HSE Insider : HAZOP STUDY METHODOLOGY IN SAFETY

HAZOP STUDY METHODOLOGY IN SAFETY – Basic

HAZARDOUS AREA CLASSIFICATION PART 4

LEADING CAUSES OF WORK RELATED INJURIES

HAZOP - Hazard and Operability Study

Structured and Systematic technique to IDENTIFY potential HAZard and OPerating issues.

Involves a multi-disciplinary team methodically “brainstorming” the plant design.

A qualitative technique based on “guide-words” to help provoke thoughts about the way deviations from

the intended operating conditions can lead to hazardous situations or operability problems.

A HAZOP study is an examination procedure.

Its purpose is to identify all possible deviation from the way in which a design is expected to work and to identify all the hazards associated with these deviations.

When deviation arise that results in hazards, action are generated that require design engineers to review and suggest solutions to remove the hazard or to reduce its risk to an acceptable level.

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) - List of Codes/Standards/Handbooks - Part 2

HAZOP were initially 'invented' by ICI in the United Kingdom, but the technique only started to be more widely used within the chemical process industry after the Flixborough disaster in 1974.

This chemical plant explosion killed twenty eight people and injured scores of others, many of those being members of the public living nearby.

Through the general exchange of ideas and personnel, the system was then adopted by the petroleum industry, which has a similar potential for major disasters.

This was then followed by the food and water industries, where the hazard potential is as great, but of a different nature, the concerns being more to do with contamination rather than explosions or chemical releases.

FREE - Training Module on PERMIT TO WORK

Hazop Study having the below objectives

Safety Issues:

– To identify scenarios that would lead to the release of hazardous or flammable material into the atmosphere, thus exposing workers to injury

– To check the safety of the design

– To improve the safety of an existing and or modified facility

Operability Issues:

– To decide whether and where to build

– To check operating and safety procedures

– To verify that safety instrumentation is working optimally

– To facilitate smooth, safe prompt start-up

– To minimize extensive last minute modifications