Engineering Standard

SAES-B-071 28 October 2021

Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems
Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee

Contents
1 Scope ................................................................ 2
2 Conflicts and Deviations ................................... 2
3 References........................................................ 2
4 Definitions ......................................................... 4
5 System Requirements....................................... 4
6 Signal Sounds and Patterns.............................. 6
7 Location ............................................................ 7
8 Installation ......................................................... 8
9 Testing and Inspection ...................................... 9
Revision Summary................................................. 10

Previous Issue: 28 January 2020 Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
Publish Date: 28 October 2021
Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

1 Scope

This standard defines the minimum mandatory requirements governing the design,
installation, and testing of audible wide area alerting systems for emergency purposes
required at Saudi Aramco communities and normally attended industrial facilities.
Notes: SAES-T-481, In-plant Voice Paging System, provides requirements for in-plant voice
paging communications systems, whereby these standards supplement each other and
should be considered in conjunction with each other.

SAES-J-505, Fire and Gas Detection Systems provides requirements for Hydrogen
Sulfide (H2S) and Combustible Gas detection and local alarm requirements.

2 Conflicts and Deviations

Any conflicts between this document and other applicable Mandatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Requirements (MSAERs) shall be addressed to the EK&RD Coordinator.

Any deviation from the requirements herein shall follow internal company procedure
SAEP-302.

3 References

The selection of material and equipment, and the design, construction, maintenance and
repair of equipment and facilities covered by this standard shall comply with the latest
edition of the references listed below, unless otherwise noted.

3.1 Saudi Aramco References

Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure

SAEP-302 Waiver of a Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering
Requirement

Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards

SAES-B-009 Fire/Blast Protection and Safety Requirements for
Offshore Production Facilities
SAES-B-063 Aviation Obstruction Marking and Lighting
SAES-J-505 Combustible Gas and Hydrogen Sulfide in Air
Detection Systems
SAES-P-100 Basic Power System Design Criteria
SAES-P-103 UPS and DC Systems
SAES-P-104 Wiring Methods and Materials
SAES-P-111 Grounding

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
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Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

SAES-T-481 In-plant Voice Paging System

SAES-T-493 Mobile and Fixed Radio Systems

3.2 Industry Codes and Standards

American National Standards Institution (ANSI)/Telecommunications Industry

Association (TIA)
ANSI/TIA-222-G Structural Standard for Antenna Supporting
Structures and Antennas (2016)

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

IEC 60268-16 Sound System Equipment--Part 16: Objective Rating
of Speech Intelligibility by Speech Transmission
Index (2011)
IEC 61672-1 Electro-acoustics - Sound Level Meters, Part 1
Specifications (2013)

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Code on Alerts and Signals (CAS)

International Standards Organization (ISO)

ISO 7240-16 Fire Detection and Alarm Systems, Part 16 Sound
System Control and Indicating Equipment (2007)
ISO 7240-19 Fire Detection and Alarm Systems, Part 19 Design,
Installation, Commissioning and Service of
Sound Systems for Emergency Purposes (2003)
ISO 7731 Ergonomics--Danger Signals for Public and Work
Areas-Auditory Danger Signals (2003)
ISO 9921 Ergonomics - Assessment of Speech Communication
(2003)

Saudi Arabia General Directorate of Civil Defense

Standard Technical Specification for Early Alert

System (Sirens and Control Stations)

Underwriters Laboratory (UL)

UL 464 Standard for Safety Audible Signaling Devices for
Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems, Including
Accessories (2016)

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
Publish Date: 28 October 2021
Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

UL 1480 Standard for Safety Speakers for Fire Alarm and

Signaling Systems including Accessories (2016)

4 Definitions

Audible Alerting: A system to provide audible alerts to personnel.

Decibel: A unit for measuring the intensity of a sound.

Decibel A, dB(A): The sound level in decibels read on the “A-scale” of a sound level
meter. The “A-scale” weighting best approximates the response of the human ear to
sound.

Decibel C, dB(C): The sound level in decibels read on the “C-scale” of a sound level
meter. The “C-scale” discriminate very little against very low frequencies.

Normally Attended: A site where work is planned for more than 16 hours per day and
for more than 50% of the sites operating time.

Signal Reception Area: The area in which persons are intended to recognize and react
to a specific signal.

Sounder: An electronic device that converts electric code impulses into sound.

Wide-area Mass Alerting: Systems to provide real-time information to outdoor areas.

5 System Requirements

5.1 All audible alerting system devices shall be labeled, listed or certified for the
application by an organization recognized in SAES-P-100.

