Diversity and Independence with Regard to BPCS and SIS Systems

Abstract

We live in a dangerous world. We work in a dangerous industry. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” As safety professionals, it is our job to do something about it. Yet, in the interest of ease of implementation or due to some belief that communications might be easier or for the more base reason that there might be a cost saving, we find ourselves making too many compromises. This paper will postulate that the Integrated Control and Safety System is one of those compromises. Since the beginning of this industry, separate and diverse systems have been the rule in processing facilities. Such systems provide the ultimate in safety and security. This paper will make the case for Independent and Interconnected Control and Safety Systems that will provide the ultimate in safety and cyber security.