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  • Race-Ready Project Development Gives Chemical Plants an Edge - Chemical Processing

    In the evolving world of chemical processing, companies face a formidable challenge as they strive to keep pace with ever-evolving industry demands, develop novel formulations and deliver innovative products to market. Meeting customer needs often requires adjustments to production processes, including new plants, facility expansions and equipment upgrades. The successful execution of such projects hinges upon comprehensive planning, particularly when it comes to evaluating process safety risks. Complex assessments, such as studies of overpressure relief devices, facility sitings and process safety procedure development, are crucial elements in this process. However, plant operators are primarily experts in running chemical plant operations, not project planning. To shed light on this critical aspect, Chemical Processing recently spoke with aeSolutions. In this discussion, we delve into the intricacies of the project-planning process and outlines methods for chemical manufacturers to integrate safety seamlessly into their projects. "I think one of the biggest challenges is the belief that process safety is a cost rather than an integral part of the operation." The full interview is available on chemicalprocessing.com as well as an audio podcast:

  • When it Comes to Process Safety Audits, External Auditors Maximize Safety. Here’s How-Automation.com

    Excerpt from automation.com: Review by external auditors with wide-ranging experience has proven at many sites to provide the best-case outcome of an audit, resulting in findings and best practice recommendations that drive true compliance with right-sized resource needs. In many cases, external auditors can also offer specific methods and techniques for efficient and speedy resolution of concerns identified at sites. Their range of experience enables external auditors to share the general methods proven to drive good PSM and RMP compliance across industry. Companies with lean or less-experienced workforces or that are unsure where they stand versus industry norms for PSM and RMP compliance may benefit from engaging a firm with experienced auditors. This independence from the site and company has the best probability of a careful assessment with fresh eyes on the relevant critical systems and leads to efficient compliance with the necessary standards. Read full article->>When it Comes to Process Safety Audits, External Auditors Maximize Safety. Here’s How. (automation.com) Full PSM Services

  • Top Mistake to Avoid in Machinery Functional Safety

    In the machinery industry, a safety function is a control function that reduces the risk of injury, exposure to hazards, or harm to the operator. To classify a safeguard identified in the risk assessment as a safety function, refer to the aeSolutions blog post "Machinery Safety – Is it a Safety Function?". Functional safety is a methodology used to design, specify, implement, validate, and maintain safety functions. Conformity to functional safety standards helps analyze safety function failure rates and provides assurance that the design and integration of safety functions are reliable and effective for the life of the safety function. The two most commonly used standards in the machinery safety realm of functional safety are ISO 13849-1 and -2, which are a sector-specific versions of the broader functional safety standard IEC 61511. ISO 13849-1 describes Performance Levels (PLs) that are analogous to Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) in process safety. Each safety function identified in the risk assessment and the Safety Related Parts of the Control System (SRP/CS) is assigned a required PL depending on the risk assessment and risk ranking structure. PLs use discrete levels to represent the range of the Probability of Dangerous Failure per Hour (PFHd) of the safety function. In practical terms, the PL signifies the reliability of the function and probability that a safety function will fail (i.e., not perform when needed). There are five (5) performance levels (a, b, c, d, e). PLa is assigned to safety functions required for low-risk hazards and has the least stringent design requirements, whereas PLe is assigned for high-risk hazards and requires a high performance level of the safety function. PLs are dependent on the hardware and structure of the circuit, and the circuit components are characterized by the circuit categories (B, 1, 2, 3, 4) and failure data such as the Mean Time to Dangerous Failure (MTTFd), Diagnostic Coverage (DC), and Common Cause Failure (CCF). The chart below from the ISO 13849-1 standard illustrates the relationships between these factors. Each circuit category requirement (x-axis on chart) is associated with specific performance level(s) (y-axis on chart). Category B is the most basic circuit category, with a single channel, low and medium MTTFd, and non-applicable DC. The resulting PL is either a PLa or PLb. Category 1 achieves higher reliability than Category B, and each circuit category progressively increases its requirements. Category 4 corresponds to a PLe and has the most safety function requirements, as it is a dual-channel circuit with high MTTFd and high DC. Once the actual PL of the designed safety function has been determined, it needs to be verified that it meets the required PL per the risk assessment. There are also software tools available that assist in PL calculation. If a gap exists between the safety function PL and required PL, the design needs to be reiterated to increase the PL, such as increasing diagnostic coverage or re-evaluating the circuit categories. Design factors, including process, operating stress, environmental conditions, and operating procedures, should also be considered. The next step is the most common mistake made in machinery functional safety – skipping the validation. Validation occurs after the safety function is designed, verified, installed, and programmed. A validation procedure analyzes and tests the safety function and can include a simulation of faults and verification that the safety function responds as expected under all scenarios. It is critical for those responsible for functional safety to validate that the function is acting as intended, as there is still potential for error at the end. The second part of the standard, ISO 13849-2, provides guidance on the validation procedure to ensure the category and performance level is achieved by the SRP/CS in accordance with the function’s design criteria established in ISO 13849-1. Following validation, maintaining these systems and applying regular preventative and corrective maintenance plans is also very important to keep the safety functions working in a safe and effective manner. Functional safety is necessary in the manufacturing and machinery industry to have assurance that the design and integration of safety functions are reliable and effective when called upon to reduce the risk of human injury or risk of exposure to hazards. PLs are a benchmark for performance that the safety function is required to meet; without benchmarks, it would be challenging to understand whether safety functions are achieving their purpose. The ISO 13849-1 and -2 standards must be applied to ensure that a safety function is both designed properly and validated to test that its intended performance is being achieved (do not make the mistake of skipping this step!) and maintained throughout its life.

