A method in an industrial safety system for controlling a process or equipment. An industrial safety system comprises components with safety devices wherein the safety system enables signals to be generated as a result of an event or alarm. The method and system uses a cause and effect matrix with automated links between each event or alarm and an effect or an action to be taken upon receipt of the event or alarm signal due to the event. In an online view of the improved cause and effect matrix, at least one effect cell of the cause and effect matrix is arranged with a first executable link for a device represented by the at least one effect cell.