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Oil Refinery Instrumentation and Control Systems Audit Checklist

A comprehensive checklist for auditing instrumentation and control systems practices in oil refineries, covering calibration, system architecture, alarm management, and cybersecurity measures for various control systems.

Oil Refinery Instrumentation and Control Systems Audit Checklist

by: audit-now
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About This Checklist

Robust instrumentation and control systems are critical for ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable operations in oil refineries. This comprehensive audit checklist is designed to evaluate the refinery's practices in maintaining, calibrating, and upgrading instrumentation and control systems across various process units. Regular audits in this area are essential for identifying potential system vulnerabilities, ensuring accuracy of process measurements, and optimizing control strategies to enhance overall refinery performance and safety.

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Industry

Energy and Utilities

Standard

IEC 62443 - Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security

Workspaces

Oil refineries

Occupations

Instrumentation Engineer
Control Systems Specialist
Automation Technician
Process Control Engineer
Industrial Cybersecurity Expert
1
Is the control system cybersecurity compliant with the ISA/IEC 62443 standards?

Select the compliance status.

To ensure that control systems are protected against cyber threats.
2
What is the calibration frequency for critical instruments?

Enter the calibration frequency in months.

To ensure that instruments are calibrated at the required intervals to maintain accuracy.
Min: 1
Target: 12
Max: 24
3
Has the alarm management system been reviewed in the last year?

Indicate whether the review has been conducted.

To verify that alarm systems are effectively managed and maintained.
4
Is the performance of the safety instrumented systems adequate?

Select the performance status.

To ensure that safety systems function correctly and efficiently.
5
Please provide a summary of the documentation review conducted for the control systems.

Provide detailed observations regarding the documentation.

To ensure that all control systems are documented properly for reference and compliance.
6
Is the integrity of the distributed control systems maintained?

Select the integrity status.

To assess whether the distributed control systems are functioning correctly and securely.
7
What is the update frequency for programmable logic controllers?

Enter the update frequency in months.

To ensure that PLCs are updated regularly for optimal performance and security.
Min: 1
Target: 6
Max: 12
8
When was the last cybersecurity assessment conducted on the control systems?

Select the date of the last assessment.

To verify the timeliness of cybersecurity assessments in place.
9
Has a usability assessment of the human-machine interface (HMI) been conducted?

Indicate whether the assessment has been completed.

To ensure that the HMI is user-friendly and effective for operators.
10
Is the alarm system effective in alerting operators to critical conditions?

Select the effectiveness status.

To verify that the alarm system provides timely and actionable alerts.
11
What is the average incident response time for control system alerts?

Enter the response time in minutes.

To measure the efficiency of the incident response process.
Min: 1
Target: 15
Max: 60
12
When was the last safety training for control system operators conducted?

Select the date of the last training session.

To ensure that operators are adequately trained on safety procedures.
13
Is the calibration of all critical instruments compliant with standards?

Select the calibration compliance status.

To ensure instruments are calibrated according to regulatory requirements.
14
What is the number of instrument failures reported in the last year?

Enter the total number of instrument failures.

To evaluate the reliability and performance of measurement instruments.
Min: 0
Target: 5
Max: 100
15
Provide a summary of the risk assessment conducted for instrumentation.

Summarize key findings and recommendations from the risk assessment.

To document the risks associated with instrumentation and control systems.
16
When was the last maintenance activity performed on the instrumentation systems?

Select the date of the last maintenance activity.

To ensure that maintenance is performed regularly to prevent failures.
17
Has the emergency shutdown system been tested in the last six months?

Indicate whether the testing has been done.

To ensure that the emergency shutdown system functions correctly during a crisis.
18
What is the average system downtime experienced in the past year?

Enter the average downtime in hours.

To assess the reliability and performance of control systems.
Min: 0
Target: 2
Max: 100
19
How often is training provided to operators on control system operations?

Select the frequency of training sessions.

To ensure that operators are adequately trained on system operations and updates.
20
When was the last system upgrade performed on the control systems?

Select the date of the last system upgrade.

To ensure that the systems are kept up to date with the latest technology and security patches.

FAQs

The checklist covers instrument calibration procedures, control system architecture, alarm management, safety instrumented systems (SIS), distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMI), data historians, and cybersecurity measures for control systems.

Comprehensive audits should be conducted annually, with more frequent reviews of critical control systems and safety-related instrumentation on a quarterly basis to ensure ongoing reliability and performance.

The audit team should include instrumentation and control engineers, process control specialists, automation technicians, cybersecurity experts, and potentially third-party control system consultants to ensure a thorough assessment of the refinery's instrumentation and control practices.

By systematically evaluating all aspects of instrumentation and control systems, the checklist helps identify areas for improvement in system reliability, accuracy, and performance, leading to enhanced process control, safety, and operational efficiency.

Audit findings should be thoroughly analyzed, shared with relevant stakeholders, used to develop targeted improvement plans for instrumentation and control practices, and incorporated into the refinery's overall maintenance, upgrade, and cybersecurity strategies.

Benefits of Oil Refinery Instrumentation and Control Systems Audit Checklist

Enhances process safety through reliable and accurate instrumentation

Improves operational efficiency by optimizing control system performance

Reduces unplanned downtime due to instrumentation and control system failures

Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements for process control and safety systems

Supports data integrity for process optimization and decision-making