What HMI program are you using ?
The bad news is that it is not directly available.
The good news is that you can derive the status by means of a script in the HMI.
Follow the link in the last post. http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=20077
The method is to send the HMI clock to the PLC, and then let the PLC send it back to the HMI. The HMI then calculates an event trigger time by means of the returned time value.
Normally, when everything is OK, the trigger time is continously moved forward so the event does not trigger.
If the CPU is offline or in STOP mode, the value does not update and the event triggers.
The example is for a normal connection with the direct drivers, but I cannot see why it shouldn't work with OPC.
Im use such as OPC client czech scada system Reliance. I understand you, but your mothod is difficult. Im used OPC server other production too, and there I definition only one byte variable as system status value 0= Stop, 1= starting, 2= running. It is rationally.