New Regulations and Their Affect on High Availability Monitoring and Control Systems, 1995 Process Control, Electrical & Information Conference Proceedings

Thomas A. Walczak, P.E.

GE Fanuc Automation, N.A.

The first half of the 90’s has brought new concerns and demands for change in safety practices for the process industries. Included are the OSHA proposals for guidelines introduced September 11, 1991, and revised in 1992. Finalized and due to be fully mandated in 1996 for all aspects, this standard addresses a global spectrum of process hazards. The EPA introduced an expanded proposed list of hazardous chemicals in 1994. Due to be finalized in 1995, the list has expanded ten-fold over the previous list of proposed hazardous chemicals. The basis for the guidelines was originally focused on the primary chemical manufacturers and handlers. The large producers who are using automated processes and any critical processes, are in the list of required compliance. Targeted users have grown to include those industries that have at least one or more included process hazards. For the pulp and uauer industry, this includes most items from the boiler controls and management systems, power generation gas and steam turbines, chlorine dioxide generators and bleach handling equipment, to the large paper machine rotating equipment. Land and water resource pollution are also at issue. This paper will describe existing technologies that can provide solutions to meet safety, environmental, and economic concerns and which benefit the employees, government, public, users, and producers’ goals.