Hazard Analysis Services
Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Studies
The guideword Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) technique is a means of systematically evaluating a process. The purpose is to identify potential hazards and operability problems resulting from credible deviations from design intent. The objectives of a HAZOP study are:
- To identify deviations from the design intent of the system
- To determine the safety concerns associated with the identified deviations
- To suggest considerations to mitigate the safety concerns identified
- To present the results and considerations
Risk Management Professionals engineers are highly experienced in facilitating HAZOP studies. Our engineers have broad process knowledge which provides efficient and cost-effective application for our clients.
Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Assignment
Risk Management Professionals conducts Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Reviews using a Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA). LOPA is used to assign SIL values to the Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). This approach meets the requirements of the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards, IEC 61508 and IEC 61511. The SIL Review is a method to establish a “fit-for-purpose” design of (instrumented) safety measures, which are able to mitigate process hazards with respect to safety, environmental consequences, and economic loss.
The primary purpose of LOPA is to determine if there are sufficient layers of protection against an accident scenario. A scenario may require one or more Independent Protection Layers (IPLs) depending on the process complexity and severity of a consequence. Additionally, LOPA provides a consistent basis for judging whether there are sufficient IPLs to control the risk of an accident for a given scenario. When the estimated risk of a scenario is not acceptable, additional IPLs are added. Alternatives encompassing inherently safer design are evaluated as well.
Hazard Identification (HAZID) Studies
The Hazard Identification (HAZID) Study technique is a high level, systematic method for identifying potential health, safety, and environmental (HSE) hazards. HAZID is typically used in the early stages of design and addresses local issues associated with construction, commissioning, operation, and maintenance to external factors such as community impacts. The potential hazards identified may include injury to plant personnel, property damage and loss of production, significant environmental impairment and off-site impacts. The objectives of a HAZID are to:
- Identify the major HSE hazards associated with a project
- Identify specific processes and project phases that might pose significant risks to personnel
- Consider the HSE implications of alternative process designs
- Identify potential major changes to philosophy and design at early project development stages
The HAZID Study is typically a key milestone to complete in the Conceptual and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED)/Front-end Loading (FEL). For each identified hazard, the team discusses potential causes, the consequences of those causes, the safeguards and mitigation measures present within the design, and any necessary recommendations to reduce the risk of the scenario.
Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Verification
Risk Management Professionals provides assistance to facilities throughout the safety life-cycle associated with managing SIS in accordance with the following standards.
- IEC 61508 – Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic, Safety-related Systems
- IEC 61511 – Functional Safety – Safety Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry Sector
- ANSI/ISA 84.00.01-2004 (IEC61511-Mod) – Application of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) for Process Industries
Risk Management Professionals offers SIL Verification services and recognizes that higher SIL ratings require that the function be that much more reliable and available at all times. The SIL Verification calculations demonstrate that the design of the Safety Instrumented Function (SIF) meets the specified integrity requirement.
Other Risk Assessment Methodologies
Risk Graph
A risk-graph approach is typically utilized for determination of SIL. Risk graphs combine the effective consequence with the effective frequency of the hazardous event to determine a SIL that will reduce the risk to an acceptable level. The effectiveness of a consequence is determined by analyzing the consequence vs. the frequency of presence vs. the probability of avoiding the hazardous event. The effectiveness of the frequency is simply the probability of unwanted occurrence.
Bow-Tie
Bow-Tie combines two (2) methodologies, Fault-Tree Analysis and Event Tree Analysis, and uses an incident investigation and Causal Factors Charting to evaluate hazards. It is a qualitative approach typically used for the initial analysis of an existing process or middle stages of a design process.
Safety Case
Safety Case is a structured argument made to demonstrate that a process has gone through rigorous analysis and employee-input to manage safety. The owner and process are left to self-regulate. The regulator must trust that the facility is using acceptable practices, which can be dismissed by the regulator for safer methods if the facility’s plan is deemed insufficient.
Safety Case was first implemented into the regulatory world in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1992 through recommendations in The Public Inquiry into the Piper Alpha Disaster (also known as the “Cullen Report”, released in 1990). Currently, the use of the Safety Case is being investigated by regulatory bodies in the United States.
Benefit-Cost Analysis & Value Engineering
Benefit Cost Analysis
A Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) is a quantitative technique that measures the cost-effectiveness of various design alternatives (e.g., safety systems, facility siting, installation of standby pumps, etc.). The performance of the analysis allows decision-makers to systematically evaluate design alternatives considering the benefits and potential costs. The annualized hazard probability is determined to calculate the Benefit-Cost Ratio for each project alternative. When comparing the project alternatives side-by-side, the project with the highest Benefit-Cost Ratio is typically the best alternative.
Value Engineering
The Value Engineering technique is a proven, effective management tool for achieving improved design, construction and cost-effectiveness in project design elements. The Value Engineering session will identify the function of a design element, establish a value for that function, generate design alternatives through the use of creative thinking, and provide the needed functions reliably and at the lowest cost.
Value Engineering assessments at the early stages of the design cycle provides more improvement opportunities regarding engineering, operations, cost, safety, schedule, reliability, and environmental issues. Additionally, the assessments can yield measurable savings in cost (capital, operating and construction) and schedule (engineering and construction).