Can you say that your alarm system will provide process control system operators with the correct alarms in the correct sequence to be able to respond effectively to problems before they have a negative impact on the process or the plant? Your plant’s alarm system should be a critical line of defense against potentially costly and/or destructive abnormal situations, providing clear notification and guidance as to the root cause of problems and minimizing unnecessary nuisance alarms. However, our study of plant and mill control systems has determined that many alarm systems routinely perform sub-optimally and plant operators are often bogged down with nuisance alarms.

When it comes to your alarm system, operational excellence isn't a goal - it's a necessity.  By actively addressing ineffective alarms, operator performance will improve and attention can be focused specifically on delivering safe, effective plant operation. SureService^SM has developed its Alarm Management Services program to help you improve the quality and performance of your alarm system, then continue to maintain and improve it over time. The Alarm Management Services program addresses all three of the key areas of alarm management:

Alarm System Management Assessment - Emerson will examine all aspects of your existing alarm system beginning with retrieval of alarm logs for evaluation and statistical analysis using DeltaV Analyze.  The assessment will evaluate exposure to risk as a result of poor alarm management and will be based on Engineering Equipment and Materials User Association Report 191 best practices.(EEMUA-191)

Alarm System Performance Improvement - Based on the results of the Alarm System Management Assessment, our Alarm System Performance Improvement services will provide systematic development of an alarm philosophy, an alarm rationalization process, and implementation of alarm system changes.

Alarm System Maintenance Program - The Alarm System Maintenance Program provides on-going periodic collection of alarm and event data for analysis and reporting.  Our Alarm Management Specialists will then consult with you on the findings of these reports and work out an action plan to address any issues in accordance with your established management of change processes. 

DeltaV Analyze™ and Alarm Reporting Services - Emerson offers subscription services that will provide on-line access to DeltaV Analyze via our secure Guardian Support website, and Alarm Management Reporting services. Subscribers can upload Event Chronicle files to Emerson via the Guardian Dashboard, then use DeltaV Analyze running on the web to perform analysis of the alarm and event data. Our reporting service allows you to request one of our Alarm Management Summary reports at any time based on an uploaded Event Chronicle file. Reports are generated by our Alarm Management Specialists and returned to you, usually within two business days. Each report summarizes the analysis performed on your Event Chronicle data and contains highlights of some of the most active areas and modules in your system with regard to alarm activity, and other statistical information that will help you quickly focus your alarm system evaluation efforts for maximum benefit. 

Free Alarm Management Report - As a means of introducing our Alarm Management Services, Emerson is offering a free Alarm Summary Report for all DeltaV systems.  The report will contain a subset of the information presented in the Alarm Management Overview report. Please consult your local Emerson Process Management office for details.