  • aeSolutions Making a Difference

    At aeSolutions, our commitment to charitable and volunteer work is a reflection of our core values, which are centered on being results-driven, inclusive, and relentless. We are dedicated to making a positive impact on the communities in which we operate, beyond our mission of creating safer communities through our engineering work. One of the ways we give back is through charitable organizations that align with these core values and our mission, where our team members engage in volunteer work. As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, we’re proud to spotlight the following examples: aeSolutions Goes Back to School Each February aeSolutions celebrates Engineers Week, a time to celebrate and say thank you to the engineers making a difference in the world. This is also a time to increase public dialogue about the need for engineers. Members of the aeSolutions team recently helped students in local schools make paper airplanes as they explained the importance of engineering as a career as part of Engineers Week. FIRST ROBOTICS Erich Zende leads a FIRST robotics team that aeSolutions has sponsored for several years. The team, FRC Flash 1319, is made up of students from several different Greenville County high schools. Almost all of the students have pursued higher education, often in STEM-related fields. Erich supports the students in the mechanical and electrical prototyping, design, and fabrication phases of their projects. He also transports the team’s robot and pit setup to and from events. FIRST Robotics is an international organization dedicated to transforming the culture to inspire students to be leaders in science and technology. FIRST was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. For more info about the team, links to the robotics team’s website and social media sites can be found below: FIRST Robotics Team Flash 1319 (frcflash1319.wixsite.com) FRC Flash 1319 | Facebook Flash 1319 (@FRCFlash1319) / Twitter FRC Flash 1319 (@frcflash1319) • Instagram photos and videos (1082) FRC Flash 1319 - YouTube Meals on Wheels Twenty aeSolutions employees from the Greenville, SC office volunteer to help deliver meal to local people who are homebound. Each week, two aeSolutions volunteers deliver Meals on Wheels during their lunch. aeSolutions is a corporate partner with Meals on Wheels, and we have been helping deliver meals since 2011. It is more than daily nourishment; it is also delivering friendship to those who spend a lot of time alone. More info: Meals On Wheels Greenville, SC Photo: Steve Morrison delivers a meal. Other charity involvement: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Special Olympics, Back to School supply Drives, St. Anthony of Padua School – Gala sponsor, Food drives, Blood drives aeSolutions also sponsors and participates in United Way’s Hands on Greenville, the Upstate’s largest annual day of service. Last year, 2,100 community volunteers rolled up their sleeves to serve across Greenville County — an estimated economic impact of $250,000. aeSolutions employees volunteering at Hands on Greenville

