Product category:
Alarms, annunciators and safety interlocks
News Release from: ICS (Industrial Control Software) | Subject: IMAC Custodian
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 November 2006
Process Alarm Management Software wins
award
ICS has been awarded the 2006 Innovation Award by NOF Energy, one of the UK's leading business development organisations for companies involved in the oil and gas and related energy sectors
Industrial Control Software has been awarded the 2006 Innovation Award by NOF Energy, one of the UK's leading business development organisations for companies involved in the oil and gas and related energy sectors The Northern Offshore Federation (NOF) has more than 200 member companies who supply goods and services to the oil, gas, marine and renewable energy industries
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 7 Jul 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The capabilities established by NOF member companies in the harsh, demanding environment of the North Sea are highly respected by the developing oil and gas nations around the world.
ICS won the award for an innovative new software product they have just released which will revolutionise the way alarm overrides are handled in the Control Room by eliminating the need for paper logbooks.
The product, IMAC Custodian, will be a valuable addition to the already comprehensive ICS suite of process alarm management software tools.
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Sean Herring, Sales and Marketing Manager at ICS said, "Having put years of man effort into the development of IMAC Custodian, Industrial Control Software are pleased to have won the NOF Energy Innovation Award.
This award is particularly special as we feel it represents an endorsement by our peer group to the innovative nature of this new product".
ICS believe that on many sites, the problem is not the process of overriding alarms but the use of paper logbooks for recording what action has been taken.
Some reasons why paper systems are not sufficient are:.
* Paper logbooks can not be organised and viewed in a way that ensures continuous clarity to the operator.
* Paper logbooks make it difficult to manage and impossible to prove that the procedure is being followed correctly.
* Paper logbooks can only be viewed in one location i.e the control room.
* Paper logbooks are easier to modify and forge.
* Paper logbooks are inefficient; you have to continuously enter the same information each time.
* Paper logbooks have limitations with regard to the amount of information recorded i.e they try to do everything on one line.
* Paper logbooks do not record a detailed audit trail of people who have reviewed the logbook and each time they review it.
* Paper logbooks are not secure; they can be destroyed by the incident or on purpose: IMAC Custodian can be installed in a secure location away from the plant.
* To provide KPI information from a paper logbook is extremely time consuming: IMAC Custodian can provide the standard KPI information and much more with the click of a mouse.
* Paper logbooks are a dead end: IMAC Custodian offers a far better solution now and will continue to be developed to offer even more functionality in the future, with the addition of communications and optional override risk assessment integrated into future Custodian control room products.
The Hazardous Installations Directive from the UK Health and Safety Executive states, "Logic systems are likely to incorporate provisions for overrides, for which there should be suitable management control arrangements.
Procedures should be available which detail the operation of the protective system including, Override management (authorisation, security, recording, monitoring and review of overrides, reset requirements)".
Designed to run on a network, or 'stand alone', the IMAC Custodian simple web browser interface and secure database ensures storage and rapid data retrieval at all times, thereby improving overall alarm management and reporting processes.
This is the first award IMAC Custodian has won but given the innovative design and the obvious benefits in terms of improved safety and efficiency, Industrial Control Software believe it will prove popular not just in the energy sector but to all plants where paper logbooks are currently used.
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