Improving industry by guiding our clients to increasingly resilient operations and safer communities How We Can Help Our Story Engineering Company Integrating Process Safety, Automation & Fired Equipment Success Stories 25+ Years Strong 40+ Certified Experts 2000+ Clients Served 600+ Projects per Year Our Services Alarm Management Machinery Safety Migrations and Upgrades Process Safety Fired Equipment Project Management Combustible & Toxic Gas SIS Engineering Feature Stories Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues aeSolutions Announces New Executive Leadership Appointments and Corporate Growth Structure You Need a Process Safety Roadmap! Structuring Your Process Safety Programs Client Success Built With Trusted Expertise aeSolutions is an engineering consulting and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services. We specialize in helping industrial clients achieve their site’s risk management and operational excellence goals. Process Safety As a supplier of complete process safety management (PSM) solutions, we pride ourselves on providing engineers from industry with design, maintenance, operating, and process safety backgrounds. Our specialists understand how plants operate because they have actually worked in covered processes and facilities. Alarm Managem ent Our clients recognize the relationship between the process safety performance of their facilities and the implementation of effective alarm management techniques and alarm philosophy. Our alarm management services help clients improve the performance of their alarm systems and increase the situational awareness of their operators. Machinery Safety Clients who operate and maintain machinery and robotics list safety is a top priority. We help manufacturing facilities achieve safe machine operation through risk assessments, application of the hierarchy of control, and sensible safeguard design. Our scalable programs address client’s specific needs and the machinery lifecycle to provide tailored solutions aligned with international and United States’ standards. DCS/PLC Migrations and Upgrades aeSolutions can provide the system integration methodology, technical services, and resources to accomplish the objectives of your automation project. We work with you from project inception to final commissioning through a proven project delivery model integrating diverse hardware, software, and services from multiple vendors and stakeholders into a unified, integrated system. Safety Instrumen ted Systems aeSolutions has a unique process to design and implement ISA84/IEC 61511-compliant safety instrumented systems (SIS). We integrate our knowledge and experience in PHA/LOPA along with control system hardware and field instrumentation to ensure that Safety Instrumented Functions (SIFs) are clearly defined. We define, design, and document the safety functions to meet your safety and online reliability requirements for 61511 and regulatory compliance. Fired Equipment From up-front engineering to end-user compliance testing, aeSolutions has helped clients create and maintain safe, efficient fired equipment and associated processes. With our extensive engineering knowledge of the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and other regulations, aeSolutions is uniquely qualified to advise on virtually all combustion-related codes and other hazard assessments. Combustible & Toxic Gas The aeSolutions Fire and Combustible & Toxic Gas Detection team deliver a unique blend of experience in philosophy, technology selection, and geographic/scenario-based modeling. Beginning with a Gas Detection Philosophy development or review and update, we design a system that is fit for purpose, cost-effective, and has a defined basis that can be updated as the plant evolves.

Process Safety Management As a supplier of complete process safety and risk management solutions, we pride ourselves on providing engineers from industry with design, maintenance, operating, and process safety backgrounds. Our specialists understand how plants operate because they have actually worked in covered processes and facilities. pro cess hazard management Services: PSM/RMP Process Hazard Analysis Quantitative Risk Assessment Human Reliability Auditing Facility Siting & Modeling Process Safety Management/Risk Management Plan (PSM/RMP) PSM/RMP Program Development & Implementation Risk Management Plan/Hazard Assessment Management of Change (MOC) Program Development & Implementation Incident Investigation Mechanical Integrity Program Operating Procedures & Training Training (PS Leadership, Auditor, PHA/LOPA) Electrical Area Classification Learn More Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) What if What-If/Checklist Analysis Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Combustible Dust Hazard Assessment Control System Hazard and Operability (CHAZOP) Learn More Quantitative/Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) ​ Risk Graphs Event Tree Analysis Bowtie Analysis Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) Independent Protection Layer (IPL) and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Selection Learn More Implicit LOPA Safety Layer Matrix 3D Risk Matrix Human Reliability/Human Factors Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) Human Error Analysis Learn More Auditing ​ Compliance Auditing - PSM, RMP, and Risk Based Process Safety (RBPS) Independent Protection Layer (IPL) Verification Learn More Facility Siting​ & Dispersion Modeling Facility Siting Analysis Risk-based and Consequence-based Studies Gas Dispersion Modeling Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Gas Detector Placement Learn More PSM RMP PHA QRA LOPA Human Reliability Audit Siting & Modeling Featured Stories Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? You Need a Process Safety Roadmap!