  • Industrial Process Safety and Automation Company aeSolutions Celebrates 25th Anniversary

    Company to Continue to Focus on Employee Development and Recruitment and Growing Client Services as it Looks to the Future Greenville, SC – July 13, 2023 – aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services, today announced that the company is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding. Founded by Brian Merriman, Mike Scott, and current president Ken O'Malley, the company opened its first office location in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1998. With a focus on value-driven engineering, aeSolutions set out to solve the complex challenges faced by industrial clients. The company’s commitment to serving clients nationwide quickly drove expansion into new locations and ventures. In 2001, aeSolutions opened a 14,000 square foot fabrication shop, which allowed the company to provide cost-effective and safe solutions for integrated Burner Management Systems (BMS) and Combustion Control Systems (CCS). Two additional office locations followed, first in Anchorage, Alaska (2007), and then in Houston, Texas (2010), and during the Alaska oil market boom, the company grew to 175 employees. The company’s service offerings began to expand rapidly with the addition of a Process Safety Management division. That team grew to include other new areas of expertise and knowledge in areas such as Process Risk Management and Alarm Management. When the leadership team at aeSolutions recognized the need in the process industry for a database-driven safety lifecycle platform, one that was created by engineers for engineers, the aeShield software solution was born. aeShield, which has helped to greatly improve the safety of the process industry, has grown into its own organization and is now headed by co-founder Mike Scott. Along with its remarkable successes, aeSolutions has experienced its share of difficulties. The combination of the death of Chief Executive Officer Brian Merriman in 2014, followed immediately by the oil market crash in 2015, created a challenging time for the company. Combined, these two events required aeSolutions to develop new leaders and to diversify in new geographies and markets all at the same time. These challenges helped forge the company into a more mature and resilient organization. “Throughout aeSolutions’ ups and downs, the thing I have been most proud of is the consistency with which we have prioritized the retention and development of our people. We have many long-tenured employees who could work anywhere, and they choose aeSolutions as their professional home. Our Company Vision places our employees as top priority with the understanding that if we treat our employees well, our clients will be the beneficiaries,” said O’Malley. “And when it comes to our clients, we work every problem from a risk-management approach, always striving to be a guide and not a guard. Our clients trust us to be a relentless and inclusive partner that holds the entire project team accountable in pursuing the right solution - which isn’t always the easiest - while balancing risk and reward. I am very proud of my company’s ethical and even-keeled behavior even during the very hardest of times.” “Leading this company has been a humbling experience. People do not follow the smartest person or even the person with the best ideas. They follow the person they trust to be of consistent character, someone who shows enthusiasm for the future and has a vision for what is possible,” O’Malley continued. “I am so proud of our employees and leadership team, who inspire me by consistently putting the greater good ahead of their own interests. They all seek to embody aeSolutions’ core values.” As aeSolutions celebrates and looks beyond the quarter-century mark, the company will continue to prioritize supporting its employees in pursuit of their full potential. The leadership team at aeSolutions understands that its people are the company’s most important resource and that its people provide the depth and breadth of the company’s domain expertise. Accordingly, the company will continue to make significant investments in creating and improving employee development programs and creating new opportunities for growth. Additionally, aeSolutions will continue to strive to be guides for its clients’ success both in their projects and overall. aeSolutions is a stand-alone when it comes to its expertise in areas of regulatory compliance and critical automation and safety systems. Areas of expertise include guiding clients in the development of Process Safety Management programs; facilitating hazards analysis workshops; and designing, building, configuring, testing, and starting these systems up in the field. Going forward, the company will work to continuously improve the linking of its front-end consulting services with its back-end engineering and automation teams in order to execute larger, more complex projects and to ultimately bring real, lasting value to its clients on a larger scale. “aeSolutions has come a long way from its days as a start-up when we would meet in the bonus room at Brian Merriman’s house. We had little to no air conditioning and had to contend with squirrels eating the electrical wiring in Brian’s attic. We spent as much time trying to catch squirrels as we did executing project work,” said O’Malley. “To see what the company has become fills me with tremendous pride. We have consistently been a steadfastly hard-working, ethical, high-value, dependable partner and are always seeking win-win outcomes. I am thankful for the support of our employees, leadership team and clients, and I look forward to the exciting future we have ahead of us.” About aeSolutions In business since 1998, aeSolutions is a consulting, engineering and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services. They specialize in helping industrial clients achieve their risk management and operational excellence goals through expertise in process safety, combustion control and safeguarding, safety instrumented systems, control system design and integration, alarm management, and related operations and integrity management systems. For more information, visit www.aesolutions.com. Media Contact Kari Walker for aeSolutions Kari@redironpr.com @KariWalkerPR

