Getting Started with Vertigo™
This article presents a quick introduction and overview to the Kenexis Vertigo™ software for [...]
Gas Detection in Boiler Rooms
A lot of companies that operate gas-fired boilers are in the process of considering [...]
Make Process Plants Inherently Safe Against Cyber Attack
Warning... This is going to be a long blog post with a lot of large [...]
What’s in the New Version of IEC 61511? Issue 2
Moving on to the definitions... Definition 3.2.3 for basic process control systems was changed [...]
What’s in the New Version of IEC 61511? Issue 1
As many of you are already aware, IEC is in the process of updating [...]
Fuel Rich Firebox Explosions
I was recently asked by a customer whether or not an explosion as the [...]
Understanding Fire Sizes in FGS Mapping
Good fire and gas (FGS) mapping depends on a solid understanding of the performance [...]
Can I Increase SIS Test Intervals to Seven Years?
I recently received a question from an operating company engineer. He was asked to [...]
Explanation of Mitigation Effectiveness
Since the release of the ISA 84.00.07 technical report, I’ve received a lot of [...]
FGS Functions that can be Treated as SIF
As I am currently preparing material for a revision of the ISATR 84.00.07 technical [...]
Accuracy of SIL Calculations
During the recent ISA 84 committee meetings related to the ISA TR84.00.02 which discusses [...]
Are Separate Taps Making Your Plant LESS Safe?
Instrumentation and control engineers have been taught, no, conditioned through repetition, to design separate [...]
Wireless for SIS?
I recently received a request from a colleague asking for more information regarding the [...]
OSHA Review Panel Ruling on Application of API 556
Many SIS practitioners are concerned about how government and regulators interpret the implementation of [...]
Credit for Operator Response to SIS Failure
Even though I have been doing SIS design for about 20 years now, I [...]
How Many Alarm IPL Can I Credit?
I recently received an enquiry from a customer. He asked if I know of [...]
I Think I Might Have Too Many Fire Detectors…
In my consulting I often hear engineers say, “I think I have too many [...]
Applicability of NFPA 72 to Process Areas
I received the following questions about design of fire and gas detection and suppression [...]
Partial Stroke Test Coverage Assignment Recommendations
During the process of SIL verification calculations, analysts are often required to assess the [...]
Forgotten Pieces of PFD Equations for SIL Verification
After teaching the ISA EC 52 course – Advanced Design and SIL Verification, I [...]
Using Templates for LOPA
In all of the years that I have been performed LOPA (16 now…), I [...]
Real Data!
Last week I taught the ISA EC 52 training course – Advanced SIL Selection. This [...]
Gasoline Spills form Aerosol Clouds, not Vapor Clouds…
Over the past week I have been at a Oil Refinery [...]
Origin of the Five Meter Grid for Gas Detector Spacing
There are many methods used in the process industries for placing gas detectors. These [...]
When to Use QRA Instead of LOPA
As many practitioners of chemical process risk analysis know, LOPA is a simple tool [...]