The alarm system from the operator's perspective

In a number of incidents and accidents, the alarm system has been identified as a contributing factor to the escalation of events from upset to worse. This paper will discuss the alarm system from the operators perspective. An alarm should reflect the state of the process, and the alarm list in fact be a prioritized action list. The system should automatically adapt to the process state, and the operator should not be presented with alarms that are not relevant to the current operating state. This can be done if the alarm system more resembles the process; e.g. if the process has sections like feed section, heater section etc. then the alarm system can be designed in a similar way, so that when disturbances occur in the process, that very same alarm "module" for that part of the process should be activated.