Loss Control Solutions

A hazard and operability (HAZOP) study is a systematic brainstorming process of assessing the existence of hazards in equipment and vulnerability of its operation.

HAZOP uses the relevant process parameters (e.g. “Flow”) combined with a guide word (e.g. “No”).

Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies concentrate on recognizing hazards and operability problems in an orderly approach, where hazard identification and operability are the main attentions.

Different HAZOP approaches are possible depending on the project phase and the goal of the review:

Coarse HAZOP, FEED HAZOP, final HAZOP, procedure HAZOP, E-HAZOP (electrical system HAZOP) , C- HAZOP (Control system HAZOP).

Meanwhile we developed proprietary software to assist in swiftly and correct documenting the associated protections. The documentation allows to organize the entire lifecycle of the protections in the project.

The LOPA technique is put into place by companies who are striving to achieve a specific risk target or to lower risk as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). By using the LOPA method, the user can ascertain the level of risk that is associated with hazardous events in the workplace. It bases its analysis on the severity of the event and the likelihood of it taking place.

When the level of risk has been determined, then the organization can work out the total amount of risk reduction that is required and the levels of protection that need to be put in place.

The data we use for initiating causes, modifiers and protection layers is based on industry practice and there is a close link with the HAZOP approach.

One step in the life cycle of an instrumented safety system is the determination of its safety integrity level/ Asset integrity level/ Environmental integrity level.

The methodology of determination and documentation is specified in the IEC 61508/61511 standard.

Together with the team who has designed the protective system, we collect the required equipment data and the architectural configuration data, together with the operational efforts.

A next step which we perform is the SIL calculation itself, to demonstrate the required reliability is reached.

We demonstrate to the team the consequences of the design choices on the achieved reliability, and we can suggest improvements.