New white paper from M.A.C. Solutions offers tips for the process industry on which format of Master Alarm Database is most suitable for your plant
M.A.C. Solutions, developer of the ProcessVue® suite of alarm management software, has produced a white paper entitled “Master Alarm Databases: what format?” The paper is available to download at
A Master Alarm Database (MADb) is defined in the alarm management standards as an “authorised list of rationalised alarms and associated attributes”. A MADb is one of the fundamental building blocks required to underpin the success of any alarm improvement initiative. It is required for the life of an alarm system, and without one, process manufacturers would struggle to manage their alarms appropriately.
Whilst the starting point for a list of rationalised alarms and associated attributes is likely to be a ‘dump‘ of the configuration from a plant’s control system, there is so much more information that should be recorded for each alarm such as the cause of the alarm; consequences of not responding to the alarm; the required operator action to respond to the alarm; along with other ancillary information such as P&ID reference, which should also be captured and stored within the MADb.
What format is useful/acceptable?
Although in the latest edition of ISA 18.2, a note states: “The list can be in many forms and not only in the form of a database”, as users need to manage huge amounts of information, some form of electronic ‘database’ would be sensible. This effectively means there are two options: a spreadsheet or a database.
The paper outlines the reasons why a database is often a superior tool compared to a spreadsheet when implementing a MADb for a site. Topics discussed here include: future proofing; accessibility; memory usage and performance; user interface; data validation; ancillary information; management of change; bulk copy and edit; audit and enforcement.
The paper should appeal to a wide range of process industry plants, particularly Upper and Lower Tier COMAH-regulated or FDA-regulated sites. These include oil & gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, power stations and food processing. It doesn’t matter what the customer’s process is or what type of plant-wide control systems they have in place. If there is a need to manage and resolve alarm issues on site, this paper can offer useful tips on implementing and managing a Master Alarm Database and the most suitable format.
Ian Brown, Alarm Rationalisation and Services Manager at MAC Solutions (UK) and author of the white paper comments: “If you have a small number of tags in your system and simply want to count the number of alarms you must manage, then a spreadsheet may be a quick and relatively easy method of meeting your needs, although this is not always the case, depending on the complexity of your system and the format of the data you are presented with.”
“However, once companies begin to consider ‘management of change’ and ‘alarm rationalisation’, which may be a requirement from a regulator, then the use of a spreadsheet as a MADb becomes an unworkable option. If you are serious about managing and maintaining your alarms with robust management of change control throughout the lifetime of your plant, the only real option for a MADb is a database application, designed with alarm management as its core functionality,” he concludes.
For more information or a copy of the white paper, please visit or telephone MAC Solutions on 01527 529774 or email
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Pictured: Ian Brown, Alarm Rationalisation and Services Manager, MAC Solutions (UK) Ltd.
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About M.A.C. Solutions
Founded in 1996, M.A.C. Solutions ( is a specialist provider of Industrial Data Communication, M2M (machine-to-machine) solutions, process automation solutions and alarm management systems.
M.A.C. Solutions provides a range of hardware, software and consulting services, which enable operators in the transportation, infrastructure, power/energy, marine, oil & gas, utilities, security & surveillance, packaging, pharmaceuticals, and automation industries to securely connect and manage their distributed assets. Productivity data from these assets can be monitored over time to enable high-end analytics and visualisation. M.A.C. Solutions is an ISO 9001 registered company and is certified to OHSAS 18001:2007.
This article was written by Ian Brown of MAC Solutions – a brief biography of the author is provided below:
Ian M Brown
Alarm Rationalisation and Services Manager, MAC Solutions (UK) Ltd
Educated in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and with over thirty-five years of experience in the process industries, Ian has accumulated knowledge across a range of sectors, including industrial, chemical, speciality chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, power generation, nuclear and oil & gas; and has held a variety of technical (hardware & software configuration), maintenance management and consultancy roles.
Having successfully led a number of alarm rationalisation projects for clients over the past ten years, which resulted in significant reductions in annunciated alarm rates and improvements to their management of alarms; Ian’s expertise covers IEC 62682, ISA 18.2 and EEMUA 191. In addition to being a member of the ISA, he is also a TÜV certified Functional Safety Engineer (6424/13).
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