Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions IEC 61511 - ISA 84 IEC 61511/ISA 84 is an industry standard for best practices related to safety instrumented systems (SIS), Covering over the activities involved in the design, operation and maintenance of instrumented systems, from sensor through final element, used to achieve functional safety in the process industries. Our Services Improve Your Process Safety Culture to Drive Improved Safety Performance In a process safety culture that is systematically improving, senior facility management demonstrates a strong commitment to process safety Case Study in Navigating Tight Schedules and Supply Chain Challenges in SI and BMS The strategies and insights gained from overcoming these challenges offered valuable lessons for future similar projects.The ability to asse Evolution of Fired Equipment Protective Systems in the Chemical Sector Several years ago, aeSolutions started our fired equipment business. This business is focused on safeguarding burners and furnaces,...

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 Improve Your Process Safety Culture to Drive Improved Safety Performance RMP and PSM: Common Goals 5 Facets of an Efficient Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

Migration Solutions Moving up with Modernization Many clients are faced with moving their safety and control systems to a newer platform, sometimes to a different vendor. aeSolutions offers project services to assess system options and define an architecture that best serves the client's needs. Then the project stages described under "Automation Services" will shepherd the migration through definition, design, installation, and startup. Migrations offer opportunities to realize a maximally integrated safety and control system, with great benefits for functionality, operability, safety, maintenance, and engineering productivity. These migration projects, with careful planning can be done in phases, such as replacing operator consoles first. Finally, migrations usually involve moving from obsolete systems to newer generation platforms. aeSolutions' clients are encouraged to embrace the enhanced technology and take advantage of the opportunity to add improved process automation and modernized human interfaces. Automation Services Previous Next

Simplified, Cost-Effective, and Consistent Acidic Compound Detection New acid detector placement philosophy led to reduced maintenance , lowered costs, a reduced the likelihood of confusion during leaks, and helped create a uniform response strategy. Challenge The client has to contend with detecting a multitude of toxic acidic vapors in order to keep their people safe. Initially, their plan involved using 5 to 6 individual toxic gas detectors in each area to detect these acidic vapors separately in each room. This approach would have led to a high number of detectors, increased maintenance, more I/O (input/output) to contend with, and elevated costs for replacing sensor elements. Additionally, the use of multiple detectors could result in confusion if there was a leak, as all the detectors would respond, making it impossible to pinpoint the specific acidic vapor released. Solution Upon closer review, it was realized that the client did not need to differentiate between the specific acidic vapors The single detector would tell them they had an acid leak, no matter which one. When a detector was triggered, the action was the same, evacuate to a safe area. A more efficient solution was devised by using a single acidic vapor detector in each room instead of multiple individual detectors. This philosophy reduced the number of detectors from 5 to 1 in each room, leading to an 80% reduction in the total number of detectors across the entire facility. Results By implementing the revised gas detection philosophy, the client achieved significant benefits. They collected a comprehensive list of all the chemicals of concern and determined the levels at which they wanted to detect these vapors. This allowed them to model the vapor releases and strategically position the gas detectors in a 3D model for optimal coverage. The client no longer needed to be specific as to the type of acidic vapor being detected, focusing solely on the detection of acidic vapors in general. Furthermore, it reduced possible confusion, ensuring the safety of individuals on the premises by enabling timely evacuation in case of any acid leak, regardless of the specific acidic vapor involved. The new approach resulted in simplified maintenance, cost reduction, decreased risk of confusion in case of a leak, and established a consistent action plan for evacuation. See how we can help you with a similar detector placement project. Keywords: formic acid, hydrocoloric acid, detection, detector, evactuation, acid vapor, acidic compounds, gas detection Take a look at our Success Stories page for more ways aeSolutions has helped our clients. Previous Story Next Story

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Jet Fire A fire resulting from the combustion of a fuel continuously released with some significant momentum in a particular direction. A jet fire is distinguished from a flash fire by its sense of direction and continuous duration. Jet fires are considered during facility siting studies or consequence modeling conducted by aeSolutions' experienced modelers. Modeling helps companies identify the flammable and/or toxic consequences and impacts to receptors due to a chemical release. Our Services Improve Your Process Safety Culture to Drive Improved Safety Performance In a process safety culture that is systematically improving, senior facility management demonstrates a strong commitment to process safety Case Study in Navigating Tight Schedules and Supply Chain Challenges in SI and BMS The strategies and insights gained from overcoming these challenges offered valuable lessons for future similar projects.The ability to asse Evolution of Fired Equipment Protective Systems in the Chemical Sector Several years ago, aeSolutions started our fired equipment business. This business is focused on safeguarding burners and furnaces,...

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Alarm An audible and/or visible means of indicating to the operator an equipment malfunction, process deviation, or abnormal condition requiring a response. 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 Improve Your Process Safety Culture to Drive Improved Safety Performance In a process safety culture that is systematically improving, senior facility management demonstrates a strong commitment to process safety Case Study in Navigating Tight Schedules and Supply Chain Challenges in SI and BMS The strategies and insights gained from overcoming these challenges offered valuable lessons for future similar projects.The ability to asse Evolution of Fired Equipment Protective Systems in the Chemical Sector Several years ago, aeSolutions started our fired equipment business. This business is focused on safeguarding burners and furnaces,...

