Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Universiti Teknologi MARA

Hazards Identification and

Process Safety - CPE615

the Control of Hazards
What have you learned
about hazard……..???
• It is a physical situation which has the potential to
cause:

Process Safety - CPE615

 Human injury
 Damage to property
 Damage to the environment
 Production losses
 Business harm
 Increased liability
 Combination of the above
Categories of Hazards
• Chemical hazards • Thermodynamics hazards
• Acidity • High pressure
• Alkalinity • Vacuum
• Corrosivity • Heat transfer
• Explosiveness • High temperature

Process Safety - CPE615

• Flammability • Low temperature
• Toxicity • Fluid jets
• Asphyxiation
• Electrical &
• Compressed or liquified
gas electromagnet hazards
• Dust • High voltage
• Oxidizers • Radiation
• Static electricity
• Electrical current
• Poor insulation
Categories of Hazards
• Health hazards • External threats
• Noise • Accidental damage by missile
• Pollution and vehicles

• Vibration • Act of God and natural

Process Safety - CPE615

causes
• Radioactivity
• Abnormal environmental
• Temperature extremes extremes
• External interference
• Mechanical hazards • Instability of structures
• Mechanical energy • External releases of energy
• Stresses or toxin, etc.
• Impact and forces
• Contact laceration
Sources of Hazards

• The work environment

• Equipment/plant/process

Process Safety - CPE615

Man
• Substances/materials
Machine
• Work system
Method
• People Material
Milieu
Elimination of hazards
(unsafe conditions) may help
eliminating accidents…….

Process Safety - CPE615

But, before you can do something about
a hazard you must identify and
recognise it first.
 Hazard Identification
• The identification and understanding of hazards is a
fundamental requirement for all businesses, ranging
from offices through to major hazard installations.
• Should be viewed as an integral part of securing the

Process Safety - CPE615

long term profitable development of the business.
• Hazard identification is to identify:
• The hazards that will exist
• The consequences that may occur due to these hazards
• The likelihood that these events may take place
• The likelihood that safety system and emergency system will
function properly
Process Safety - CPE615
Process Safety - CPE615
Hazards identification
objectives:

• To improve the safety reliability and operability of

a project by recognising and eliminating or

Process Safety - CPE615

reducing potential hazards at the design stage as
well as through the whole project lifecycle,
• To avoid endangering the health and safety of the
plant employees and nearby public, and
• To avoid loss of properties which will cause serious
financial and economic loss.
When to carry out hazard
identification…???
• Before and during :
• Introduction of new plant, equipment, process, materials

Process Safety - CPE615

• Alteration to the plant, equipment, workplace
• Change to the way the plant, equipment and area is used
• Change to the work system
• Change in location of the plant, equipment or people
• If new or additional health or safety information
associated with plant, equipment, materials or other
item becomes available.
• After an incident, accident or workplace illness.
When to carry out hazard
identification…???
The whole plant lifecycle

Process Safety - CPE615

When to carry out hazard
identification…???
Process safety must be integrated into the entire life
cycle of the plant.

Process Safety - CPE615

Basic approach to hazard
identification and risk assessment
• Identify the types of hazards – these may be
chemical, electrical, physical, mechanical,

Process Safety - CPE615

fire/explosion or health hazards or a combination
of these.
• Identify the individual hazards which might arise
and under what conditions this might happen.
• Evaluate the possible consequences arising from
this hazard (to people, the environment, financial
impact or any combination of these).
Basic approach to hazard
identification and risk assessment
• Evaluate the likelihood of the consequence arising.
• Identify the prevention, control and mitigation

Process Safety - CPE615

measures in place to limit the consequences and /
or reduce the likelihood.
• Assess if these measures are adequate and reduce
the risk to “as low as reasonably practicable
(ALARP)”.
Basic approach to hazard
identification and risk assessment
• Introduce additional measures if required and have

Process Safety - CPE615

a plan of action to deliver these.
• Review the assessment periodically to ensure it
remains valid in the light of regulatory changes,
new technology and changes in risk levels
considered “tolerable” by society.
The process of hazard
identification can also assist in:
• Revealing hazards which were overlooked in the
original design & installation of plant, equipment,

Process Safety - CPE615

operating procedures & setting-up of associated
work systems;
• Detecting hazards which have developed after the
plant, equipment or work system has been
established;
• Highlighting any ergonomics problems associated
with the plant, equipment, operating procedures;
The process of hazard
identification can also assist in:
• Indicating any environmental factors e.g. poor
lighting, that may contribute to an accident.