Employee Spotlight Wyatt began his journey at aeSolutions with a strong desire to learn and support his coworkers. With a long-standing interest in engineering, Wyatt feels fortunate to assist the accounting team and the engineers driving the company's success. He finds daily work enjoyable and eagerly seeks opportunities to take on more responsibilities. A writer at heart, Wyatt is working on a novel he hopes to complete in the coming years. Lance previously held multiple Vice President roles at Emerson Automation Solutions and served as Sr. Business Development Director at Hargrove Engineers. He is passionate about building strong client relationships and leading teams to deliver effective solutions. In his free time, Lance enjoys working out, playing golf, and dealing with his Shih Tzu, Forest. Erich has worked in both the process safety side as a Senior SIS FEL Specialist and his current role in the Automation group. Erich recently became the Fabrication Shop Lead. He started at aeSolutions as an intern and has enjoyed the variety of project work and hopes to continue the career growth opportunities afforded to him. Erich enjoys mentoring local robotics teams, working on cars, playing drums in a band, fishing when he can, and being a dad to his wonderful kids, Zoey and Fritz. Jon has been the Manager of IT for nine years. Jon joined aeSolutions after graduating from Furman University in 2003. While continuing to work full time, Jon earned a master’s degree from James Madison University in 2008 that focused on information security. In 2015 he earned the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. Jon enjoys watching movies, going for runs on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, traveling to new places, and spending time being silly with his kids. Kelvin has worked in chemical plants as an E/I/C engineer for 23 years and then worked for a consulting firm for 4 years. He has experience with Fired Equipment, SIS design, SIS, BMS, FGS, and DCS configuration on all different types of systems. Kelvin was looking for a new opportunity when he found aeSolutions looking for someone with his experience. He has been married for 31 years has 4 kids and 2 grandkids. Kelvin is heavily involved with his church (Sound engineer and production), and he likes to golf, bowl, work on old cars (Rebuild engines and restore), repair old video games (Pac-man, Donkey Kong, etc.), and build new ones (woodworking). Jeff is currently the fabrication manager of the aeSolutions panel shop. He is an Automation Control Panel Designer along with a UL508a Certified Manufacturers Technical Representative. Jeff is also NICET Certified for Fire Alarm Systems Level 4 and an FM listed Fire and Gas Systems Designer. In addition to all of that, he also holds a commission certificate as a notary public. Jonathan joined aeSolutions after working with us as a client at Sunoco Logistics. He began working in a cybersecurity role and enjoyed learning new things, so he moved to fill needs in the company with digital marketing. Jonathan loves classic movies and sports cars, and he occasionally is paid to write about them. Josh was hired as the System Administrator after graduating from Clemson in May 2011. He previously worked at Clemson’s IT helpdesk (CCIT), and he worked for the Geek Squad for a few years. Josh has a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter that occupy most of his free time. He also coaches his son’s baseball team, which is a lot of fun. Chery joined aeSolutions as its second employee. Her diverse background in financial and office management and HR offloaded the owners' overhead activities, allowing them to focus on growing the business. After nine years of covering finance and HR, the company hired a controller, and Chery transitioned to HR full time. Her current role is her favorite, with its focuses on employees' development and knowledge sharing. Chery is one of those annoying morning people that leaps out of bed singing before 6 a.m. She enjoys exercising, playing with her border collie, volunteering for various organizations, and visiting homeless shelters with her dog for pet therapy. Ethan spent a few summers working at a Marathon Petroleum refinery in Canton, Ohio, while completing his chemical engineering degree at Ohio State. After finishing his Master’s program in 2016, Ethan was put in touch with Craig Shell to discuss an opportunity at aeSolutions. Ethan found a lot of overlap with the safety-focused work he had completed at Marathon and was excited at the prospect of working in an office environment rather than in-field work. A few months later, he moved to Greenville to start in the SIS Engineering department! Ethan loves to collect vinyl records – his most prized possession is a copy of Taylor Swift’s “Red” pressed on red vinyl. Christi joined aeSolutions after working in training and marketing for an EPC, a training consultant, a hospital, and a top-20 accounting firm. In her time at aeSolutions she has supported our BD and marketing efforts and our executive team giving her the ability to build upon her experience as well as develop new skills. Christi enjoys the work and her co-workers! She has 3 grown kids and enjoys going on road trips to see them and she likes to go hiking with her dog Sadie. Judith joined aeSolutions in 2018 after working for one of the major energy companies in their chemicals division for 34+ years. Her time there encompassed a variety of roles, including maintenance, electrical and project engineering, and process safety. She was one of the earliest persons to earn her CFSE with the company. Judith was a continuous learner, demonstrated by earning her Certified Safety Professional credential during her last role with the company. Before “retirement,” her previous role was as health, safety, security, and environmental manager at a large southeastern chemical plant. Judith’s diverse