Alarm Management Plan: How to Construct One and Use It to Improve Your Bottom Line

Abstract

Why prepare an Alarm Management Plan just to meet PHMSA requirements (49 CFR Parts 192.631 and 195.446) when, for essentially the same effort, you can prepare one that, when implemented, will improve your bottom line? This paper has three objectives:

1. Explain the fundamentals of constructing an alarm management plan to meet PHMSA requirements including personnel requirements, scope, content, and maintenance;
2. Examine using in-house resources versus an external consultant;
3. Encourage operators to prepare an alarm management plan that not only will satisfy PHMSA requirements, but also will improve safety, productivity, and profitability when implemented.