Every month, Control's editors take a specific product area, collect all the latest, significant tools we can find, and present them here to make your job easier. If you know of any tools and resources we didn't include, send them to [email protected], and we'll add them to the website.
MIND THE SAFETY GAP
Plant safety is at or very near the top of almost every manufacturer's operating priority list, often with a stated goal of zero incidents or accidents. Functional safety focuses on the safeguards required to manage and mitigate hazards. It seeks to answer the following types of questions: What can go wrong? How severe might it be? How likely is it to happen? Does it matter? Do we have enough protection? Safeguards typically include safety instrumented systems, such as emergency shutdown systems, alarm functionality of the distributed control system, burner management systems and pretty much any other automation and control technology that provides a layer of protection that enables safe operation. While functional safety has proven successful in reducing the probability of catastrophic events and does recognize the role of human factors, it does not explicitly address the key roles of management and business processes in maintaining the operational integrity and profitable performance of process plants. Process safety moves beyond functional safety, seeking to assure that the safeguards and safety equipment are available and operating at peak performance. It includes enforcing routine maintenance procedures, keeping maintenance backlogs or records of the safety critical devices that manage those risks and enforcing practices such as standard operating procedures. This white paper demonstrates how modern process safety management goes beyond functional safety to keep plants continuously safe and profitable. The free, downloadable PDF is found at http://tinyurl.com/ktwj4tb.
Invensys Triconex
INTRINSIC SAFETY DEMYSTIFIED
Over the past several decades, intrinsic safety has established itself as the preferred method of explosion protection for global energy and petrochemical projects. This latest installment in Control's "Essentials" series explains the ins and outs of intrinsic safety technology, how it compares with other methods of explosion protection, and new technology developments poised to increase the scope of its application to higher energy systems. This free, downloadable white paper is found at http://tinyurl.com/ndc7r77.
Pepperl+Fuchs
SAFETY INSTRUMENTED SYSTEMS
"Essentials of Safety Instrumented Systems" is another unit in Control's "Essentials" series. It provides process industry professionals with an up-to-date, top-level understanding of the most important SIS issues. From fundamental concepts and terminology to the ongoing debate over integrated versus stand-alone safety systems, readers can get up to speed quickly on the key technology and marketplace drivers. The direct link to the free, downloadable PDF is located at www.controlglobal.com/13WPpdf/130128-Essentials-eBook.pdf.
ABB
PROCESS SAFETY PODCASTS
For your listening pleasure, and full of important safety information, ControlGlobal.com has a wide selection of podcasts on process safety free for downloading. Hear Control's editors talk with experts such as Asish Ghosh, Bill Goble, Charlie Fialkowski and Eddie Habbi, a team of ARC analysts and others regarding process safety issues, alarm management, safety standards and more. For a complete list of available podcasts, go to http://tinyurl.com/k9ntfpn.
