The objective of alarm management is to improve overall plant performance by improving the information available to operations. Operations is the ultimate "user" of alarms and other control room information. Therefore, Operations has the most stake in alarm management and is uniquely positioned to oversee the process of improving the alarm system.

Because Operations is capable of designing and adding alarms, they should also have authority to modify or remove them. Operations can be given the responsibility for managing and staffing an alarm management effort or for overseeing a third-party resource. Many of our clients are even going so far as downplaying data analysis to allow members of the operating team to identify "bad actor" alarms. What are your thoughts about handing the alarm management car keys to Operations? Good idea? Been there done that?

Chris Wilson
Marketing Manager
TiPS, Inc.
www.tipsweb.com