HAZOP Beyond the Chemical Plant: Scope and an Indirect Benefit

HAZOP historically studied the process safety of chemical plants. Today the HAZOP study is not limited to chemical plants; it is applied to any system where people’s safety is at stake. Examples include software safety, transport systems, and administrative controls such as emergency-response scenarios. The scope of HAZOP has therefore broadened.

The intent of HAZOP is to study the abnormalities of a system through deviation guidewords. During a HAZOP session, the operating team of the system is forced to think about abnormal conditions in the plant or system. In the normal course of work, the team cannot do this thinking alone. This forced thinking gives them a clearer and safer picture of the system, and they are able to handle abnormalities more efficiently. In this way, HAZOP indirectly raises the team’s safety consciousness, which is an indirect benefit of HAZOP.

Topics: process safety, HAZOP, PHA, people’s safety, guidewords, chemical plants, safety consciousness.