Ensuring the Integrity of Low-Integrity Protection Layers in Legacy Process Safety Systems
Low-integrity protection layers are process safety safeguards implemented through instrumentation and control systems to achieve or maintain a safe process state. These layers are designed to provide risk reduction for specific hazardous events, as described in ISA 84.91.01-2012. The standard requires that their specifications address functional requirements, configuration, installation and maintenance practices, failure modes, detection methods, response actions, and compensating measures needed to maintain safe operation when faults occur.
In practice, however, few organizations manage low-integrity protection layers with the same rigor applied to safety instrumented systems (SIS). As a result, these layers can suffer from degraded reliability, loss of interlock effectiveness, and potential failure to operate on demand. In this webinar our industry expert, Edward Naranjo, reviews best practices for the design, operation, maintenance, and testing of legacy low-integrity protection layers to ensure they perform their intended safety function, even when implemented outside formal SIS frameworks.
Edward Naranjo is the director of sales at Kenexis, promoting excellence in risk management and process safety. He holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.