TECHNICAL REPORT

ISA-TR18.2.4-2012
Enhanced and Advanced
Alarm Methods
Approved 6 September 2012
ISA-TR18.2.4-2012, Enhanced and Advanced Alarm Methods

ISBN: 978-1-937560-19-5

Copyright © 2012 by the International Society of Automation. All rights reserved. Printed in the
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ISA
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Copyright 2012 ISA. All rights reserved.

 3 ISA-TR18.2.4-2012

Preface

This preface, as well as all footnotes, is included for information purposes only and is not part of
ISA-TR18.2.4-2012.

This technical report has been prepared as part of the service of ISA, the International Society of
Automation, toward a goal of helping in the understanding and use of ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009,
Management of Alarm Systems for the Process Industries . To be of real value, this document
should not be static but should be subject to periodic review. Toward this end, the Society
welcomes all comments and criticisms and asks that they be addressed to the Secretary,
Standards and Practices Board; ISA, 67 Alexander Drive; P.O. Box 12277; Research Triangle
Park, NC 27709; Telephone (919) 549-8411; Fax (919) 549-8288; E-mail: standards@isa.org.

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ISA-TR18.2.4-2012 4

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The following people served as members of ISA18 Working Group 4 and contributed to this
technical report:

NAME COMPANY
Joe Alford Joseph S. Alford, LLC
Michael Carter GE Energy
Lieven Dubois UReason
Bill Hollifield PAS
Robert Hudson Shell Global Solutions
John Huhman Shell Global Solutions
Darwin Logerot ProSys Inc.
Doug Metzger Consultant
Mike Miller Shell Global Solutions
Graham Nasby Eramosa Engineering Inc.
Nick Sands DuPont
Rainer Spies SpiraTec AG
Kim VanCamp Emerson Process Management
Bob Weibel Tips Inc.

The following people served as voting members of ISA18 and contributed to this technical report:

NAME COMPANY
Donald Dunn, Co-Chair Aramco Services Co.
Nicholas Sands, Co-Chair DuPont
Erwin Icayan ACES Inc.
Joseph Alford Joseph S. Alford LLC
Stephen Apple IntelaTrac-Wonderware Mobile Solutions
Joe Bingham AES Global Inc.
Alex Boquiren Bechtel Corp.
Alan Bryant Oxy Inc.
John Campbell Consultant
Bridget Fitzpatrick Mustang Engineering
Max Hanson MCC Control Systems
Bill Hollifield PAS
Alan Hugo Capstone Technology
Lokesh Kalra Chevron
Edward Marszal Kenexis
Michael Marvan Shell Canada

Copyright 2012 ISA. All rights reserved.

 5 ISA-TR18.2.4-2012

Douglas Metzger DPM Consulting

Ian Nimmo User Centered Design Services LLC
Patrick O’Donnell BP
Douglas Rothenberg D. Roth Inc.
Todd Stauffer Exida Co.
David Strobhar Beville Engineering Inc.
Angela Summers SIS-TECH Solutions LP
Beth Vail URS SMS
Bob Weibel TiPs Inc.

This technical report was approved for publication by the ISA Standards and Practices Board on
6 September 2012.

NAME COMPANY
D. Dunn, Vice President Aramco Services Co.
E. Cosman, Vice President-Elect The Dow Chemical Co.
D. Bartusiak ExxonMobil Chemical Company
P. Brett Honeywell Inc.
J. Campbell Consultant
M. Coppler Det Norske Veritas Certification Inc.
B. Dumortier Consultant
J. Federlein Federlein & Assoc. Inc.
J. Gilsinn Kenexis Consulting Group
E. Icayan ACES Inc.
J. Jamison EnCana Corporation Ltd.
K. Lindner Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG
V. Maggioli Feltronics Corp.
T. McAvinew Instrumentation & Control Engineering LLC
R. Reimer Rockwell Automation
S. Russell Valero Energy Corp.
N. Sands DuPont
H. Sasajima Azbil Corp.
T. Schnaare Rosemount Inc.
J. Tatera Tatera & Associates Inc.
I. Verhappen Yokogawa Canada Inc.
W. Weidman WCW Consulting
J. Weiss Applied Control Solutions LLC
M. Wilkins Yokogawa IA Global Marketing USMK
D. Zetterberg Chevron Energy Technology Company

Copyright 2012 ISA. All rights reserved.

ISA-TR18.2.4-2012 6

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Copyright 2012 ISA. All rights reserved.