background made her an excellent fit for aeSolutions. She currently enjoys handling a variety of activities, including PHA facilitation, auditing, technical review, and mentoring of junior staff members. Judith also has a very active civic and personal life, including volunteering with the Red Cross, acting as Chief for the large extended Stewart family in South Carolina, and helping out her family and friends whenever she sees a need. She is also an avid reader in a variety of areas. Lauren arrived at aeSolutions with design experience in Process Engineering, professional licensure in engineering, and a growing interest in Process and Functional Safety. aeSolutions has given her exposure to Machine Safety as it relates to Functional Safety, which ultimately helped her become a TUV NORD Certified Machinery Safety Expert (CMSE) in 2019. Lauren currently works as a technical lead in the SIS Engineering department. She is a South Carolina native and just welcomed her second child back in July. Lauren is also in her 5th year of serving on the NCEES Chemical PE Exam Development Committee. Ben fell into HR early in his career by accident but discovered that he loved working to help people have better experiences at their jobs. When he joined aeSolutions in 2013, he focused primarily on supporting the Anchorage office but eventually moved into the HR Manager role and now the HR Director role. He has had the opportunity to work with a fantastic team focused on providing the best work environment possible. Ben has a great deal of respect and admiration for the entire aeSolutions workforce and their unwavering dedication to safety. Before moving to Denver, Ben lived in Alaska for seven years – once, he couldn’t leave the office building in downtown Anchorage because there were too many moose on the sidewalks. True story! Ken and two partners started aeSolutions 23 years ago in a bonus room when their employer decided to close their Greenville office. By the time they had five employees, they knew they needed to rent an actual office space because the air conditioner could no longer keep up. Ken remembers how excited they were when they successfully networked the one Dell computer with the one printer. It seems like yesterday from a lifetime ago. Ken enjoys pretty much anything outdoors, including backpacking, running, and motorcycles. Engineering is Liena’s second career after being a chemist and a chemistry instructor at a university. She started as an SIS (Safety Instrumented Systems) specialist and worked as both SIS and PSM (Process Safety Management) senior specialist. Liena immigrated to the US from Ukraine, never dreaming that her career would take such a turn, but she loves the challenges and fun that process safety engineering presents. Now, she participates in almost all Safety Lifecycle related projects except installation & commissioning, but maybe one day in the future, that will happen too. She also has the honor and pleasure to be the Board Secretary for the ISA Alaska chapter. She loves to go fishing, hiking, riding snowmobiles, camping, hunting and enjoys relaxing on the couch with a good book. Jackie started out early by participating in a high school mentorship program for engineering at BP. She then earned her B.S. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. In September of 2016 Jackie moved back to Alaska and started her career with aeSolutions. Jackie completed the DNV GL PHAST Training Course in October 2017 and is currently a scribe for PHA studies. Rick started his career as a chemist and soon was assigned a large controls project at the age of 25. Rick spent ten years in the plant, eight years at an EPC, where he later shifted from controls to SIS Engineering, and now almost 15 years at aeSolutions. He is a lifelong musician and enthusiast of the great outdoors and a dedicated father and husband. Sarah was hooked when she sat through her first Process Hazard Analysis as a Process Engineer doing process design. Sarah felt like she had finally found a way to make a difference in her field by helping to protect people and the environment. After joining aeSolutions and working in both the PSM and SISFEL groups, Sarah found her passion for alarm management. She is thankful for a career that allows her to grow professionally and supports a strong family life enabling her to spend time making memories with the ones she cherishes the most. Kevin has a 34-year background in Electrical and Controls, beginning his career at aeSolutions as a Project Manager in 2009. In 2019, Kevin became a Senior Discipline Leader and continued with the Project Manager role. He currently holds his Professional Engineering License in 11 states! Greg is Canadian with 25 years of experience in the industry, 17 years as an Instrumentation and Controls Specialist, and 8 years as a Process Safety Specialist. He brought his worldwide industry knowledge to Houston to help influence our younger employees and help the company grow to exciting new levels. Greg is part of the ISA Fire and Gas division standards committee and the wireless standard division. He loves to cook, build things with his hands, and look after his much too needy Pug. Emily’s degree is in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University. Her first job was as an Instrumentation Engineer at an Oil Refinery in Louisiana, where she was exposed to various technologies &opportunities to problem solve. Her favorite part of that job was working with the safety systems in her units. This led her to a job as an SIS Design Engineer with aeSolutions back in her home state. She has greatly enjoyed learning about the different business lines that aeSolutions offers. She also enjoys getting to be involved with the local ISA Chapter along with many of her coworkers. Emily enjoys hiking, bowling, training my 2-year-old German Shepherd mix Jambalaya, and learning new baking techniques.