5.2 Community and facility audible alerting systems shall be ISO 7240-19 Category
4 compliant, capable of generating a minimum of eight different tones (which
includes one spare) and transmitting pre-recorded and live messages.

5.3 Audible alerting systems to be controlled by hardwire or wireless methods.

The wireless control signals shall be in accordance of the requirements of the
Saudi Arabia, National Frequency Plan, per SAES-T-493.

5.4 The sound generating devices shall be of the electronic type.

5.5 The alerting sound levels are to be in accordance with the requirements of Saudi
Arabia Directorate of Civil Defense, Standard Specification for Early Alert
System (Sirens and Control Stations. The sound generating devices shall be
capable of generating sounds in the range of 115 to 125 decibels dB(C)
measured at 30 m (100 ft), horizontally.

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
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5.6 A sound level of 105 dB (A) shall not be exceeded at grade or where personnel
are normally present.

5.7 Minimum alerting sound level in the coverage area shall be 15 dB above the
average ambient sound level in the intended signal reception area, or 5 dB above
the maximum sound level, in accordance with SAES-J-505.
Commentary Note:

For planning purposes the average ambient sound level is not less than:
45 dB(C) on piers and offshore, 60 dB(C) in communities, and 80 dB(C) at
onshore plants.

5.8 The audible alerting sounds shall be in the range of 200 to 1,500 Hertz (Hz)
except for vocal messages. The system shall be capable of clearly transmitting
voice messages per IEC 60268-16. Message generation and on-site reception
assessments (clarity and volume) shall comply with ISO 9921.

5.9 The multi-tone generator shall be equipped with priority-override capability,

allowing the most critical tones to override the less critical ones in the event of
simultaneous or multiple emergency conditions.

5.10 Electrical

5.10.1 Power Supply Sources

5.10.1.1 The audible alerting systems shall be powered by an

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system, refer to
SAES-P-103.

5.10.1.2 The UPS system shall have adequate load capacity for
24 standby hours without mains supply, plus 30 minutes in
full alerting mode. UPS batteries shall be fully recharged to
80% of their maximum rated capacity from being fully
discharged in not more than 24 hours.
Exception:

If a local UPS is unavailable, or cannot accept the load,

a backup emergency generator may be used,
per SAES-P-100, Section 5.6.

5.10.2 Voice Input

Handset microphone of the audible alerting system shall be equipped

with a noise cancellation device to minimize interference.

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Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

5.10.3 Speakers

Loudspeakers (sounders) used for the audible alerting system shall

meet the requirements of UL 1480 or UL 464.

6 Signal Sounds and Patterns

6.1 The installation location of the Alerting System control stations shall be decided
in a case by case basis, in consultation with ISO. A community general
emergency alert shall be sounded for at least three minutes. The duration of
other alerts is at the discretion of the proponents. Not all alerting sounds are
required for community locations. The required alerting sounds for
communities shall be determined by the proponent, Environmental Protection
Department/Industrial Hygiene Unit and the Emergency Response Plan (ERP)
for the location.

6.2 The community and facility alerting systems shall meet ISO 7731.

6.3 The application of each sound shall be:

6.3.1 The General Emergency alert shall be a rising and falling pitch
“traditional siren” continuous sound.

6.3.2 The Stop Work audible alert shall be a continuous “air horn” sound.

6.3.3 The Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) release audible alert shall be a repeating
“yeow” sound.

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
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Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

6.3.4 The Combustible Gas release audible alert shall be a continuous

“warble” sound.

6.3.5 The Man Overboard audible alert shall be consistent with IMO-CAS
(Code on Alerts and Signals) signals as an intermittent series of horn
blasts [3 prolonged (~4-6 seconds) with 1 second silence intervals,
repeated after 10 seconds as necessary].

6.3.6 The Abandon Platform audible alert shall be consistent with IMO-CAS
signal for Abandon Ship as an intermittent series of horn blasts (seven
short ~ 1 second) followed by one prolonged (~4-6 seconds), repeated
after 10 seconds as necessary.

6.3.7 The All Clear signal shall be a continuous single pitch tone.

Commentary Note:

Example sounds can be found at the Saudi Aramco Loss Prevention website:
https://sharek.aramco.com.sa/orgs/30001886/Pages/LPGIsandSAES-B.aspx.

7 Location

7.1 Preliminary siting for audible alerting sounders shall be based on site-specific
computer-based modeling to ensure all areas are covered at the minimum sound
level.