  • Engineers Week 2023

    We asked a few our engineers to answer: Why did you get into Engineering? How do we/engineers make an impact on the greater community? Founded by NSPE in 1951, EWeek(link is external) (February 19–25, 2023) is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Today, EWeek is a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. Dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers' positive contributions to quality of life, EWeek promotes recognition among parents, teachers, and students of the importance of a technical education and a high level of math, science, and technology literacy, and motivates youth, to pursue engineering careers in order to provide a diverse and vigorous engineering workforce. Each year, EWeek reaches thousands of schools, businesses, and community groups across the U.S.

  • AIChE 2023 Spring Meeting and 19th Global Congress on Process Safety

    aeSolutions to Present and Exhibit at AIChE 2023 Spring Meeting and 19th Global Congress on Process Safety Process Safety Group Manager Don Connolley to Serve as Vice-Chair of the CCPS International Conference for the 2023 GCPS Greenville, SC – March 2, 2023 – aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services, today announced that the company will be presenting and exhibiting at the AIChE 2023 Spring Meeting and 19th Global Congress on Process Safety (GCPS). The conference will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center at the Hilton of the Americas in Houston, Texas from March 12th to 15th, 2023. The annual AIChE Spring Meeting and GCPS is the key technical conference for practicing chemical and process safety engineers, and covers the industry's critical needs more broadly and in-depth than any other industry conference. Additionally, the company announced that Don Connolley, CSP, Process Safety Group Manager at aeSolutions, is Vice-Chair of the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) International Conference for the 2023 GCPS. On the morning of Tuesday, March 14th, Dave Grattan will deliver a presentation at a session of the Plant Process Safety Symposium titled, “Using Small Data to Support Decision Making When LOPA Fails: The Case for Incorporating Site Specific Process Safety Data into Our Calculations, and How to Do It”. On the morning of Wednesday, March 15th, Lauren Caldwell will present a paper titled “Ten Fingers and Ten Toes: Applying Machinery Safety Principles in a Process Plant” at a session of the Loss Prevention Symposium. Don Connolley will co-chair the GCPS Joint Session, “Case Histories and Lessons Learned” Wednesday afternoon. More Event Info: AIChE 2022 Spring Meeting and 19th GCPS Presentation Schedule: Dave Grattan (Presenting) & Keith Brumbaugh SESSION TIME: Tuesday, March 14th 1:30 - 3:00 PM SESSION TITLE: Focused Risk Analysis Approaches and Techniques in Support of LOPA PRESENTATION TITLE: “Using Small Data to Support Decision Making When LOPA Fails: The Case for Incorporating Site Specific Process Safety Data into Our Calculations, and How to Do It” LOCATION: George R. Brown Convention Center, 361 Link to paper: https://www.aesolutions.com/post/using-small-data-to-support-decision-making-when-lopa-fails Lauren Caldwell SESSION TIME: Wednesday, March 15th, 8:00 – 9:30 AM SESSION TITLE: Engineered Safety Systems and Mitigation Technologies I PRESENTATION TITLE: “Ten Fingers and Ten Toes: Applying Machinery Safety Principles in a Process Plant” LOCATION: George R. Brown Convention Center, 370 Link to paper: https://www.aesolutions.com/post/ten-fingers-and-ten-toes-applying-machinery-safety-principles-in-a-process-plant Don Connolley SESSION TIME: Wednesday, March 15th, 1:30 – 5:00 PM SESSION TITLE: “GCPS Joint Session: Case Histories and Lessons Learned” LOCATION: Ballroom of the Americas, A-F (Level 2) WHERE: George R. Brown Convention Center at the Hilton of the Americas in Houston, Texas - Booth 107 WHEN: March 12th -15th, 2023 REGISTRATION:https://www.aiche.org/conferences/aiche-spring-meeting-and-global-congress-on-process-safety/2023/registration-info To arrange a meeting with a member of the aeSolutions team, contact info@aesolutions.com. About aeSolutions In business since 1998, aeSolutions is a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services. They specialize in helping industrial clients achieve their risk management and operational excellence goals through expertise in process safety, combustion control and safeguarding, safety instrumented systems, control system design and integration, alarm management, and related operations and integrity management systems. For more information, visit www.aesolutions.com. Media Contact RedIron PR for aeSolutions kari@redironpr.com

