December 20, 2012 - ARC says the process safety systems market growth has rebounded after the world economic downturn, especially in the developed economies of North America and Western Europe. “Process safety systems suppliers continue to cost reduce their hardware offerings and integrate their safety solutions with basic process control systems. Suppliers offering a truly integrated offering of process and safety are saving end users substantial project costs in engineering and lifecycle expense,” according to Principal Analyst Barry Young, the principal author of ARC’s “Process Safety Systems Global Market Research Study.” The main automation contractor (MAC) business model for executing projects is finding a growing acceptance with integrated process safety systems.
The lack of process safety experts requires creative project team sourcing with end users, suppliers, and specialty safety engineering firms. New technology trends include smart configurable I/O and distributed safety system architectures. New software tools are increasingly making the systems easier to implement. The past emphasis on controller architecture (Dual, TMR, QMR) has diminished with more emphasis now placed on the overall process safety system solution and certification. Cyber security’s importance cannot be underestimated, particularly for safety and security of industrial processes.
Closer integration of safety and security in process safety systems is required.
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