ISA84/IEC61511 SIS Functional Safety Compliance: It’s a Journey Worth Taking

Abstract

Achieving full functional safety compliance at a plant will not just happen; it takes a focused effort from dedicated personnel and a supporting management staff. It’s a lot of work, but the potential safety and reliability benefits are well worth the investment. This paper will walk through the steps employed at several sites in Texas and hopes to provide stimulus for others to follow suite. The first ISA 84 (ISA 84.01-1996) functional safety standard initiated the safety lifecycle; the second, internationally adapted version, ISA 84 (ISA 84.00.01-2004) refined the process through the Functional Safety Management (FSM) plan and various other vital additions. Each helped provide a sturdy framework for an expected sustainable process for the remainder of the subject facility’s life and are considered good practices by OSHA for PSM. It is fully believed that if done properly, the end result of applying the ISA84 standard to complete compliance will be a safer and more cost effectively controlled process environment.