In every large alarm rationalization project, safety experts eventually notice a pattern — many alarms follow similar patterns. For example, “pipeline high pressure” or “instrument air failure” alarms often appear repeatedly throughout a facility. Each one needs to be analyzed, categorized, and documented, usually following the same logic.
But doing this manually — one alarm at a time — is time-consuming and error-prone.
And at xSeriCon, when we encountered this during a recent alarm management project in Doha, our team refined the process by defining typicals for recurring alarms (like pipeline high pressure) so parameters could be quickly assigned to all similar cases.
Defining “Typicals” ✅
Anyone who’s done large-scale alarm rationalization knows the challenge — repetitive alarm types that appear again and again across the database. And by defining typicals for recurring alarms, we were able to automatically assign most of the rationalization parameters to similar alarms.
A typical defines all the relevant parameters for that alarm category, such as:
• Priority
• Classification
• Shelving policy
• Response time requirements
• Operator guidance
Once defined, these parameters can be automatically assigned to every alarm of the same type in the database.
The Results － Improved efficiency up to 4 times ✅
By implementing this structured approach, our workshop productivity increased dramatically — from analyzing 120–150 alarms per day to 500–600 alarms per day.
This not only speeds up the project timeline, but also ensures greater consistency acrossall alarms, making the final alarm database more reliable and easier to maintain.
Bringing the Experience － Coming Soon to Vizop ✅
Seeing how effective this idea was in practice, we’re now building the “Typicals” concept directly into Vizop, our HAZOP and Alarm Management software.
The new feature will allow users to:
• Define typical alarm templates with one click
• Apply them across multiple alarms instantly
• Maintain consistency in configuration and documentation
• Maintain traceability, for better auditing and Management of Change
By combining automation with intelligent design, Vizop continues to redefine how safety-critical workflows are managed — helping safety experts to focus on what matters most: making their work safer, easier, and smarter.
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