An IFO Group facilitator works with your designated team of people to conduct a HAZOP study.  Our facilitator is responsible for guiding your team’s brainstorming and discussion of causes and consequences of possible incident scenarios.  Then the team is led through an open forum to formulate recommendations for appropriate corrective actions.  If desired, we can also provide a study scribe to expedite and streamline the HAZOP study documentation.

LOPA (Layer of Protection Analysis) Studies

A Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) Study is used in conjunction with other PHA techniques, especially HAZOP, to determine if there are sufficient layers of protection against an identified high-risk incident or scenario.  It can also be used to ensure additional safeguards are in place to reduce risk to a tolerable level.  LOPA studies are also commonly used to identify Safety Integrity Level (SIL) values required for Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF) in Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) to comply with the IEC 61511 / ISA S84 standards.

HAZID (Hazard Identification) Studies

A Hazard Identification Study (HAZID) is a high-level, systematic study of process hazards that uses checklists of hazards to identify materials, systems, processes, and facility characteristics that could produce undesirable consequences through the occurrence of an incident.   HAZID studies are frequently used for the early identification and assessment of hazards to provide critical input for project decisions at a time when design changes would have minimum cost penalties.   The HAZID Study is a crucial part of a project’s risk assessment and is typically a key milestone to complete in the Conceptual and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phases of capital projects.  It is conducted by a multi-disciplinary team using a structured, brainstorming approach, guided by checklists and guide words.  For each identified hazard, the team discusses potential causes, the consequences of those causes, the safeguards and mitigation measures present within the design to address those hazards, and any necessary recommendations to reduce the risk of the scenario.

Bow Tie Assessments (BTA)

Bow Tie Assessments (BTA) are a systematic method for graphically analyzing and demonstrating causal relationships in plausible high-risk scenarios involving a given hazard.  Control measures are then documented to demonstrate current risk mitigations.   Finally, the failure scenarios or conditions aka the ‘escalation factors’ for the control measures are identified.  Bow Tie Analysis can also be effectively used in conjunction with appropriate process safety management systems to demonstrate that major hazards for an organization are being managed to ALARP (As Low as Reasonably Practicable).

What If? Studies

The What-If? Study is a high-level systematic method for examining the responses of process systems to equipment failures, human errors, and abnormal process conditions. This technique requires participation by team members who know and understand the basic hazards associated with the process and its operation. The facilitator assists the client’s team with developing “what-if” questions about the process (e.g., “What if the pressure relief valve fails to open as expected?”). By answering these questions, the team identifies potential hazards and suggests ways to improve safety.  The results of a What-If Analysis are documented by listing the specific questions, responses, and recommendations generated by the team.  One of the strengths of this method is that it can be applied to any system at any stage of its design, development, or operation.

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

The failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) technique is a methodical study of system component failures. All failure modes for each component in a system are identified and the effect of each component failure on the overall system is evaluated.  This technique is most commonly used for processes that do not involve reactive chemistry but can be effectively used for interlock and emergency shutdown (ESD) systems.