HAZARD & OPERABILITY STUDY (HAZOP) A Powerful Tool in Identifying Causes of Detrimental Plant Conditions

Business Challenge

Most industrial licensing authorities and insurance companies require operating companies to carry out hazard studies and risk assessments during a facility design, as well as prior to construction and during operation. The authorities require that the hazard studies be recorded and acted-upon, and that they be subject to management audit and approval.

Prior to the construction and operation of a facility (design phase), most industrial licensing authorities and insurance companies require operating companies to carry out hazard studies and risk assessments. Authorities require hazard studies to be recorded, acted upon and subject to management audit and approval. 

Solution

What is HAZOP?

A HAZOP study is a well-proven team-based method structured to identify facility hazards during process design completion or planned modifications. Special techniques are used to conduct detailed examinations of process and engineering intentions for new or existing facilities. These techniques help to identify the hazard potential of operations that may occur outside the design intentions or malfunctions of individual items of equipment and their consequential effects on the facility and surrounding area.

HAZOP studies are lead by experienced facilitators. Core teams typically consist of personnel from various departments including Project Engineering and Operations. These studies may also require the involvement of process technologists, environmental specialists and corporate Health & Safety  and Environment-quality  , (HSEQ) staff.

What are the key benefits?
Comprehensive hazard identification is the cornerstone of effective risk management. If a hazard has not been identified, measures can not be put in place to mitigate the risk. A hazard that has been overlooked can have a significant impact on the overall success of the venture. An effective HAZOP study provides the most incisive design review, covering safety, environment, operations, and maintenance.

HAZOP ensures that:

• Potential deviations from intended design functions are identified and corrected;
• HSE processes and equipment hazards are revealed;
• Actions for necessary processes or instrumentation improvements can planned;
• Action responses are auditable by Management and Legislative Inspectors.