  • aeSolutions Announces Achievements for 2022 and Plans for 2023

    Industrial Process Safety and Automation Company aeSolutions Announces Achievements for 2022 and Plans for 2023: Company to Focus on Expanded Client Services and Employee Development and Recruitment in 2023 Greenville, SC – February 22, 2023 –aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services, today announced company milestones achieved and overall performance for 2022. The company’s achievements included the launch of two new lines of business, a year-over-year growth of 12 percent, several key hires and promotions, and an increased focus on employee recruitment and development. “In 2022, aeSolutions continued to position itself to better serve our clients and partners,” said Ken O’Malley, president of aeSolutions. “We maintained our focus on oil, renewables, chemicals and petrochemicals, and entered the Green Hydrogen renewable energy and machine safety markets. We established two new business lines – Plant Protection Systems and Migrations and Upgrades – that will enable us to more fully assist our clients with larger, more complex projects, and our revenue has recovered and exceeded pre-covid levels.” New Business Units/Divisions Plant Protection Systems A new Plant Protection Systems business was created by combining the Fired Equipment, Safety Instrumented Systems, and Combustible and Toxic Gas Detection service lines under one senior leader. This single vertical business is responsible for the design and delivery of the critical systems that protect people and the environment. Migrations and Upgrades A new Migrations and Upgrades business was established. This team guides clients to develop phased project road maps that minimize or eliminate the interruption to production and deliver upgraded, future-capable systems. O’Malley added, “Growth in 2023 will come from a tighter alignment of our organizational structure with our well-known brand and service lines, which places a single senior leader at the top level of accountability for delivery and client satisfaction from concept development through turnover and startup. We are excited about the changes and looking forward to an incredibly productive 2023.” Key Personnel Appointments Promotions ● Carolyn Bott, Associate Process Safety Group Manager (GM): A seasoned process safety engineer with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and certification in Safety Engineering, Bott has experience working in the Chemicals, Petrochemicals, Oil & Gas (Onshore and Offshore), and Energy industries. Appointment Key Product/Deliverable Highlights Available as a turnkey solution, the FGS 1400 MK II is pre-engineered, preconfigured and prepackaged, and is suitable for a wide variety of applications. Scalable from small to large industrial installations, the solution is based on industry standard safety and control system platforms and is designed to provide combustible and toxic gas detection and fire protection. In 2022, the FGS 1400 MK II was updated to utilize Siemens latest generation Simatic ET 200SP HA input/output (I/O) cards. Company Culture/Initiatives In 2022, aeSolutions adopted an employee-opt-in hybrid office model that allowed the company to better align its commercial real estate with the needs and preferences of its business leaders and team members. Restructuring in this way enabled the company to reduce its annual commercial real estate leases by almost half, freeing up resources for investment in employee development and company growth. Additionally, the company formalized a talent development strategy and program that includes the launch of a new learning management system and the rollout of a formal employee-directed coaching program. Plans for 2023 In 2023, aeSolutions will continue to strive to be an employee-centric company with a primary purpose of supporting each stakeholder in the pursuit of their fullest potential. As a company, aeSolutions believes that client success can only come from a supported, valued workforce. About aeSolutions In business since 1998, aeSolutions is a consulting, engineering and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services. They specialize in helping industrial clients achieve their risk management and operational excellence goals through expertise in process safety, combustion control and safeguarding, safety instrumented systems, control system design and integration, alarm management, and related operations and integrity management systems. For more information, visit www.aesolutions.com. Media Contact Kari Walker for aeSolutions Kari@redironpr.com @KariWalkerPR