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions What is front end loading A project management process during early stages of a project designed to minimize risk for investors and other stakeholders by developing adequate project definition & scope. aeSolutions uses front end loading in multiple types of projects. We invite you explore our service types to learn more. Our Services Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? Verify your Safety Instrumented System's readiness with a Stage 3 FSA, ensuring safe operation and compliance with design specifications. What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? Discover how a Stage 1 FSA can identify critical Safety Instrumented System (SIS) flaws early in the design process. How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues Industry expert Burt Ward discusses how to prevent the five most common industrial alarm management issues.

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Start-Up Sequence The start-up sequence is a predefined set of steps and conditions required to safely start up a process or system. This sequence ensures that all necessary checks and safety measures are in place before operations begin. Our Services Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? Verify your Safety Instrumented System's readiness with a Stage 3 FSA, ensuring safe operation and compliance with design specifications. What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? Discover how a Stage 1 FSA can identify critical Safety Instrumented System (SIS) flaws early in the design process. How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues Industry expert Burt Ward discusses how to prevent the five most common industrial alarm management issues.

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Initiating Event Device failure, system failure, external event, or improper human action that begins a sequence of events leading to one or more undesired consequences of definable severity. Initiating events are considered during Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs) conducted by aeSolutions' trained facilitators. PHAs help companies identify hazard scenarios that could lead to a release of highly hazardous chemicals that can cause negative impact on people, the environment, and property. Our Services Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? Verify your Safety Instrumented System's readiness with a Stage 3 FSA, ensuring safe operation and compliance with design specifications. What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? Discover how a Stage 1 FSA can identify critical Safety Instrumented System (SIS) flaws early in the design process. How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues Industry expert Burt Ward discusses how to prevent the five most common industrial alarm management issues.

Large Specialty Chemical Company Reduces Alarm Floods A large specialty chemical company was facing alarm floods in their utility unit. With aeSolutions guidance, the site was able to effectively prioritize and reduce alarms through the rationalization process, which includes reviewing, validating, and justifying alarms needed for avoiding potential process upsets or abnormal deviations from normal operation. Challenge As a result of the alarm floods, the Operators were reluctant or delayed in responding to the current alarm system because they were unable to determine which alarms were important and which were much less urgent or unnecessary. This reduced the time that staff had to respond to urgent or high priority operating conditions and diverted their attention from other important duties. The site had not yet performed alarm rationalization of their utility unit. As a result, the control room Operators were overwhelmed with nuisance alarms, incorrectly prioritized alarms, and alarms with no Operator action. This produced an operating environment susceptible to safety or environmental hazards that could have resulted in an incident. Solution aeSolutions facilitated a rationalization process with site operations and engineering staff to identify and prioritize the most effective alarms to detect a process upset within the utility unit while ensuring alarms met the definition and requirements defined within the client’s existing site Alarm Management Philosophy. By using the aeAlarm™ Rationalization Tool, the team was able to efficiently and functionally perform the following tasks: • Incorporate Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) data, such as required Operator responses used as Independent Protection Layers (IPLs) to reduce scenario risk to a tolerable level • Document alarm attributes based on the International Society of Automation (ISA) 18.2 and the Alarm Philosophy which addresses how alarms will be managed throughout the ISA 18.2 lifecycle • Review alarm parameters and setpoints to ensure they were aligned with the unit’s safe operating limits • Create templates for similar alarms within similar equipment trains Results The client’s control room achieved a two-thirds reduction in alarms configured for the utility unit which increased operator performance and production efficiency. The optimization of the alarm system also returned the client to compliance with Recognized and Generally Acceptable Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) for Alarm Management. Overall, the operating staff became more focused on safe and effective operations because Operators were finally able to trust that the alarms they were addressing were accurate, necessary and important. Learn more about how aeSolutions could help you with a similar Alarm project. Industry: Chemicals Geography: Gulf Coast Unit Operation: Utilities Governing Authority: ISA 18.2 Take a look at our Success Stories page for more ways aeSolutions has helped our clients. Previous Story Next Story

