Effective HMI Design and Alarm Management (EEMUA 191 Best Practices)

Maintenance and Engineering October 29, 2025
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Introduction

This specialized course addresses two of the most critical factors in industrial control safety and efficiency: **Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Design** and **Alarm Management**. It provides an in-depth application of international best practices, primarily **EEMUA Publication 191**, to prevent alarm floods and reduce operator cognitive load. Participants will learn how to transition from distracting, outdated screen designs to high-performance graphics that enhance situational awareness. The goal is to establish a rigorous, data-driven approach to alarm rationalization and management, ensuring operators receive only the necessary, timely, and actionable information.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Apply the principles of **High-Performance HMI Design** (e.g., dark screen, hierarchical displays).
  • Develop a comprehensive **Alarm Philosophy Document** aligned with EEMUA 191 guidelines.
  • Master the three stages of alarm management: Philosophy, Rationalization, and Monitoring.
  • Design and justify effective **alarm prioritization** based on consequence and time to respond.
  • Identify and eliminate nuisance alarms (e.g., chatter, duplicates, fleeting) through rationalization.
  • Utilize color and visual cues appropriately to maintain operator focus and awareness.
  • Calculate and monitor key alarm performance metrics (e.g., average alarm rate, bad actors).
  • Manage and implement advanced alarm features like suppression, shelving, and state-based alarming.

Target Audience

  • HMI/SCADA Design Engineers and Developers
  • Control Room Supervisors and Operations Managers
  • Process Safety and Risk Management Engineers
  • Control Systems and Automation Consultants
  • Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Specialists
  • Personnel responsible for alarm system performance and auditing

Methodology

  • Hands-on workshop using HMI design software to redesign poor-quality process graphics.
  • Group activity: conducting an alarm rationalization session and applying the EEMUA prioritization matrix.
  • Case studies of major industrial disasters (e.g., Texas City) directly linked to alarm flooding.
  • Individual exercise: analyzing an alarm log report and identifying the top five "bad actors."
  • Discussions on the organizational change management required for adopting new HMI standards.

Personal Impact

  • Acquisition of high-value, specialized expertise in HMI and alarm standards.
  • Ability to apply international best practices (EEMUA 191) to critical system design.
  • Enhanced professional credibility as a process safety and human factors expert.
  • Increased competence in preventing high-consequence operational incidents.

Organizational Impact

  • Significant reduction in operational errors and safety incidents from operator overload.
  • Improved operator efficiency and faster response times during process upsets.
  • Compliance with process safety management requirements and industry best practices.
  • Reduced costs associated with unnecessary maintenance calls from nuisance alarms.
  • Increased system reliability and process stability.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Fundamentals of HMI and Operator Performance

HMI Challenges
  • Impact of poor HMI design on human factors, stress, and operational incidents
  • The transition from 'Mimic-Style' to **High-Performance Graphics**
  • Principles of maximizing operator **situational awareness** and minimizing distraction
Visualization Standards
  • Effective use of color, contrast, and gray-scale backgrounds
  • Designing a consistent, hierarchical navigation system (Level 1, 2, 3 displays)

Unit 2: EEMUA 191 Alarm Philosophy

Alarm Definition
  • Defining the difference between an alarm, a prompt, a message, and an alert
  • Understanding the three main stages of the alarm management lifecycle
  • Reviewing the core requirements and metrics set by **EEMUA Publication 191**
Philosophy Document
  • Structuring and documenting the organization's formal **Alarm Philosophy Document**
  • Defining roles, responsibilities, and procedural requirements for the alarm system

Unit 3: Alarm Rationalization Techniques

Rationalization Process
  • Methodologies for reviewing every potential alarm for validity and necessity
  • Identifying and documenting the **Consequence, Operator Action, and Time to Respond** for each alarm
Prioritization
  • Designing and implementing a clear, logical alarm **prioritization matrix**
  • Techniques for eliminating nuisance alarms (chatter, oscillation, duplicates)

Unit 4: Advanced Alarm and HMI Features

Advanced Alarming
  • Implementing **state-based alarming** to suppress irrelevant alarms during planned operations (e.g., startup/shutdown)
  • Procedures and best practices for alarm shelving and temporary suppression
Display Best Practices
  • Using historical trending and diagnostic information effectively on operational displays
  • Designing overview displays to indicate the health status of various plant areas

Unit 5: Monitoring, Auditing, and Governance

Performance Monitoring
  • Tools and techniques for collecting and calculating key alarm performance metrics (e.g., average alarms per 10 minutes)
  • Identifying "bad actor" alarms and systems for immediate remediation
Implementation and Audit
  • Developing a continuous improvement process for maintaining alarm system quality
  • Preparing the alarm system and documentation for internal and external safety audits

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