  • aeSolutions Announces Major Update to its FGS 1400 Fire & Gas Product

    Update Provides a Migration Path for Existing FGS 1400 Installations Greenville, SC – October 10th, 2022 – aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services, today announced the release of an update to its FGS 1400 MK II Safety Instrumented Fire & Gas System (FGS) solution. Scalable for large industrial installations, the solution is designed to provide fire and gas protection based on a safety-rated control system. Available as a turnkey solution, the FGS 1400 MK II is pre-engineered, pre-configured, and pre-packaged, and is suitable for a wide variety of applications. The system has been updated to utilize Siemens process automation Simatic ET 200SP HA input/output (I/O) cards in place of existing I/O cards that are on Siemens’ mature product list and are being phased out. To ensure continuity of operations, the update will provide existing aeSolutions clients with an upgrade path to maintain their existing FGS 1400 MK II products. As the update is rolled out, aeSolutions can supply migration fabrication kits that will enable end users to easily migrate to the ET 200SP HA I/O cards. Moving forward, aeSolutions’ product lines will only offer the new ET 200SP HA I/O cards in the FGS 1400 products. “When spare parts are no longer available, this important update to the FGS 1400 MK II provides a migration path to future aeSolutions’ product lines that will only offer the new ET 200SP HA I/O cards,” said Warren Johnson, senior project manager at aeSolutions. “Our customers come from a range of sectors and include companies in the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, agricultural chemical, and hydrogen production industries. Businesses with a need for industrial-grade fire and gas systems look to aeSolutions to offer products that meet and exceed industry standards and expectations. While not all fire and gas systems are required to conform to ISA and IEC safety standards, our customers recognize the benefits of such a high-reliability system even for lower-risk applications. aeSolutions is proud to continue to set the standard by providing our customers with superior, up-to-date products.” As the premier solution for fire and gas alarm and control, the FGS 1400 MK II can be built on demand and combines required functionality into the latest generation of TÜV-certified safety programmable logic controller (PLC). The FGS 1400 MK II was designed to the same levels of safety availability and reliability as the systems that aeSolutions designs for Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). By using the latest generation of a safety integration level (SIL) 3 safety-certified PLC as the logic solver, the FGS 1400 MK II provides the same demanding levels of performance required by the International Society of Automation (ISA) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) safety standards for safety-critical applications. Additionally, the FGS 1400 MK II meets Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for fire protection, has Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) certification for fire and gas, and is Factory Mutual (FM)-approved to be in conformance with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72 and FM 3010 standards for fire alarming and mitigation control. The FGS 1400 MK II has also been FM-approved to be in conformance with FM Approvals’ Combustible Gas Standard 6320, Toxic Gas Detection Standard 6340, and American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ISA 12.13.01 Performance Requirements for Combustible Gas Detectors standard. The FGS 1400 MK II has approval for either simplex or redundant processors, a variety of I/O configurations, including remote I/O, and a battery back-up/ charger subsystem. A critical component of the system is an FM-approved secondary power supply system consisting of a charger panel and an associated self-contained battery system. To support system design, aeSolutions has developed an FM-approved battery sizing tool that confirms the battery system design based on the specific requirements of each application. By using the same hardware/software platform as the Siemens Simatic PCS7 series, the FGS 1400 MK II can be integrated into the entire plant system solution. It offers the advantages of common Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), spare parts, training, engineering/configuration tools, maintenance, and procedures to produce a dramatic saving in both installed costs as well as lifecycle costs. For more information about aeSolutions’ FGS products, visit https://www.aesolutions.com/fire-gas-products. About aeSolutions In business since 1998, aeSolutions is a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services. They specialize in helping industrial clients achieve their risk management and operational excellence goals through expertise in process safety, combustion control and safeguarding, safety instrumented systems, control system design and integration, alarm management, and related operations and integrity management systems. For more information, visit www.aesolutions.com. Media Contact Kari Walker for aeSolutions Kari@redironpr.com @KariWalkerPR

