THE QUEST for continuous improvement in the process industries always requires change.However,when not managed properly,change can lead to disaster.Chemical makers and refiners often use their industrial control system(ICS)-the cyber-physical assets responsible for automated controls and safety-as the platform for continuous improvement.At most sites,the ICS undergoes more changes than any other production asset.Yet,while operating companies around the world for almost three decades have accepted management of change(MOC)as a best practice when altering physical assets such as valves and pumps,many processors have failed to consistently apply the same level of rigor to managing configuration changes to the ICS.Investigations into several major plant accidents by the U.S.Chemical Safety Board and the U.K.Health and Safety Executive have identified improper modifications to ICS alarms,control loops and safety instrumented systems(SISs)as either a major contributing factor or a root cause of the incident.Meanwhile,the fast-growing threat of cyberattacks initiated by nation states or criminals seeking ransoms has created an urgent need to lock down and protect the ICS configuration.Furthermore,unmanaged change initiated by internal actors-employees and contractors-can lead to the same catastrophic consequences that an external bad actor can impart on a production facility.
展开▼
