Understanding and Preparation of Cause & Effect Diagram

Sreejesh.S
j
sreejesh.s@quest-global.com
2012 QuEST Global Services Pte Ltd. The information in this document is the property of QuEST Global Services Pte Ltd. and may not be copied or communicated to a
third party or used for any purpose other than that for which it is supplied without the written consent of QuEST Global Services Pte Ltd.

About this Document

2012 QuEST Global Services Pte Ltd. Confidential

Abstract

Carrying out safety analysis is important to prevent accidents and help

in the design of control and protective systems for process plants.
Control and sensor devices and their related control actions can be
presented in a Cause & Effect chart to help
p
p with the analysis
y
process.
p
The "Cause & Effect" chart is the preliminary document used for the
development of Interlock. It is applicable to Emergency shutdowns /
Process shutdowns. It lists the manual and automatic actions (Cause)
and the equipment such as control valves, pumps etc. (Effect) to be
put into a safe state.

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Safety actions Classification

"ESD"
ESD (Emergency Shut Down).
Down) This causes a
complete or partial shutdown of a process unit. An
ESD can also isolate a process equipment item as
well as a "package" equipment.
"PSD" (Process Shut Down). This is an
automatic action initiated by one or several
i t
instruments
t installed
i t ll d in
i the
th process in
i order
d to
t
protect the equipment.

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Logic identification

All causes and effects associated with a specific

unit of a process must be shown on the C & E
Matrix.
Several Process units may also be grouped on the
same C & E Matrix.
IInterlock
t l k numbers
b
shall
h ll be
b indicated
i di t d in
i C & E
matrix as per PID as a base for logic identification

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Cause
The causes are defined by the "TAG Number"
and by the "SERVICE
SERVICE DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
"SERVICE DESCRIPTION": "Low pressure, High
level etc". need not be shown in the C & E matrix.
"NOTES" shall be used to explain special
requirements and to be indicated on the matrix.
The section reserved for notes may be modified
according to the volume of information to be
detailed.
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Other Logic representation

When the Cause of a shutdown comes from
another logic system it will be indicated in this
column: C&E

When several causes generate an action in

different process units,
units only the reference of this
logic will be shown in the logic systems
concerned.
concerned

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Override

Only "Operational" bypasses will be shown on the

C&E.
The by-pass has a direct action on the cause:

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Effects

The effects are defined by the "TAG

TAG Number,
Number by
the "SERVICE DESCRIPTION" and by the type of
action detailed on the "MATRIX"
MATRIX
It may be necessary to double the effects when
due to the causes a command can have an open
or close or stop or start action.

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Service description

It will not normally be necessary to indicate in the

description information shown on the matrix such
as "Open",
Open , "Start".
Start .
When the cause of a shutdown is used on
different pages of a C&E for the same logic
function, the continuation is indicated on the line
SERVICE DESCRIPTION.
DESCRIPTION

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Actions
Description

Remarks

Activate

Indicates an action on another logic system (another C&E)

Close

Closes the valve

Open

Opens the valve

St

Start

Starting a pump or Unit or sequence

Sp Stop

Stopping a pump or Unit

Trip

Trip a motor or Unit

Inhibit

Forbids the action when the cause is present

Permissive

Authorises the action when the cause is present. For example authorises the
opening of a valve if other valves are closed. The action will be initiated by the
operator or the system.

Reset

Authorises a re-start, a re-opening

p
g after an ESD and return to normal conditions.
This action is generally carried out by the operator.

OVerride

This is a special case of inhibition.

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11

Procedure

1. Identify the various interlock section,

1
section unit and
plant based on the Process description and PIDs.
2. Identify the Causes based on Section / Unit /
Plant. Provide Tag numbers, if required.
3. Identify the Effects and relate the same to
various
i
causes based
b
d on the
th process description
d
i ti
& PIDs.

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12

Procedure .

4. Effects
4
Effects due to the presence of all causes
(Single Cause should not lead to the effect) shall
be adequately defined through notes.
5. Causes which are to be effectuated on
running equipment, the same shall be adequately
defined through notes. For eg. In a Cooling water
system,
t
Wh
When
fi t pump is
first
i
running
i
and
d
maintaining the pressure, a sudden fall in cooling
water pressure should start the second pump in
order to maintain the header pressure.
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Special Case Operational bypass

This function is indicated in the column OVERRIDE TAG
g
number in the section CAUSE of the diagram.

Its function is to temporarily inhibit a cause:

At unit start-up
start up (start-up
(start up override),
override) i.e.
i e an FSLL or PSHH
which closes a valve on the same circuit on which it is
installed. It may be:
Automatic, i.e. the bypass is activated by a "Start" or
Reset command.
"Reset"
Manually activated by the operator i.e. HS.
FSLL

- Flow Switch Low Low

PSHH - Pressure Switch High High

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Special Case Operational bypass.

Automatic cancellation of the bypass is mandatory
after a time delay and if the operating conditions
have returned to normal. This will be defined in a
"typical" drawing and will not be shown on the
C&E. This is applicable during startup.
The bypass of a cause is either applicable to all
effects or to a limited number of effects.
An operational bypass may be necessary to allow
certain unit operational cases. When this is the
case it will be detailed in a note.
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Voting
Only the result of a vote is indicated as a cause.
A note will indicate the type of vote:
1 out of 2
2 out of 2
2 out of 3
The tag numbers of the instruments are listed in
the instrument index and the data base.

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16

Information external to Cause & effect chart

Certain information found in the project job
specifications need not be shown on the C&E such
as:
Maintenance bypasses (Maintenance Override)

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Sample Cause & effect chart

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Reference

Instrument Engineers' Handbook Volume 2 by Bella G Liptak

http://www.aidic.it
http://instrumentationportal.com

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19

Thank You
Sreejesh.S
j
sreejesh.s@quest-global.com
2012 QuEST Global Services Pte Ltd. The information in this document is the property of QuEST Global Services Pte Ltd. and may not be copied or communicated to a
third party or used for any purpose other than that for which it is supplied without the written consent of QuEST Global Services Pte Ltd.