Process Safety - CPE615

• Determining methods for ongoing monitoring to
achieve optimum OHS standards.
• Highlighting any training requirements.
Components of Hazard
Identification
• Develop a register for all hazardous items
• Must list all items with details on the location and usage.

Process Safety - CPE615

• One person must be given responsibility for maintaining the
register in each area.
• Analyse available information about the potential
hazards associated with each item and work system, e.g.:
• Check accident/incident reports
• Check breakdown/maintenance records
• Check recommended training information, instructions
• Check codes of practice/standards
Components of Hazard
Identification
• Inspect the workplace to identify hazards.
Analyse:

Process Safety - CPE615

• The environment.
• The system of work.
• The piece of plant, equipment, chemicals or other item itself.
• Record the hazard identification on:
• Hazard identification checklist, and/or
• Hazard identification worksheet, and/or
• Register.
Hazard Control Hierarchy
No. Control Method Description/Example

1. Eliminate Completely remove the hazard from the workplace so that

it is not there.
2. Substitute Replace the material or process with a less hazardous one.

Process Safety - CPE615

3. Isolate Place a barrier or similar between the hazard and people
within the workplace (e.g. a fence surrounding the hazard).
4. Engineering Install or using additional machinery. (e.g ventilation
controls system, guarding on machinery, sensor system).
5. Administrative Safety briefings, safety trainings, work procedure, safety
controls awareness signage.
6. PPE “Last line of defence” to protect a worker if the above
measures have failed.
Layers of Protection in Process
Plant

Layer 1:Basic Process Control

Process Safety - CPE615

Maintain variables at set points
Layer 2: Alarms
Alert operators
Layer 3: Safety Interlock System
Automatic action usually stops part of plant operation to
achieve safe conditions.
Layers of Protection in Process
Plant
Layer 4: Relief
Automatically provide exit path for fluids

Process Safety - CPE615

Layer 5: Containment
Use to moderate the impact of a spill or an escape
(e.g. bunding for storage tank, diversion to temporary
storage)
Layer 6: Emergency Response
Moderate the impact of incidents. A must for every
workplace.
Inherent Safety
• Relies on the chemistry and physics to prevent
accidents rather than on control systems,
interlocks, etc.

Process Safety - CPE615

• Major approach to inherently safer process design:
 intensification
 substitution
 attenuation
 limitation of effects
 simplification/error tolerance
Inherent Safety

• New words proposed:

 minimise (to replace intensification)

Process Safety - CPE615

 substitute (substitution)
 moderate (to replace attenuation and limitation of
effects)
 simplify (to replace simplification and error
tolerance)
Inherent Safety
Minimise (intensification)
 Change from large batch reactor to a smaller
continuous reactor

Process Safety - CPE615

 Reduce storage inventory of raw materials
 Improve control to reduce inventory of hazardous
intermediate chemicals.
 Reduce process hold-up
Inherent Safety
Substitute (substitution)
 Use safer materials in place of the hazardous ones.
 Use solvent that is less toxic.

Process Safety - CPE615

 Use mechanical gauges vs. mercury
 Use water as a heat transfer fluid instead of hot oil.
Inherent Safety
Moderate (attenuation and limitation of effects)
 Reduce process temperatures and pressure
 Refrigerate storage vessels

Process Safety - CPE615

 Dissolve hazardous material in safe solvent
 Operate at conditions where reactor runaway is not
possible
 Place control room away from operations
 Separate pump rooms from other rooms
Inherent Safety
Simplify (simplification and error tolerance)
 Keep piping systems neat and visually easy to follow
 Design control panels that are easy to comprehend

Process Safety - CPE615

 Design plants for easy and safe maintenance
 Pick equipment that requires less maintenance
 Label vessels and controls to enhance
understanding.