Are you using airbags to slow down?

Imagine driving a car or riding a motorbike without using the brakes, controlling your speed by running into things causing the airbag to activate.

Madness?

How about operating a process plant without the Basic Process Control System (BPCS) configured to trip equipment before the Safety Instrumented System (SIS) does?

Most SISs, like airbags, are not designed for continuous, or even regular, activation. When tripped they take the process to a safe state, often requiring a reset before production can resume. In the same way, you'd expect activation of a vehicle's airbag to cause at least some disruption to your journey.

To avoid using the airbag you could drive slower, using the engine to brake, but this makes controlling your speed and going faster hard work. Likewise, operating conservatively will not make the most of a plant's capability and impact it's efficiency and output.

When was the last time BPCS alarm limits were reviewed or an unplanned shutdown could have been avoided at your site?