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
Publish Date: 28 October 2021
Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

7.2 Final siting shall be by on-site location verification, to ensure that personnel in
the intended reception area can receive and recognize an alert and an intelligible
voice message. The final siting drawing shall reflect the extent of (horizontal
radius) of the sound level for the alerting devices.

7.3 The sounders for onshore alerting shall be placed a minimum of 15 m (50 ft)
above local grade. The loudspeakers shall emit horizontally.

7.4 Sounders shall not be closer than 15 m (50 ft) to the windows of a normally
occupied building.

7.5 The control of audible alerting systems shall be located in the community
security control center or facility’s central control room and shall otherwise
comply with ISO 7240-16.

7.6 Offshore manned platform alerting systems are to use multiple local sounders
capable of being activated from the control room and at special alarm stations,
per SAES-B-009. The system shall be audible throughout all accommodation
and normal working spaces. Normal working spaces include spaces where
routine maintenance tasks and local control of machinery is undertaken.

8 Installation

8.1 Design and installation of audible alerting systems shall be done by a specialist
contractor in alerting systems with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the
design and installation of alerting systems.

8.2 Towers for the installation of audible alerting sounders shall comply with
ANSI/TIA-222-G. If towers are more than 60 m high they shall comply with
the requirements of SAES-B-063. Lighting protection and grounding to be in
accordance with SAES-P-111.

8.3 System cabinets shall be secured against tampering.

8.4 Signal cables are to be installed in cable trays, underground ducts or in

galvanized rigid steel conduit provided they do not occupy the same enclosure,
cable trays, conduit or duct for conductors of lighting or power systems.

8.5 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated rigid conduit shall be used in corrosive
environments or within 1 km (0.62 miles) from the shoreline. Flexible conduits
shall not be used unless to make connections at loudspeaker terminals.
Wiring utilized shall meet SAES-P-104.

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
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Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

9 Testing and Inspection

9.1 Measurements of sound levels shall be made with equipment conforming to

IEC 61672-1.

9.2 The amplifier/volume control of the sounders shall be adjusted to a level that
produces a clear, vocal sound.

9.3 Full scale alarm system tests shall occur monthly and post-maintenance.
Full scale testing can be reduced to a quarterly cycle when monthly testing via a
silent testing diagnostic protocol is used.

9.4 Testing shall be documented in the community emergency command center or

facility’s central control room logbook.

9.5 Each component of the audible alerting system shall be tested individually and
as a complete system for transmission and reception of all signals and proper
functioning of all operational features.

9.6 Audible alerting systems shall be restored to normal operating condition promptly
after each test or alert. Spare devices and components subject to wear or
destruction shall be available in sufficient quantities and locations, as determined
by proponent organizations, for restoration of a system within 72 hours.

9.7 Servicing of audible alerting systems shall be done by persons trained in the
design, operation and functions necessary for reliable and safe operation of those
systems.

9.8 Pre-Commissioning and Commissioning tests to be witnessed by the proponent

and the Environmental Department/Industrial Hygiene Unit to meet the
requirements of this standard.

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 Document Responsibility: Loss Prevention Standards Committee SAES-B-071
Publish Date: 28 October 2021
Next Planned Revision: 28 June 2023 Community and Facility Wide-area Alerting Systems

Revision Summary
15 August 2012 New Saudi Aramco Engineering Standard.
30 November 2016 Revised the Next Planned Update, reaffirmed the contents and reissued as major revision
to clarify sparing, tone priority capability, and wiring arrangements.
28 June 2018 Major revision. Added new references, clarifications provided, allowance of backup
generator if no UPS available, lightning and grounding for towers added, community sounds
initiation location to be determined case by case with ISO, specification of contractor
qualifications, and clarification of witness testing requirements.
28 January 2020 Editorial revision to extend the next planned update 5 years as per SAEP-301.
28 October 2021 Editorial revision to reflect the correct organization name.

Summary of Change Form (28 June 2018)

Paragraph Change Type
No. Technical Change(s)
Number (New, Modification,..)
Added commentary note for reference to SAES-J-505
1 1 New
for H2S/LEL alarms.
Added new references, SAES-B-063, SAES-J-505,
2 3 New
SAES-T-493, and UL 464.
Revised Definitions for decible scales to be inline with
3 4 Modification
other SAESs.
Removed frequency rangs and replaced to be inline
4 5.3 Modification
with requirements from SAES-T-493.
Added exception to allow emergency generator use if
5 5.10 New
no UPS available.
Community sounds initiation location to be determined
6 6.1 Modification
case by case with ISO.
7 8.1 New Provided information on contractor qualifications
Provided information who is to witness the
8 9.8 New
pre-commissioning and commssioning tests.

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