In 2024, the ISA-5.1 standard was revised, clarifying and simplifying the text and adding references to new automation technologies. ANSI/ISA-5.1-2024, Instrumentation and Control – Symbols and Identification, is a foundational standard that many organizations and individuals in the process industries have long benefitted from.
According to Ali Ahmad Toor, an E&I trainer and consultant at Rosewell Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd., skilled users of ISA-5.1 gain the following:
- Consistency: Understanding and applying the standard ensures consistency across projects, facilities and organizations, which reduces confusion and errors.
- Improved communication: Use of ISA-5.1 facilitates clear and effective communication among multidisciplinary teams.
- Enhanced safety: The standard reduces the risk of misinterpretation, which can lead to accidents or equipment damage.
- Efficient maintenance: Use of the standard simplifies troubleshooting and maintenance by providing clear and accurate documentation.
- Global acceptance: Because ISA-5.1 is widely recognized and adopted internationally, collaboration with global partners is easier.
Toor noted that while ISA-5.1 provides a robust framework, organizations seeking to implement it must remember that ensuring consistent application across large or complex projects can be challenging. Personnel must be trained to understand and apply the standard correctly, and some organizations may need to adapt the standard to meet specific requirements or integrate it with existing systems.
To master the standard, you can purchase and study a copy of the standards document, or take one of the training courses provided by ISA. FG15E is an eight-week, online instructor-assisted course that’s offered four times a year. Two-day, in-person or two-day virtual/remote versions of the course can also be provided, which enables an instructor to train everyone in a facility at once.
Training courses present the methodology for designing and developing control systems documentation. It emphasizes the development of piping and instrument diagrams (P&IDs) and related drawings. Additionally, the course covers developing, reading and interpreting these documents, making it beneficial to engineers, designers, software programmers, system integrators and technicians. It will help you plan document development related to project management and describe the relationship between ISO 9000, OSHA process safety management (PSM) and API 750 to control systems documentation.
If you’re not sure if the course is right for you, ISA’s FG15 knowledge check is a great free tool. It can help you evaluate your understanding of the material and show you the types of questions you’ll be able to answer when you’re done.
This column originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of Automation.com Monthly.