 7 ISA-TR18.2.4-2012

Contents

Foreword ................................................................................................................................ 9
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 10
1 Scope ............................................................................................................................ 13
1.1 Exclusions ............................................................................................................ 13
2 Normative references ..................................................................................................... 14
3 Definition of terms and acronyms ................................................................................... 14
3.1 Definitions ............................................................................................................. 14
3.2 Acronyms .............................................................................................................. 17
4 Considerations in the application of enhanced and advanced alarming methods ............ 18
4.1 Enhanced and advanced alarm methods vs. basic alarm m ethods ........................ 18
4.2 Potential added complexity and cost ..................................................................... 18
5 Information linking .......................................................................................................... 19
5.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 19
5.2 Applicable examples needing information linking ................................................... 19
5.3 Information linking sources ................................................................................... 20
5.4 Linking interfaces .................................................................................................. 22
5.5 Alarm systems linked with manufacturing operations management (MOM) ............ 24
6 State-based alarming ..................................................................................................... 25
6.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 25
6.2 Technique: First-out alarming case ....................................................................... 26
6.3 Technique: Designed alarm suppression ............................................................... 27
6.4 Technique: State-driven alarm attribute changes................................................... 28
6.5 Application: One or more alarms, minor equipment ............................................... 32
6.6 Application: Multiple alarms, major equipment ....................................................... 32
6.7 Application: Complex equipment trip and flood suppression .................................. 33
6.8 Application: Trip does not proceed normally .......................................................... 33
6.9 Application: Utilizing multiple sources of information ............................................. 34
6.10 Technique: Continuously calculated alarm setpoints ............................................. 35
7 Dynamic cause analysis and guidance ........................................................................... 36
7.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 36
7.2 The HMI and abnormal situation cause determination ........................................... 36
7.3 Challenges in online determination of an abnormal situation c ause ....................... 37
7.4 Techniques available to assist in cause determination .......................................... 39
7.5 Challenges in providing alarm response guidance to operators ............................. 43
8 Alarm routing and escalation .......................................................................................... 45
8.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 45
8.2 Basic alarm routing ............................................................................................... 45
8.3 Enhanced alarm routing ........................................................................................ 46
8.4 Enhanced hardware capabilities ............................................................................ 47
8.5 Re-alarming and alarm escalation ......................................................................... 47

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ISA-TR18.2.4-2012 8

9 Use of alerts .................................................................................................................. 48

9.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 48
9.2 Problems and opportunities ................................................................................... 48
9.3 Understanding alerts ............................................................................................. 48
9.4 Operator adjustment of alarm setpoints ................................................................. 50
9.5 Operator alert characteristics ................................................................................ 50
10 Advanced alarming relative to batch and discrete operations ......................................... 51
10.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 51
10.2 Applicability to batch processes ............................................................................ 51
10.3 Applicability to discrete processes ........................................................................ 52
11 Work process and preservation of alarm integrity ........................................................... 52
11.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 52
11.2 Alarm philosophy stage and alarm system requirements s pecification ................... 52
11.3 Rationalization, design, operation, maintenance, monitoring and assessment
stages ................................................................................................................... 53
11.4 Alarm enforcement ................................................................................................ 53
11.5 Management of change (MOC) ............................................................................. 53
11.6 Training ................................................................................................................ 54
12 References .................................................................................................................... 54
13 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 54

Figures

Figure 1 – Alarm management lifecycle (ISA-18.2) ............................................................... 10

Figure 2 – Solution space pattern diagram for successful vs. unsuccessful tablet coating
runs .................................................................................................................... 36
Figure 3 – Fishbone cause-effect diagram for a pH alarm ..................................................... 40
Figure 4 – Neural net cause-effect diagram .......................................................................... 41
Figure 5 – Decision tree regarding batch success ................................................................. 43
Figure 6 – Sample criteria for notification types from an alarm p hilosophy ............................ 49
Figure 7 – Examples of operator notifications from an example alarm philosophy ................. 49

Copyright 2012 ISA. All rights reserved.

