Process Hazard Analysis:

 Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) is a systematic approach to identify,

evaluate, and control the hazards of processes involving highly hazardous
chemicals.
 A PHA is a thorough, step-by-step review of chemical and manufacturing
plant operating procedures.
 The goal is to identify potential causes and evaluate the consequences of
hazardous chemical releases.
 The process helps organizations identify a range of risks from equipment
failures to human factors to improving safety, preventing downtime and
protecting the surrounding environment.

When to perform PHA

 A new plant or project
 For changes to an existing process
 At existing facilities every five years to assess process risks and changes in
facility operations.
A proper PHA assessment will collectively focus design and safety, operational
teams to review risks, incorporate input and perspectives, and develop stronger
safeguards and procedures to prevent accidents.
PHA Principles:
A Process Hazard Analysis is a systematic, comprehensive review of a process to
 Identify hazards,
 Analyse the significance of hazards,
 Assess the adequacy of safeguards,
 Mitigate them when warranted.

Common elements in PHA techniques

Whatever the methodology or techniques of Process Hazard Analysis, there are

certain common elements that help to make an effective and appropriate decision
to minimize the process risk.
 Process hazard Identification
 Review previous incident
 Analyse controls and failures
 Consider facility siting
 Address human factors
 Decide the required actions

Steps for Conducting a Process Hazard Analysis:

1. Establish the Goals and Limits
Before commencing a PHA, management must establish the analysis’s goals and
limits. In this process, they will define goals, team members, and the process they
will analyze.

2. Choose the Best PHA Method

As discussed above, several PHA methods are available. The best option depends
on the complexity of the process, the level of detail required, and industry
standards.
Management should select a methodology that aligns with the objectives and
available resources.
3. Identify the Hazards
The team finds all possible dangers, like malfunctioning equipment, external
factors, and human error.

4. Assess the Risks

After identifying the hazards, the team evaluates the risks linked to each hazard. In
this exercise, they determine the likelihood and severity of each danger. They also
assess the effectiveness of current safety measures.

5. Create Mitigation Steps

The team creates and establishes safety measures based on risk assessment results
to lower the dangers linked to hazards. This involves applying procedures,
providing training, or installing safety systems.

6. Document the PHA

The team should create a report to share findings with stakeholders, which is
essential for future safety evaluations. The team needs to fully understand OSHA
rules and other laws in dangerous workplaces. This knowledge is crucial for safety.

7. Conduct Ongoing Reviews and Updates

Finally, the team regularly checks and updates the PHA to ensure it handles
process risks well.

Different PHA Methods:

There are several methods for conducting a process hazard analysis, each with
strengths and weaknesses. The most commonly used methods are the following:
Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP):

 HAZOP, also known as HAZOP study or HAZOP analysis, is a Process

Hazard Analysis (PHA) method recognized in OSHA’s Process Safety
Management (PSM) standard.

 It is a form of risk management to identify, evaluate, and control hazards and

risks in complex processes.

 It involves highly hazardous chemicals that can cause significant injuries to

workers and extensive damage to property and company reputation if not
properly processed and handled.
4 Phases of Analysis
 Definition Phase
 Preparation Phase
 Examination Phase
 Documentation and Follow-up Phase

Steps of HAZOP
Build a HAZOP team

 Identify processes, P&ID, and HAZOP nodes
 Define the parameters, determine deviations, and select
guide words
 Identify controls and establish safety monitoring
Communicate HAZOP results and improve processes
Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
Layer of Protection Analysis is a risk assessment and hazard evaluation tool used
to assess high-consequence hazard scenarios.
LOPA sessions should be implemented when high consequence-potential incident
scenarios have been discovered by a team using a hazard evaluation method like
HAZOP.
Standard layers of protection that can be applied and are regularly encountered in
the processing industry include:

The steps for conducting a LOPA are as follows:

