System and method for providing interlinked user interfaces corresponding to safety logic of a process control system

A system for enabling access to information included in a safety requirement specification (SRS) for a process plant, the process plant controlled by a process control system, comprising:

• a user interface;
• a memory configured to store (i) a set of computer-executable instructions, (ii) the SRS, and (iii) a cause and effect matrix (CEM) having a set of elements including a set of causes and a set of effects, wherein each of the set of causes represents a condition within the process plant and each of the set of effects represents an effect to be performed within the process plant, wherein at least some of the set of causes and the set of effects are related as cause-effect pairs whereby the corresponding effect activates in response to an occurrence of one or more of the corresponding conditions, and wherein the set of elements includes at least one associated SRS;
• and
• a processor interfaced with the user interface and the memory, and configured to execute the set of computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to:
• cause the user interface to display the CEM,
• receive, via the user interface, a selection of an element of the set of elements,
• in response to receiving the selection of the element of the set of elements:
• display a menu including a set of display options, each of the set of display options indicating a format for displaying data corresponding to the selected element, wherein the set of display options includes a logic block configuration and at least one of a portion of a process plant diagram corresponding to the selected element, or safety protocol information corresponding to the selected element, wherein the logic block configuration indicates a safety logic corresponding to the selected element of the cause and effect matrix,
• receive a selection of a first display option of the set of display options,
• in response to receiving the selection of the first display option:
• access, from the SRS, a set of information associated with the element of the set of elements based on the first display option, and
• cause the user interface to display the set of information in the user interface based on the first display option.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in a machine, cause the machine to:

• display, in a user interface, a cause and effect matrix (CEM) having a set of elements including a set of causes and a set of effects, wherein each of the set of causes represents a condition within a process plant and each of the set of effects represents an effect to be performed within the process plant, wherein at least some of the set of causes and the set of effects are related as cause-effect pairs whereby the corresponding effect activates in response to an occurrence of one or more of the corresponding conditions, and wherein the set of elements includes at least one associated safety requirement specification (SRS);
• receive, via the user interface, a selection of an element of the set of elements;
• in response to receiving the selection of the element of the set of elements:
• display a drop down menu including a set of display options, each of the set of display options indicating a format for displaying data corresponding to the selected element, wherein the set of display options includes a logic block configuration and at least one of a portion of a process plant diagram corresponding to the selected element, or safety protocol information corresponding to the selected element, wherein the logic block configuration indicates a safety logic corresponding to the selected element of the cause and effect matrix,
• receive a selection of a first display option of the set of display options,
• in response to receiving the selection of the first display option:
• access, from a safety requirement specification (SRS) associated with the process plant and stored in memory, a set of information associated with the element of the set of elements based on the first display option, and
• display the set of information in the user interface based on the first display option.

A computer-implemented method of enabling navigation of a safety protocol system of a process plant via a user-interface, the process plant controlled by a process control system, the method comprising:

• displaying, in the user interface, safety logic for the process control system, the safety logic having a set of elements including a set of causes and a set of effects, wherein each of the set of causes represents a condition within the process plant and each of the set of effects represents an effect to be performed within the process plant, wherein at least some of the set of causes and the set of effects are related as cause-effect pairs whereby the corresponding effect activates in response to an occurrence of one or more of the corresponding conditions, and wherein the set of elements includes at least one associated safety requirement specification (SRS);
• receiving, via the user interface, a selection of an element of the set of elements;
• in response to receiving the selection of the element of the set of elements:
• displaying a drop down menu including a set of display options, each of the set of display options indicating a format for displaying data corresponding to the selected element, wherein the set of display options includes a logic block configuration and at least one of a portion of a process plant diagram corresponding to the selected element, or safety protocol information corresponding to the selected element, wherein the logic block configuration indicates a safety logic corresponding to the selected element of the cause and effect matrix,
• receiving a selection of a first display option of the set of display options,
• in response to receiving the selection of the first display option:
• accessing, from a database of the control system, a set of information associated with the element of the set of elements based on the first display option, and
• displaying the set of information in the user interface based on the first display option.