Alpha

DAY 3
Measuring Performance along with Human Factors

• Alarms need people – human factor issues human Factors – International Standard IEC61508

• Operator questionnaires, Improving operator procedures

• Dealing with unwanted alarms

• Logical processing of alarms

• Case Histories – some examples of loss

• Potential conflicts between various business needs

• Case Study and DVD – Bhopal, India. Union Carbide (Dow Chemicals)

DAY 4
Legislation and Self Evaluation

• Operator Interface. “Are there problems with your existing alarm system”? Take some measurements to find out - How many alarms are there? Are you overwhelmed by alarm ‘floods’?

• Management Responsibilities – Legislation

• Physical Assessment Trees

• Learning from sample business cases studies

• Is your organization prepared? Self Evaluating Activity and questionnaires

• The Alerting process; Communications and Warnings

• Equipping and identifying Emergency Operations/Communications Centres

• Stress Levels of Control Room Operators & Emergency Responders

• BP Case Studies – Texas 2005, Alaska 2006 & Gulf of Mexico 2010

DAY 5
Should the system catastrophically fail and a Major Incident follows:

• Departmental Roles & Responsibilities

• Role of First responders - Emergency Response Teams

• Role of the Incident On-Scene Commander

• Shelter or Evacuation workshop

• Designing drills and exercises