This book elevates alarm management from a fragmented collection of procedures, metrics, experiences, and trial-and-error, to the level of a technology discipline. It provides a complete treatment of best practices in alarm management. The technology and approaches found here provide the opportunity to completely understand the what, the why, and the how of successful alarm systems. No modern industrial enterprise, particularly in such areas as chemical processing, can operate without a secure and reliable infrastructure of alarms and controls-they are an integral part of all production management and control systems. Improving alarm management is an effective way to provide operators with high-value support and guidance to successfully manage industrial plant operations. Readers will find: Recommendations and guidelines are developed from fundamental concepts to provide powerful technical tools and workable approaches; Alarms are treated as indicators of abnormal situations, not simply sensor readings that might be out of position; Alarm improvement is intimately linked to infrastructure management, including the vital role of plant maintenance to alarm management, the need to manage operators' charter to continue to operate during abnormal situations vs. cease operation, and the importance of situation awareness without undue reliance upon alarms. The ability to appreciate technical issues is important, but this book requires no previous specific technical, educational, or experiential background. The style and content are very accessible to a broad industrial audience from board operator to plant manager. All critical tasks are explained with workflow processes, examples, and insight into what it all means. Alternatives are offered everywhere to enable users to tailor-make solutions to their particular sites.

Using seven methods, this book explains how to improve the performance of alarm systems, including benchmarking an alarm system performance against industry best practices, developing an alarm philosophy document, rationalizing alarms, and applying real-time alarm management optimization strategies.

The book is developed to provide significant information and guidelines to construction and project management professionals (owners, designers, consultants, construction managers, project managers, supervisors, contractors, builders, developers, and many others from the construction-related industry) involved in construction projects (mainly civil construction projects, commercial-A/E projects) and construction-related industries. It covers the importance of construction management principles, procedures, concepts, methods, and tools, and their applications to various activities/components/subsystems of different phases of the life cycle of a construction project. These applications will improve the construction process in order to conveniently manage the project and make the project most qualitative, competitive, and economical. It also discuss the interaction and/or combination among some of the activities/elements of management functions, management processes, and their effective implementation and applications that are essential throughout the life cycle of project to conveniently manage the project. This handbook will: Focus on the construction management system to manage construction projects Include a number of figures and tables which will enhance reader comprehension Provide all related topics/areas of construction management Be of interest to all those involved in construction management and project management Provide information about Building Information Modeling (BIM), and ISO Certification in Construction Industry Offer a chapter on Lean construction The construction project life cycle phases and its activities/elements/subsystems are comprehensively developed and take into consideration Henri Fayol's Management Function concept which was subsequently modified by Koontz and O'Donnel and Management Processes Knowledge Areas described in PMBOK® published by Project Management Institute (PMI). The information available in the book will also prove valuable for academics/instructors to provide construction management/project management students with in-depth knowledge and guidelines followed in the construction projects and familiarize them with construction management practices.

Written in clear and simple terms, Security, ID Systems and Locks provides the security professional with a complete understanding of all aspects of electronic access control. Each chapter includes important definitions, helpful study hints, highlighted review, and application questions. Security, ID Systems and Locks will teach you how to: Work with consultants Negotiate with dealers Select communications options Understand what computer professionals are saying Provide better security Throughout the book, the reader will find advice from security professionals, computer wizards, and seasoned trainers. Topics include a history of access control, modern ID technology, locks, barriers, sensors, computers, wiring, communications, and system design and integration. Joel Konicek has worked in almost every phase of the security industry. He is president and co-founder of Northern Computers, Inc., sits on the board of the Security Industry Association (SIA) and serves as SIA's Education Committee chairperson. He has lectured widely and conducted training seminars on sales and technical support issues. Karen Little, a technical writer and trainer, has been president of Clear Concepts since 1992. She provides research, writing, and illustrations for technical documentation, training manuals, Web sites, and interactive multimedia. Review questions and study tips make it easy to assess what you've learned Well-written and easy to understand, this is the most up-to-date book on electronic access control Coupons in the back of the book will save money on training programs in access control