 9 ISA-TR18.2.4-2012

Foreword
In 2009, ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009, Management of Alarm Systems for the Process Industries ,
commonly referred to as ISA-18.2, was issued. In that same year the ISA18 committee
established working groups to develop a series of technical reports with guidance on how to
implement the practices outlined in ISA-18.2. The six independent technical reports are
described below:

 ISA-dTR18.2.1, Alarm Philosophy [dTR1], provides guidance on the alarm philosophy and is
limited to the scope of Clause 6 in ISA-18.2. The alarm philosophy provides guidance for
successful management of the alarm system. It covers the definitions, principles, and
activities by providing overall guidance on methods for alarm identification, rationalization,
classification, prioritization, monitoring, management of change, and audit. (As of the
publication of this technical report, the draft, dTR1, had not been published.)

 ISA-dTR18.2.2, Alarm Identification and Rationalization [dTR2], provides guidance on alarm

identification and rationalization and is limited to the scope of Clauses 8 and 9 in ISA-18.2.
Identification and rationalization cover the activities to determine the possible need for an
alarm or a change to an alarm; systematically compare alarms to the alarm philosophy; and
determine the alarm setpoint, consequence, operator action, priority, and class. Activities
include, but are not limited to, identification, justification, prioritization, classification, and
documentation. (As of the publication of this technical report, the draft, dTR2, had not been
published.)

 ISA-dTR18.2.3, Basic Alarm Design [dTR3], provides guidance on basic alarm design,
focuses on the scope of Clause 10 of ISA-18.2, and may include other clauses as needed
(e.g., Clause 14 on operations and Clause 15 on maintenance). Basic alarm design covers
the selection of alarm attributes (e.g., types, deadban ds, and delay times) and may be
specific to each control system. (As of the publication of this technical report, the draft, dTR3,
had not been published.)

 ISA-TR18.2.4-2012, Enhanced and Advanced Alarm Methods [TR4], provides guidance on

enhanced and advanced alarm methods and focuses on the scope of Clause 12 of ISA-18.2.
Enhanced alarm design covers guidance on additional logic, programming, or modeling used
to modify alarm behavior. These methods may include: dynamic alarming, state-based
alarming, adaptive alarms, logic-based alarming, and predictive alarming, as well as most of
the designed suppression methods.

 ISA-TR18.2.5-2012, Alarm System Monitoring, Assessment, and Auditing [TR5], provides

guidance on monitoring, assessment and audit of alarms and focuses on the scope of
Clauses 16 and 18 in ISA-18.2. Monitoring, assessment, and audit cover the continuous
monitoring, periodic performance assessment, and recurring audit of the alarm system.

 ISA-TR18.2.6-2012, Alarm Systems for Batch and Discrete Processes [TR6], provides
guidance on the application of ISA-18.2 alarm lifecycle activities to batch and discrete
processes, expanding on multiple clauses of ISA-18.2.

The guidance as presented in this document is general in nature and should be applied to each
system as appropriate by personnel knowledgeable in the manufacturing process and control
systems to which it is being applied. This guidance will evolve with experience and technology
advancements.

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ISA-TR18.2.4-2012 10

Introduction
Alarm management lifecycle
ISA-18.2 gives requirements that address alarm systems for facilities in the process industries to
improve safety, quality, and productivity. The general principles and processes in ISA -18.2 are
intended for use in the lifecycle management of an alarm system based on programmable
electronic controller- and computer-based human machine interface (HMI) technology. These
requirements are presented in the standard, using the alarm management lifecycle shown in ISA-
18.2.

A Philosophy J
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
A
Identification I

C Rationalization

Management
D Detailed design
of change

Audit
E Implementation

F Operation H

Monitoring &
assessment
G Maintenance

Note 1: The box used for stage B represents a process defined outside of ISA-18.2.
Note 2: The independent stage J represents a process that conn ects to all other lifecycle stages.
Note 3: The rounded shapes of stages A, H, and J represent entry points to the lifecycle.
Note 4: The dotted lines represent the loops in the lifecycle.

Figure 1 – Alarm management lifecycle (ISA-18.2)

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 11 ISA-TR18.2.4-2012

Enhanced and advanced alarming

Clause 12 of ISA-18.2 discusses enhanced and advanced alarm methods. These methods
typically go beyond the basic methods and techniques that are usually, or at least initially,
applied. It is an informative clause and contains no mandatory requirements. Enhanced and
advanced alarming is not a separate stage in the alarm management lifecycle, a separate work
process, or a specific application. It is a collection of methods and techniques that can be
applied within the ISA-18.2 lifecycle stages. For example, advanced alarming techniques on
specific alarms are designed in the ISA-18.2 design stage and implemented in the
implementation stage. Significant improvement in alarm system function and performance can
usually be made by following the basic alarming methods and principles. However, in many
cases they may not be sufficient to achieve the goals for performance and operator guidance
stated in the alarm philosophy. For example, due to changing process or equipment state, the
alarms may not always trigger at the appropriate times for operator action, or they may trigger at
times when no action is needed.