  • Cost considerations for Burner Management Systems (BMS)

    (and where picking safety integrity levels on burner management systems makes sense) Safety is always a primary concern at any industrial site, and for good reason. But how much should you pay for that safety? While that question may have seemed blasphemous in days gone by, in today’s highly competitive business environment, unnecessary costs of any kind cannot be tolerated – and that includes safety instrumented systems, of which burner management systems are one type. Businesses want to optimize every dollar spent and maximize every dollar in return. A right sized safety system delivers the right amount of protection that a facility needs, requiring only the amount of money that can deliver the most risk reduction. This line of thinking becomes especially relevant when trying to identify the correct amount of risk reduction for a legacy burner management system. Selection of an overly conservative replacement system following prescriptive standards can have significant cost impact often without significant additional risk reduction over a BMS that is chosen based on valid safety integrity level selection techniques. The costs associated with upgrading according to prescriptive requirements typically originate from the significant mechanical rework that is required. Sometimes the cost is so high that it doesn’t get management approval. This is where the red flags in the executive suites can start to rise as they start sensing unjustified cost escalations or unmitigated risk exposure. Yes, they want safety, but they want it in context of what they need – enough safety that makes the risk tolerable for the business. “Right sizing” your BMS starts from a good targeted risk assessment of the BMS and fired equipment operation. A good assessment is the one that has a reasonably accurate estimate of likelihood and consequence. If the estimated likelihood is too frequent, or the consequence too severe, the safety integrity level (SIL) target may be set too high. This will result in an overly conservative and unnecessarily expensive system. On the other hand, if the consequence or likelihood is judged too low, the facility’s risks may not be adequately reduced. This also exposes the business to risks that could be ruinous; risks that the business is trying to mitigate. At the same time, the system design also needs to be consistent for similarly situated, similar types of fired equipment. The current prevalent techniques of assessing risk needs to be paired with the right amount of empirically backed experience to achieve this. This is where it pays to have a competent engineering partner that can help calibrate and deliver a right sized solution. Find more info on our Fired Equipment Services Page.

