HAZOP Analysis of Production Hazards
Recently, Russia has seen growing interest in the HAZOP methodology. This is partly explained by Russian companies' participation in international projects where the use of HAZOP is mandatory. However, an equally important role is played by companies' desire to find a tool that will help them address the high accident rate at industrial facilities and prevent it in the future. Practical experience in operating industrial facilities shows that compliance with legislative and regulatory industrial safety requirements alone does not always guarantee accident-free operation.
Abroad, most licensing authorities and insurance organizations require companies to carry out hazard analysis and risk assessment both at the design and pre-construction preparation stages and at the operational stage of production facilities. It is required that HAZOP studies be documented, followed by appropriate action, and subject to management approval.
What is HAZOP?
HAZOP Analysis (Hazard and Operability Study) is a globally recognized, structured, team-based method for identifying hazards in the operation of existing facilities and in the design of new ones. The HAZOP technique involves a detailed examination of the process and engineering design intent of new or existing facilities, in order to assess the potential for hazardous operation resulting from deviations from specified design parameters or malfunctions of individual equipment units, and their subsequent impact on the entire facility.
HAZOP is conducted in the form of meetings (sessions) led by an experienced facilitator, with the participation of representatives from various departments of the enterprise (production, instrumentation and automation, maintenance, design and engineering, process support, etc.). HAZOP sessions may also involve specialists in environmental protection and industrial safety.
Key Benefits
Comprehensive identification of production hazards forms the basis of effective risk management, since until a hazard is identified, it is impossible to establish control measures for the corresponding risk. Any unrecognized hazard can potentially have a significant negative impact on the operation of the entire facility.
An effective HAZOP provides the most insightful analysis of a project, taking into account factors related to occupational health and safety, environmental protection, and the company's reputation and assets.
HAZOP ensures that:
- potential deviations from the design intent are identified and taken into account;
- process and equipment hazards affecting occupational health and safety, environmental protection, and the company's reputation and assets are identified;
- measures for the necessary improvement of production safety are defined;
- planned measures are monitored and tracked.
OUR APPROACH
HAZOP hazard analysis services generally may include:
1. Conducting a training seminar for the company's specialists to familiarize them with the principles and rules of HAZOP analysis and to prepare them for subsequent participation in HAZOP risk analysis.
2. Conducting the HAZOP hazard analysis, with the facilitation of the sessions, consisting of the following stages:
Stage 1. Preparatory Work:
- Review of documentation, such as: piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), process flow diagrams, process operating procedures, material safety data sheets (MSDS), and others;
- Dividing the process into nodes for sequential brainstorming during the analysis.
Stage 2: HAZOP Analysis
Stage 3: Report Preparation
The report reflects all the results of the risk analysis, and its summary section presents the main risks of the production process in order of priority, along with recommendations for reducing unacceptable risks. This allows the enterprise both to implement organizational measures that require no funding and to include well-founded measures in the part of the investment program aimed at improving the safety of production facilities.
3. Corporate training and training for enterprise managers and chief specialists, aimed at building a HAZOP culture and a favorable environment for its implementation.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Which specialists from our company should be included in the HAZOP working group at the operational stage of a unit?
At the operational stage of a unit, the HAZOP working group on the company's side should include, at a minimum, the following participants:
- a representative of production personnel;
- a process engineer for the unit under review;
- an instrumentation and automation (I&C) engineer for control and protection systems;
- a maintenance and repair specialist for the unit;
- a specialist from the design organization, if applicable.
How long do HAZOP sessions for a single unit last?
The duration of a HAZOP session depends on the complexity of the unit being analyzed. We generally plan for 2 HAZOP sessions per day, each lasting 3.5 hours (based on the estimate that 1 session covers the analysis of 1-2 nodes).