Enhanced and advanced alarming methods are additional layers of logic, programming,
modeling, or a combination thereof, used to modify alarm behavior or to improve operator
guidance to better meet the objectives of an alarm system.

Purpose of this technical report

The purpose of this technical report is to help people evaluate when to use enhanced and
advanced alarming methods, what benefits they can achieve, and what challenges and costs to
expect. The objectives of this technical report are:

a) to educate plant personnel as to what solutions are possible when the basic alarming
methods alone do not achieve a site’s alarm management objectives
b) to help plant personnel to identify potential benefits, costs, risks, and necessary follow-up for
solutions at their sites; to help decide whether or not they should consider enhanced and
advanced alarming techniques; and if so, which specific techniques should be incorporated
into their alarm philosophy and work processes
c) to help those involved in the design, procurement, implementation, maintenance, and
operation of enhanced and advanced alarming methods, for both existing systems and new
systems
d) to provide guidance and examples to help ensure successful deployment of the solutions

Report organization
Clause 12 of ISA-18.2 divides enhanced and advanced alarming into four categories based on
type of solution: information linking, logic-based alarming, model-based alarming, and additional
alarming considerations.

This technical report is organized by type of al arming problem, rather than by solution technique.
The intent is to cover all the techniques but to cover them in the context of the site problems that
they address. Some techniques can be used to address multiple problems, and in the more
complex problems and solutions, multiple techniques may be used, as shown in some of the
examples of this report.

The technical report is organized as follows:

Clause 1 discusses the scope of this technical report, including important exclusions.

Clause 2 gives normative references.

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ISA-TR18.2.4-2012 12

Clause 3 provides definitions of terms and acronyms used in this technical report, most of which
are defined in ISA-18.2 and used here.

Clause 4 discusses the primary differences between enhanced/advanced alarming methods and
basic alarming methods, including discussion of situations that may lead to the need for
enhanced and advanced methods.

Clauses 5 through 10 provide guidance and examples for using enhanced or advanced alarm ing
methods to solve alarm system problems that remain after application of the basic alarming
techniques. The problems, with their solutions, are presented roughly in their order of
complexity.

Clause 5 discusses situations in which the information embedded in the alarm itself may not be
enough to guide the operator to appropriate action. Often the appropriate guidance has already
been identified during the rationalization stage. This clause discusses information linking
techniques, such as those for presenting this and other guidance to operators at the appropriat e
times.

Clause 6 discusses situations in which changing plant operating conditions may lead to the need
for advanced methods, such as designed suppression or changing alarm attributes, in order for
the alarm system to properly track the changing states o f the process. This can occur for planned
operating states, such as start-up, shutdown, and different feedstocks; or it can occur due to
unplanned events, such as a compressor trip.

Clause 7 builds upon this discussion. In some cases, the dynamic alarmin g methods of Clause 6
still do not provide adequate operator guidance, and enhancements may be needed to provide
appropriate guidance for all anticipated process situations. Clause 7 discusses utilization of
dynamic cause analysis to provide more tailored operator guidance in such situations.

Clause 8 discusses situations in which the basic alarm system alone does not deliver the alarm
to the person (i.e., role) on the operating team who (based on the operating philosophy) should
react to the alarm. In some situations, the responder is not in the control room or is in the control
room but at a different console due to process dynamics, scheduling, or other competing plant
floor activities. This clause discusses these issues and related solutions.

Clause 9 discusses appropriate use of alerts. As identified in ISA -18.2, alerts share some of the
same characteristics but do not meet all of the criteria of alarms. Though they are not alarms, the
use of alerts relative to alarms is important and is discussed in this clause.

Clause 10 briefly discusses the use of enhanced/advanced alarming methods for batch and
discrete processes. These methods are more broadly covered in TR6.

Clause 11 discusses how the alarm system integrity is maintained through appropriate
application of site work processes, including those discussed in ISA -18.2. If appropriate care is
not taken in the application of the enhanced and advanced methods presented here, loss of
alarm integrity and other problems can result.

Clauses 12 and 13 provide a list of references and a bibliography.

Copyright 2012 ISA. All rights reserved.