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Introduction to HAZOP Study

Written by Anup Kumar Dey in Piping Interface,Process
Table of Contents
 What is HAZOP?
 HAZOP Mechanism
 Advantages of HAZOP
 Key Documents required for HAZOP
 HAZOP Team Composition
 HAZOP Timings
 Application of HAZOP Analysis
What is HAZOP?
The full form of HAZOP is a Hazard and Operability Study. This is a comprehensive
multi-disciplinary team exercise to critical review (Study) the piping design (Layout/
Routing/Placement of branches/inline instrumentation items/equipment, etc.) with respect
to Hazardous and Operational considerations and requirements.
A Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study is a structured and systematic examination of a

planned or existing process or operation in order to identify and evaluate problems that
may represent risks to personnel or equipment or prevent efficient operation.
The HAZOP technique was initially developed to analyze chemical process systems but has later
been extended to other types of systems and also to complex operations and to software systems.
A HAZOP is a qualitative technique based on guide-words and is carried out by a multi-

disciplinary team (HAZOP team) during a set of meetings. Few of the common HAZOP
guidewords are listed below:
 No or not
 Other than
 More
 Early
 Less
 Late
 As well as
 Before
 Part of
 After
 Reverse (of intent)
 Others can be crafted as needed
HAZOP Mechanism
HAZOP is now a mandatory activity. It is a qualitative, experience intensive exercise as of now.
It is in the form of deviation analysis. After the process design, the steady-state specifications of
each stream in the flowsheet are known.
The HAZOP team exhaustively asks itself questions as to what will happen if this specification
deviated on the positive or negative side of the expected steady-state value. It debates the
possible causes and consequences of each such eventuality. Anything which appears to them as
likely to lead to hazardous situations is debated further and possible means of avoiding the same
or raising alarm if it happens so that remedial action can be taken etc. are recommended. This
may lead to the recommendation of additional instrumentation on lines and equipment, Hi-Lo
alarms and trips, etc. may be required to be provided.
The idea of HAZOP is to foresee a hazardous situation and take measures and abundant
precaution to avoid them and increase process safety.
Hazop is a structured analysis, conducted after the design review, to ensure the design is suitable
for all the intended operating conditions and complies with the HSE requirements. This process
is also to ensure that the fundamentals of the design are thoroughly explained, understood, and
examined.
Basically, HAZOP is performed in four phases as listed below:
1. Definition Phase
2. Preparation Phase
3. Examination and
4. Documentation and follow-up phase.
Important characteristics of all four HAZOP phases are provided in the image below.
HAZOP Phases
The examination phase is the most important HAZOP phase among the four phases. A typical
flowchart of HAZOP Examination phase is provided below:
HAZOP Examination phase flow-chart
Advantages of HAZOP
The benefit of the HAZOP is that early identification and assessment of the critical hazards
provide essential input to project development decisions. This leads to a safer and more cost-
effective design with a minimum cost of change penalty. Other benefits of HAZOP are
 It works as a qualitative risk assessment tool

 During the brainstorming session based on past experiences, all lessons learned safety
points are taken care of to prevent re-occurrence.
 HAZOP is a very simple and effective method.
 As HAZOP is a cross-functional team effort; experiences from all disciplines combine
into the design for highly safe operation.
 HAZOP is a powerful communication tool for obtaining early buy-in on the approach.
Key Documents required for HAZOP

Important documents required for during a HAZOP Study are:
 PFD / PFS’s (Process Flow Diagram/ Process Flow Schemes)

 P&ID / PEFS’s (Piping & Instrument Diagrams/ Process Engineering Flow Schemes)
 Basis of Design
 Operating, Control and safeguarding philosophy
 Plot plans & Hazardous area classification drawings
 Cause & Effect diagrams
HAZOP Team Composition

Normally a HAZOP review team consists of
 Chairman (independent)
 Lead engineers from Process, Instrumentation & Control (both from Design team and
Client/ End-user)
 Operations engineer (from Client/ End-user)
 Lead engineers from Mechanical/Piping, Pipeline, HSE, and Electrical as required. (Both
from Design team and Client/ End-user)
The following image shows a typical team composition for HAZOP Analysis.
Typical HAZOP Team
HAZOP Timings
The HAZOP study should preferably be carried out as early in the design phase as possible to
have an influence on the design. On the other hand; to carry out a HAZOP we need a rather
complete design. As a compromise, the HAZOP is usually carried out as a final check when the
detailed design has been completed.
A HAZOP study may also be conducted on an existing facility to identify modifications that
should be implemented to reduce risk and operability problems.
Typically HAZOP in EPC design companies is performed 3 to 4 weeks after the Design review
meeting, once the design review points are incorporated in the key documents.
Application of HAZOP Analysis

In recent times, HAZOP has got world-wide acceptance across various industries due to its
inherent benefits. The main industries are:
 Chemical,
 Petro-chemical
 Pharmaceutical
 Refinery
 Food
 Oil and gas
 Nuclear
 Fertilizer
 Power plants

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Introduction to HAZOP Study

A Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study is a structured and systematic examination of a

A HAZOP is a qualitative technique based on guide-words and is carried out by a multi-

Basically, HAZOP is performed in four phases as listed below:

 It works as a qualitative risk assessment tool

Key Documents required for HAZOP

 PFD / PFS’s (Process Flow Diagram/ Process Flow Schemes)

HAZOP Team Composition

Application of HAZOP Analysis

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