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions Double Jeopardy Simultaneous occurrence of two or more independent, revealed (overt) failures in a system. Double jeopardy is 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 Improve Your Process Safety Culture to Drive Improved Safety Performance In a process safety culture that is systematically improving, senior facility management demonstrates a strong commitment to process safety Case Study in Navigating Tight Schedules and Supply Chain Challenges in SI and BMS The strategies and insights gained from overcoming these challenges offered valuable lessons for future similar projects.The ability to asse Evolution of Fired Equipment Protective Systems in the Chemical Sector Several years ago, aeSolutions started our fired equipment business. This business is focused on safeguarding burners and furnaces,...

Employee Spotlight 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.

Maintenance and Support Supporting Client Successes aeSolutions offers qualified specialists to support clients' needs. Personnel can be provided to augment the client's staff or to consult on specific issues (hardware, software, safety, advanced control, networks, and alarm management, to name a few.) A Technical Services Agreement (TSA) is an annual arrangement with a time-plus-expenses purchase order and discounted pricing. The TSA makes pre-designated specialists available for pre-planned work or for short notice call outs. A small annual fee applies. For emergency service calls without a TSA in place, aeSolutions will make every effort to respond, depending on resource availability. • Staff augmentation services • Consulting services • Technical services agreement (TSA) • Emergency service order Automation Services Previous Next

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) Analysis A structured and systematic technique for evaluating potential hazards that put employees and/or equipment at risk in a system. There are four basic stages of a HAZOP analysis: Definition, Preparation, Examination, and Documentation. HAZOP Analysis is based on a theory that assumes risk events are caused by deviations from design or operating intentions. Guide words are used to aid HAZOP analysis execution by determining the scope and objective. Some of these include no/none/not, more, less, before, after, part of, higher, lower, etc. Our Services Improve Your Process Safety Culture to Drive Improved Safety Performance In a process safety culture that is systematically improving, senior facility management demonstrates a strong commitment to process safety Case Study in Navigating Tight Schedules and Supply Chain Challenges in SI and BMS The strategies and insights gained from overcoming these challenges offered valuable lessons for future similar projects.The ability to asse Evolution of Fired Equipment Protective Systems in the Chemical Sector Several years ago, aeSolutions started our fired equipment business. This business is focused on safeguarding burners and furnaces,...

Energy Company Reduces Regulatory Compliance Costs Saving Almost $50 Million A client was facing a lengthy compliance process to upgrade a fleet of fired heaters. With aeSolutions guidance, the client reduced their compliance scope by 50%. Focusing on the NFPA 86 prescriptive design applicable to waste gas thermal oxidizers and applying our experience in Process Safety Management (PSM)... Challenge The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issued a prescriptive design requiring the client to upgrade 79 fired heaters’ Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). This would mean shutting down the plant resulting in a significant production loss and possible unexpected Process Hazards. Solution Focusing on the NFPA 86 prescriptive design applicable to waste gas thermal oxidizers and applying our experience in Process Safety Management (PSM), we worked with the client to target and isolate several areas of risk not readily apparent in the NFPA-prescribed design. We then conducted an options analysis and implemented a strategic risk reduction model, which included: • Upgrades to flame scanners and other sensing elements • Replacing generic relays with SIL-2 capable relays • End-device leak testing • Strategic upgrades to SIL-rated logic solvers These modifications formed an Equivalent Design Package which was evaluated and approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Results The client’s capital expenditure was reduced by $48 million while enhancing safety and reliability. aeSolutions slashed the compliance scope from a 10-year process of PLC upgrades of 79 fired heaters to just 20, with a credit taken for the remaining 59 heaters due to existing protection layers and minor upgrades to instrumentation and control equipment over a five-year upgrade program. Learn more about how aeSolutions could help you with a similar Combustion project. Industry: Oil & Gas Geography: Pacific Northwest Unit Operation: Fired Heaters, Boilers Governing: NFPA 85, NFPA 86 Take a look at our Success Stories page for more ways aeSolutions has helped our clients. Previous Story Next Story

Acronyms & Terms Glossary <- More Definitions What does PSM stand for in safety PSM stands for Process Safety Management, a process that helps prevent/reduce risk of hazardous chemical releases. Our Services Improve Your Process Safety Culture to Drive Improved Safety Performance In a process safety culture that is systematically improving, senior facility management demonstrates a strong commitment to process safety Case Study in Navigating Tight Schedules and Supply Chain Challenges in SI and BMS The strategies and insights gained from overcoming these challenges offered valuable lessons for future similar projects.The ability to asse Evolution of Fired Equipment Protective Systems in the Chemical Sector Several years ago, aeSolutions started our fired equipment business. This business is focused on safeguarding burners and furnaces,...