Don't be alarmed by 'nuisance' alarms in the process industry

Process plants and pipelines rely on numerous automation systems to efficiently run their day-to-day operations. But those systems can generate thousands of alarms every day - many of which are not serious - requiring control room operators to quickly distinguish between routine process alarms and critical alarms that warn of operating problems or safety issues.

According to the Abnormal Situation Management (ASM) Consortium, ineffective management of nuisance alarms (alarms that sound unnecessarily) can lead to incidents that cost the process industry billions of dollars and pose an increased risk of fatigue and stress for operators who must constantly make instant decisions on how to respond when an alarm sounds.

Honeywell has now launched its DynAMo Alarm Suite, an advanced alarm management software that reduces the overall number of alarms while helping operators focus and respond to the most critical of those. The software leverages more than 20 years of alarm management experience in the process industries and can help users reduce overall alarm count by as much as 80%, identify maintenance issues and increase visibility of critical alarms that require urgent attention.

According to Darren Wyllie, General Manager, Advanced Solutions - Pacific, who launched the product in Sydney today, there are a number of features that makes this product different, including: vendor neutrality, a customisable dashboard and its mobile device compatibility.

The customisable, role-based dashboard enables operators, engineers and managers to view the health of their alarm system at a glance. A key feature of the new software is that it is compatible with many mobile devices, enabling personnel to view alarm metrics at any time, from almost any location. This ease of access enables more frequent monitoring and faster corrective action, which helps alleviate a major fatigue factor of operators.

“When operators are forced to deal with hundreds of alarms at any given point in time, there is increased risk to safety not to mention process efficiency,” said Vimal Kapur, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Process Solutions Advanced Solutions business. “The DynAMo Alarm Suite is an effective tool for optimising alarm management programs to prevent alarm floods and ‘chatter’, and reduce operator stress. The software offers a layer of protection to minimise unplanned outages, safety incidents and environmental releases.”

DynAMo Alarm Suite can be integrated with Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS), as well as any other control system. Honeywell also offers alarm management consulting, services and support, with worldwide coverage.

For further information, visit www.honeywellprocess.com/AlarmManagement.