Alarm Analytics
The IGSS Alarm Analytics module introduced in IGSS V18 evaluates alarm system performance in accordance with ISA-18.2 and IEC 62682 standards. Its purpose is to identify excessive or nuisance alarms that may overwhelm operators and compromise situational awareness.
Maintaining a healthy alarm system is an ongoing process. Over time, plant conditions may change, equipment may degrade, shift, or malfunction – making previously configured alarm limits less effective.
The Alarm Analytics module helps pinpoint problem areas within the alarm system and assess whether changes to alarm configurations have achieved the intended improvements.
Analytic sections
The Alarm Analytics module is divided into 6 sections:
Overview
The Overview section provides a quick snapshot of essential KPIs, including:
- Total number of alarms recorded in the system.
- Alarm distribution by area, helping identify hotspots.
- Severity breakdown, showing the percentage of critical versus non-critical alarms.
Nuisance
Nuisance alarms share a common trait: They generate excessive and unnecessary noise within the alarm system, making it harder for operators to focus on critical events.
Dependencies
Dependencies reflect sequences where one alarm triggers another. For example, a temperature alarm leading to a cooling system failure. Understanding these links helps operators trace events, identify root causes, and respond more effectively.
Metrics
The Metrics section provides a clear overview of key performance indicators, offering quick insight into how your plant is performing.
Compare Periods
Using Compare Periods you can evaluate whether your plant’s alarm performance has improved over time. By selecting different time ranges and applying filters, you can compare alarm activity and identify trends. This helps assess the impact of changes made to the alarm configuration.
Alarm Log
The Alarm Log can be visualized as both a graph and a list:
- Click a point in the graph to highlight the matching alarm in the list.
- Use the list to sort alarms by severity, classification, or other log details.
This dual view makes it easy to spot issues and to make ad hoc analyses of the alarm data.
To learn more about Alarm Analytics you can read the Online Help, or find the help file for Alarm Analytics on the IGSS Master Help panel for IGSS V18.