 Identify and define the undesirable impact or consequence

 Determine what events could initiate the undesirable impact
 Determine and list available layers of protection for preventing the initiating
event from creating an undesirable impact
 Quantify from existing data and engineering judgment how frequently the
initiating events take place
 Quantify based on existing data and engineering judgment how effective the
existing layers of protection are in terms of PFD (probability of failure on
demand)
 Calculate the resulting frequency of the undesirable impact

What-If Analysis

What-If Analysis involves a systematic approach to explore potential scenarios and

identify risks or hazards. Here are the steps to perform a What-If Analysis:
 Assemble a Team
 Define the Scope
  Identify Hazards and Scenarios
 Pose What-If Questions
 Evaluate Consequences
 Identify Safeguards and Mitigations
 Document Findings
 Prioritize Risks
 Review and Validate
 Implement Changes

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)

Fault tree analysis is a top-down approach to problem-solving wherein the starting
point of analysis is the undesired event. Events leading to the undesired event are
then evaluated based on their relationship with their immediate effect, which is
either another event closer to the undesired event or the problem itself.

1. Define the undesired event.

2. Identify the requirements for the undesired event to occur.
What are the essential components of this undesired event? Without these
components, the undesired event cannot occur at all.
3. Decide the relationship between the requirements and the undesired event
and use the corresponding fault tree analysis symbols.

4. Identify the causes of each requirement.

5. Decide the relationship between the causes and the requirement.
Follow the same procedure as Step 3, only replace requirements with causes
and undesired event with requirement.
Repeat until you reach the root causes or basic events.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a proactive method of uncovering
potential failures in business processes in order to prevent them from happening or
mitigate their effect by finding out where they might occur and determining their
impact
Parts of FMEA
 First Part: Failure Modes or those failures, issues, problems, or errors that
occur within processes, products, or services
 Second Part: Effects Analysis pertains to the part where the effects or
consequences of the failures are determined and analyzed
Steps involved in FMEA
 Determine What Needs to be Addressed
 Create a Cross-Functional FMEA Team
 Lay Down the Process, System, or Steps
 Analyze Each Step and Determine Problem Areas
 Select Which Issues to Prioritize
 Implement the Changes
 Monitor the Implementation of the Changes and Measure their Effectiveness

Hazard Identification (HAZID)

 HAZID is a proactive approach to risk management that helps organizations
identify and understand potential hazards early in a project or during the
operation of existing facilities.
 HAZID is a critical tool in ensuring the safety and sustainability of industrial
processes.

Steps in HAZID

Establishing the HAZID Team

Defining Scope and Objectives
Conducting Preliminary Risk Assessment
Identifying Hazards
Assessing Risk Severity
Risk Mitigation
Documenting Results
Event Tree Analysis (ETA):
An event tree analysis is an inductive procedure that shows all possible outcomes
resulting from an initiative (accidental) event, taking into account whether installed
safety barriers are functioning or not.
Steps involved in ETA:
  Identify initiating event
 Identify safety functions (Barriers) designed to deal with initiation event.
 Construct the event tree
 Describe the resulting accident event sequences

Bow Tie Analysis

A bow tie analysis is a risk assessment methodology that helps visualize potential
risk exposures and outcomes related to various hazard scenarios or events.
The diagram consists of three main parts: Causes (Left), Event (Center), Effects
(Right)
Key Steps in Bow Tie Analysis:
1. Hazard Identification
2. Top Event Definition
3. Threat Analysis
4. Bowtie Diagram Creation
5. Identify Barriers and Controls
6. Identify escalation Factors to prevent escalation
7. Review and monitor

Checklist-Based Hazard Analysis

This systematic approach identifies potential hazards and the risks associated with
them through protocols. It encompasses significant categories of hazards and risks
pertinent to the process within the enumeration.

Steps involved in checklist based hazard analysis:

1. Define the Purpose and Scope:
2. Gather Relevant Information:
3. List Specific Tasks or Activities:
4. Identify Hazards and Risks:
5. Develop Clear Questions or Items:
6. Include Necessary Controls:
7. Organize the Checklist
8. Test the Checklist
9. Regular Review and Updates
10.Training and Communication