EEMUA News

Northern Gas Networks Ltd joins EEMUA

Northern Gas Networks Ltd, with headquarters in Leeds, West Yorkshire, has become the latest company to gain corporate membership of EEMUA. Northern Gas Networks is responsible for distributing gas to businesses and domestic consumers across the north of England. Its network comprises 37,000 km of gas pipes, delivering gas to users 24 hours every day. EEMUA is an international non-profit membership organisation that aims to improve the safety, environmental and operating performance of industrial facilities in the most cost-effective way, developing and promoting leadership in industrial asset management.

“Health and safety is a key focus for our business; we aim to set world-class standards in everything we do. Our objective is to reinforce a best practice safety culture throughout all operations of Northern Gas Networks to ensure we achieve the highest possible levels of safety for the public, employees and our contracting partners”, comments Brian Stoneman, NGN’s System Control Centre Manager. “We are a responsible business and are committed to the protection and enhancement of the environment in the area we serve. To enable this to happen, we intend to develop a sustainable performance-focused and continuous improvement culture across all health, safety and environmental activities. EEMUA membership aligns well with our approach to corporate and social responsibility.”

EEMUA's Executive Director, Clive Tayler, said: "We are very pleased to welcome Northern Gas Networks Ltd into membership of EEMUA. The two organisations have very well aligned objectives in terms of safety, the environment and operating performance. NGN can bring valuable experience of operating wide-area systems to EEMUA, and should benefit equally from the networking with our other members to share experiences and expertise. We look forward to working with them."

EEMUA launches second edition of industry guide to Human-Computer Interfaces

EEMUA, the Engineering Equipment and Materials Users’ Association, has launched the second edition of its popular guide to Human-Computer Interface (HCI)* systems developed in consultation with the British Health and Safety Executive.

EEMUA Publication 201 - “Process plant control desks utilising Human-Computer Interfaces - A guide to design, operational and Human-Computer Interface issues” has been extensively revised and updated since first published in 2002. It gives practical guidance on: the factors to take into account when designing an HCI, display hierarchies, screen display format design and control room design attributes which affect HCI.

The objective is to help engineers and design teams develop HCI systems which are more usable and therefore result in safer and more cost-effective operation of industrial systems. This EEMUA Guide is also intended to help reduce the need for re-engineering of systems after installation. The goal is not only to make industrial plants more operable, efficient and able to avoid abnormal situations, but to be able to better manage such situations should they occur.  

The Publication has been written and widely reviewed by users in industry and is based on what some leading companies are doing. The general guidance is directed towards large sophisticated computer-based process systems, but also contains much general information on HCI. Both batch and continuous industrial processes are covered. The Guide is applicable to facilities as diverse as chemical plant, power stations and oil refineries. 

EEMUA Publication 201 is aimed at engineers and managers in user, supplier and contracting organisations and others that are involved in the design, procurement, operation, maintenance, management, assessment and review of HCI systems.  

Both the HSE and the Abnormal Situation Management Consortium in the USA have endorsed EEMUA Publication 201. Below is an extract from the Foreword provided by Peter Baker, Head of the Chemicals Industry Division, Hazardous Installations Directorate (HID), at the Health and Safety Executive:

“This guide is a very useful resource for industry, designers, manufacturers and suppliers in the major hazard sector. Inspectors and specialists in HID will be looking for evidence that the standards and principles in the guide have been implemented appropriately both for new design, and for ongoing review - and continuous improvement - of existing installations. The renewed focus on HCI reflects well the current HID and HSE post-Texas City and Buncefield focus on process safety leadership, workforce involvement and wider human factor issues... I commend this guide to you.”

EEMUA Publication 201, is available through the Online Shop.

*Note: HCI systems form the essential operator interface to large modern industrial systems. They are utilised in power stations, refineries, chemical plants, utility distribution centres and many other places. They provide the vital means by which the operator obtains information on the state of the plant, enters operational parameters, and by which any automatic control action can be overridden and manual control of the plant be taken.

Pioneering guide expected to have world-wide significance in the energy sector

EEMUA Publication 207 “Double Concrete Tanks for Liquefied Gas: Guide to design, construction and operation” is launched today (4 March 2010). This pioneering Guide is a world first in defining good and best practices for engineering such tanks - storage facilities that will be not only safety critical, but also could be critical to safeguarding a part of the national infrastructure for many countries around the globe.

A wealth of technical information is included in EEMUA 207 - technical content supported by years of experience gained by the authors in building and operating similar structures. The authoring group comprised representatives from EEMUA member companies, such as BP, ExxonMobil and Shell, together with representatives from engineering construction and inspection organisations, such as AF CryoTank, Arup, Lloyd’s Register, Technip and Whessoe Oil and Gas. Following the Guide should therefore reduce the risk of mistakes and poor practice during design, construction and commissioning.

The Publication should resolve many of the technical issues encountered during double concrete tank projects, thus reducing the need for 'technical debate' and improving project timescales, costs and quality. “For an owner who has elected to adopt the double concrete concept, EEMUA 207 will be invaluable,” says Dr Derek Hill of Foster Wheeler Energy Limited, a member of the authoring group. “The cost of producing a specification for a tank from scratch is reduced to simply reviewing EEMUA 207 and possibly adding their own preferences.”

Similarly, EEMUA 207 provides for the engineering contractor detailed information that will minimise the risk of obtaining varying quotations from tank constructors. Tank designers will also benefit for the EEMUA Guide: it gives them a clear basis for their calculations. And tank construction companies are informed of the quality of testing and examination required for materials, construction methods and the tank structure.

EEMUA Publication 207 “Double Concrete Tanks for Liquefied Gas: Guide to design, construction and operation” is available through the Online Shop

Solutia UK Ltd joins EEMUA

Solutia UK Ltd, with headquarters in Newport, South Wales, has become the latest company to gain corporate membership of EEMUA.

Solutia UK Ltd is part of Solutia Inc, a US-based global company with more than 50 locations in five continents, which develops, manufactures and supplies performance chemicals and other speciality products, using applied chemistry to create materials vital to the evolving global economy.

EEMUA is an international non-profit membership organisation that aims to improve the safety, environmental and operating performance of industrial facilities in the most cost-effective way, developing and promoting leadership in industrial asset management.

“Our initial objectives in joining EEMUA were to become more involved in its automation and related work programmes based around the EEMUA 191 Guide on alarm management, the EEMUA 222 Guide to the safety-related system standard IEC 61511, and also EEMUA’s work in connection with safety-related regulations like ATEX and DSEAR,” commented Senior Electrical Engineer, Justin Ogleby. “However, we’re aware of EEMUA’s activities in other areas such as plant integrity management, machinery engineering, tank storage, and so forth, and I’m keen that Solutia UK also becomes more involved in these areas in the future.”

EEMUA's Executive Director, Clive Tayler, said: "We are very pleased to welcome Solutia UK Ltd into membership of EEMUA. I am confident they will be able to add value and contribute positively to the aims and objectives of the Association."

Archived news stories