Center for Fire Safety Management & Training

Hazop

Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study for industrial processes or procedural operations is an excellent tool to identify potential hazards and operability issues and recommending preventive actions. We offer a HAZOP service that is planned around our client's requirements.
A HAZOP study is a well-proven-team-based method structured to identify facility hazards during process design completion or planned modifications. In the process industries HAZOP studies are seen as the primary hazard analysis method.

CFSMT Consultants expertise facilitates HAZOP studies in the role of HAZOP Team leader and ensures that the HAZOP study identifies the following:

The hazards of the processes, identify all deviations from the way the design is intended to work, their causes, and all the hazards and operability problems associated with these deviations.
The identification of any previous incident which had a likely potential for catastrophic consequences in the workplace
Consequences of failure of engineering and administrative controls
A qualitative evaluation of a range of the possible safety and health effects of failure of controls on employees in the workplace.
Decide whether action is required to control the hazard or the operability problem, and if so, to identify the ways in which the problems can be solved.
Identify cases where a decision cannot be taken immediately and to decide on what information or action is required.
Ensure actions decided are followed through.

Hazop Studies

Hazard Identification techniques

HAZOP (probably the best and most detailed)
Preliminary Hazards Analysis (widely used)
Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis or FMECA (specific for equipment such as fired heaters etc.)

Preliminary Hazard Analysis

This examines a facility from the point of view of identifying areas, processes, locations and chemicals which pose a hazard potential. It is carried out as a first activity as it affects the balance work of a hazard study. Techniques used for hazard identification during a Preliminary Hazard Analysis include ranking through screening consequence analysis programmes (to find which chemical is "worse"), through the use of preset checklist based rankings, through experience, through past incidents and others.

A HAZOP study or HAZOP analysis is a structured technique that attempts to identify hazard and operability concerns through a formal design scrutiny using certain key "Guidewords" (such as NONE, MORE OF, AS WELL AS , OTHER THAN etc.) and deviation "Parameters" (flow, temperature, pressure etc.) . The study is conducted by a Team and discussion is focused on predetermined "Nodes" or sections of manageable dimension. Any identified and significant deviation is studied in detail for causes, protections provided and consequences.

The HAZOP would identify scenarios that need to be evaluated during detailed risk analysis.

Hazop Methodology

Hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies are undertaken by the application of a formal, systematic, and critical approach to examine the process and engineering intentions of a process design. The examination of the design is structured around a specific set of guidewords, then ensure complete coverage of all possible problems while allowing sufficient flexibility for an imaginative approach.

Comprehensive hazard identification is the cornerstone of effective risk management. If a hazard has not been identified, measures cannot 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.