  • aeSolutions to Present at the 2022 Mary Kay O’Connor Safety & Risk Conference

    Company to Showcase New Machinery Safety Line of Service at the 2022 South Carolina Manufacturing Conference and Expo Greenville, SC – September 20, 2022 – aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services, today announced that the company will be presenting and exhibiting at the 2022 Mary Kay O’Connor Safety & Risk Conference. Sponsored by the Mary Kay O’Connor Safety Center and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the conference will be held at the Texas A&M Hotel Conference Center in College Station, Texas, from October 5-7. The conference offers attendees the opportunity to join more than 500 researchers and industry representatives from around the world to share the latest innovations and developments in process safety. In attendance from aeSolutions will be Process Safety Management Senior Specialist Jesse Brumbaugh, PE; and SIS Engineering Principle Specialist Keith Brumbaugh, CFSE, PE. Several representatives from the company will present at this year’s event. aeSolutions will present “Applying Risk-Based Process Safety and ISA/IEC 61511 to Utilities Units: Today’s Approach to Yesterday’s Equipment”; Jesse Brumbaugh will present on his whitepaper topic “Understanding Flammable Mist Explosion Hazards”; and Keith Brumbaugh will speak on his whitepaper, “A Tale of Two BPCS Credits - A Bayesian Case Study”. WHAT: 2022 Mary Kay O’Connor Safety & Risk Conference WHO: Jesse Brumbaugh, PE SESSION: Fire & Explosion PRESENTATION: 39 - Understanding Flammable Mist Explosion Hazards DATE AND TIME: 10/5/2022, 9:30 AM aeSolutions Team SESSION: Reactive Chemicals & Frontiers of Safety PRESENTATION: 49 - Applying Risk-Based Process Safety and ISA/IEC 61511 to Utilities Units DATE AND TIME: 10/5/2022, 3:30 PM Keith Brumbaugh, CFSE, PE SESSION: Instrumentation PRESENTATION: 81 - A Tale of Two BPCS Credits - A Bayesian Case Study DATE AND TIME: 10/6/2022, 3:30 PM WHERE: Texas A&M Hotel Conference Center in College Station, Texas, Booth 6 WHEN: October 5-7, 2022 REGISTRATION: https://mkosymposium.tamu.edu/registration/ To arrange a meeting with a member of the aeSolutions team at the conference, contact info@aesolutions.com. About aeSolutions In business since 1998, aeSolutions is a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services. They specialize in helping industrial clients achieve their risk management and operational excellence goals through expertise in process safety, combustion control and safeguarding, safety instrumented systems, control system design and integration, alarm management, and related operations and integrity management systems. For more information, visit www.aesolutions.com. Media Contact RedIron PR for aeSolutions kari@redironpr.com

  • aeSolutions Launches Client Success Model and New Project Development Team

    Client Success Model Guides Clients Throughout Entire Project Lifecycle Greenville, SC –September 8th, 2022 – aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company, today announced the launch of the company’s Client Success Model, which will be managed by the newly formed Project Development team. The Client Success Model is a relationship-focused business strategy designed to help clients achieve their goals while using aeSolutions’ products and services to drive their success. Under the Client Success Model, aeSolutions’ Project Development team will guide clients to drive project development throughout the entire project lifecycle, from concept to go-live. As the Project Development team’s understanding of each client’s objectives and obstacles grows, the value of aeSolutions’ guidance will grow. Benefits derived from the Client Success Model include: A collaborative approach with each client’s team to drive project development from early engagement A strategy that ensures an understanding of client objectives for optimum-value alignment of aeSolutions’ products and services Early identification and removal of obstacles to the client’s success Highest possible alignment between the client’s objectives and the Project Execution teams “At aeSolutions, we are humbled by our role as a trusted guide for our clients’ success,” said Ken O’Malley, aeSolutions co-founder and president. “With our Project Development team, senior leadership is completely committed to the Client Success Model. We are excited to begin formally offering this unique service to our new and existing clients.” "We are committed to growing value for all aeSolutions stakeholders while continuously focusing on the customer. At aeSolutions, we are known for our ability to engage with clients from the very beginning, conceptual stages of projects all the way through to the delivery of incredibly complex, engineered solutions. I am proud to be part of a company that offers complete project solutions built on trusted expertise, and that endeavors to understand clients’ needs in a way that ensures client success.” About aeSolutions In business since 1998, aeSolutions is a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety and automation products and services. They specialize in helping industrial clients achieve their risk management and operational excellence goals through expertise in process safety, combustion control and safeguarding, safety instrumented systems, control system design and integration, alarm management, and related operations and integrity management systems. For more information, visit www.aesolutions.com. Media Contact RedIron PR for aeSolutions kari@redironpr.com

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