Hardware Design Specifications Developing Hardware Details aeSolutions works with clients to establish specific project standards for the detailed hardware design of the system and field I/O. • Input / Output database and signal types • Control system cabinet layout practices • Controller, I/O, and interface modules • HMI operator interface equipment • Control networks, switches, fiber optics, and cabling • Marshalling cabinets and interposing relays • Servers and clients • Engineering workstations • Purging, temperature, smoke and fire detection Automation Services Previous Next

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Hysteresis (dead band) The range within which the alarm is activated and then cleared. Dead band does not impact the setpoint upon which the alarm annunciates. aeSolutions can supply expertise at all stages of alarm management including consulting, training, and facilitating rationalization teams, followed by full design and implementation services. Our Services Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? Verify your Safety Instrumented System's readiness with a Stage 3 FSA, ensuring safe operation and compliance with design specifications. What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? Discover how a Stage 1 FSA can identify critical Safety Instrumented System (SIS) flaws early in the design process. How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues Industry expert Burt Ward discusses how to prevent the five most common industrial alarm management issues.

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Functional Safety Functional Safety is the process of reducing the risks of both simple and complex systems so that they function safely if a hardware, operational, or human failure occurs. When every safety function is carried out as prescribed and the performance standards for each safety function are met, “Functional Safety” has been achieved. Our Services Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? Verify your Safety Instrumented System's readiness with a Stage 3 FSA, ensuring safe operation and compliance with design specifications. What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? Discover how a Stage 1 FSA can identify critical Safety Instrumented System (SIS) flaws early in the design process. How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues Industry expert Burt Ward discusses how to prevent the five most common industrial alarm management issues.

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Compliance Auditing "An evaluation of compliance with Process Safety Management (PSM) and Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulations at least every three (3) years to verify that the procedures and practices developed under the standard are adequate and are being followed. Audits are executed to meet local regulatory requirements, to comply with internal company standards, and as a good business practice. In the U.S., audits are required every 3 years per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119(o) PSM and US EPA 40 CFR 68 RMP. Compliance with evolving regulatory requirements, industry standards, and corporate initiatives can be overwhelming. aeSolutions offers a comprehensive approach to address the definition of scope and objectives, develop workflow process, and coordinate onsite activities detailed with protocols and reports. We provide a cross functional team of process safety and risk management elements to perform this essential part of the process safety lifecycle. Auditing services include defining requirements for preparation, site visits, and reporting. aeSolutions works with the client to obtain, review, and evaluate required documentation and data, conduct a site visit at the facility for employee interviews and debriefs, and compile a report documenting all audit protocols. The selection of the type of audit to be performed shall depend on the applicable regulatory requirements and level of detail the site has requested to be performed." Our Services Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? Verify your Safety Instrumented System's readiness with a Stage 3 FSA, ensuring safe operation and compliance with design specifications. What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? Discover how a Stage 1 FSA can identify critical Safety Instrumented System (SIS) flaws early in the design process. How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues Industry expert Burt Ward discusses how to prevent the five most common industrial alarm management issues.

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions PSM (Process Safety Management) Covered Process A PSM covered process is one that has any activity involving a highly hazardous chemical including any use, storage, manufacturing, handling, or the on-site movement of such chemicals, or a combination of these activities. According to OSHA, the PSM standard mainly applies to manufacturing industries – particularly those pertaining to chemicals, transportation equipment, and fabricated metal products. aeSolutions has the knowledge and experience to assist with all elements of PSM development and implementation required by the OSHA PSM Standard, 29 CFR 1910.119, from high level gap and applicability assessments to complete PSM site program development, including drafting procedures and creating mechanical integrity programs. Our Services Can Stage 3 FSA Confirm Your Safety Instrumented System Is Ready for Operational Use? Verify your Safety Instrumented System's readiness with a Stage 3 FSA, ensuring safe operation and compliance with design specifications. What is a Stage 1 FSA & How Can It Help Discover Critical SIS Flaws? Discover how a Stage 1 FSA can identify critical Safety Instrumented System (SIS) flaws early in the design process. How to Prevent the Five Most Common Industrial Alarm Management Issues Industry expert Burt Ward discusses how to prevent the five most common industrial alarm management issues.