Importance of Alarm Management

for Preventing Accidents

which Lead to Environmental Pollution

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.

Technical & Engineering Center

Hiroaki Mimura

6th February, 2013

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1. Introduction

Accidents has a very serious impact on the Environment.

“Safety” is the most important aspect in plant operation！!

September 2003 in HOKKAIDO

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Caused by

BIG Earthquake

Cause of serious accidents

1. Introduction

Many accidents caused by human error

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I can’t watch toomany alarms!!

DCS appeared

2. Alarm management at IDEMITSU

Number of alarms is increasing

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STEP-3：Perform “Bad actor” alarm resolution

STEP-2：Collect data and benchmark your systems

STEP-1：Develop, adopt, and maintain an Alarm Philosophy

STEP-7：Control and maintain your improved system

STEP-6：Implement real time alarm management

STEP-5：Implement alarm audit and enforcement technology

STEP-4：Perform alarm documentation and rationalization

“7 steps to a highly effective Alarm System”

Always-needed steps:

Steps to implement based on alarm system performance

2. Alarm management at IDEMITSU

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We have been doing alarm reduction as

“Non-touch Operation Activity”

Focus on 10 highest frequency alarms

◆Frequent alarms →Reviewing alarm setting

→Reviewing PID parameter

◆Routine alarms →Automating routine operation.

◆Redundant alarms →Removing alarms

STEP-3：Perform “Bad actor” alarm resolution

STEP-2：Collect data and benchmark your systems

STEP-1：Develop, adopt, and maintain an Alarm Philosophy

2. Alarm management at IDEMITSU

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① Create a database of the alarms

② Separation of critical alarms display

③ Unnecessary alarm suppression

2. Alarm management at IDEMITSU

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STEP-7：Control and maintain your improved system

STEP-6：Implement real time alarm management

STEP-5：Implement alarm audit and enforcement technology

STEP-4：Perform alarm documentation and rationalization

Alarm management software “CAMS”

Go to

next STEP

SafetyGr-Ⅲ(critical)

Gr-Ⅱ Gr-Ⅰ

EnvironmentGr-Ⅲ(critical)

Gr-Ⅱ Gr-Ⅰ

Damage to theequipment(ESD)

Gr-Ⅲ(critical)

Gr-Ⅱ Gr-Ⅰ

Damage to theequipment (Design)

Gr-Ⅲ(critical)

Gr-Ⅱ

Damage to theequipment(Trip)

Gr-Ⅲ(critical)

Gr-Ⅱ Gr-Ⅰ

Quality Gr-Ⅲ Gr-Ⅱ

Operation change Gr-Ⅲ Gr-Ⅱ

Decreasein production

XHQ Gr-Ⅲ

Others XHQ ANA

Less than8hour

Less than2hour

Less than30min

Less than5min

Less than1min

Urgent

① Create a database of the alarms

Pu

rpo

se

3. Method

Urgency

GrⅠ： Control limit(ESD)

GrⅡ： Operation limit

GrⅢ： Operation value

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We classified all tags

② Separation of critical alarms display

3. Method

It is difficult to check critical alarms

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All process alarms

Critical alarms

It is easy to check critical alarms

Ex) FIC9014 (PID block) : Superheated steam to Refinery

③ Unnecessary alarm suppression

3. Method

Steam

FIC9014

ESDSIGNAL!!

VALVE SHUT!!

Refinery

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③ Unnecessary alarm suppression

3. Method

Time →

Flo

w R

ate

→

Lowlimit

Highlimit

ESD

Targetvalue

Velocity

Deviation

MV HL

1 F9014.HI

2 F9014.LO

3 F9014.DV+

4 F9014.DV-

5 F9014.VEL+

6 F9014.VEL-

7 F9014.MHI

8 F9014.MLO

9 F9014.IOP+

10 F9014.IOP-

11 F9014.OOPAlarm flooding by massive alarms

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Operator feels relief to control

plants by alarm suppression!!

Peak alarm rate / 10 min

・Should be manageable <10

・Hard to cope 20‐100

・Definitely excessive >100

EEMUA benchmarks

4. Alarm suppression performance

◆ A section of X plant the result of suppression in ESD

No suppression： 68

After suppression： 5

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No suppression : 1754

After suppression : 191

Operator can monitor

easily in ESD operation

4. Alarm suppression performance

◆ All section of X plant the result of suppression in ESD

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Reduction rate:

90％

◆ Good Mark

・You can decrease operator’s labor and improvethe plant safety.

・You can introduce alarm management systemwithout equipment costs.

◆ Bad Mark

・You must make a great effort to create alarmdatabase.

With the introduction of alarm management…

5. Conclusion

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Alarm

management

Life cycle

◆ Attention

・Only introducing software is meaningless!!

・It is very important to carry out regular reviewsof the alarm management!!

OperationRationalization

AssessmentMaintenance

5. Conclusion

I must classify all

alarm tags!

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Thank you for your attention.

Feel Easy!!

5. Conclusion

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