Assimilating Design Formulation and Design Review into a HAZOP

摘要

There have been numerous guidebooks written for the application of Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Studies[1] to operating facilities and capital projects where the design is relatively mature. For these systems, critical process safety information is typically available, but for fast-moving capital projects that is often not the case, and in addition there are often many contrasting issues:rn1.Design flexibility allows for more extensive changes at early stages of the project. Even the ability to cost-effectively make larger numbers of smaller changes can have a Measureable improvement in safety and decreased operational risk.rn2.Less-detailed design information at early stages of the project can result in an incomplete safety assessment resulting in re-work and re-HAZOP.rn3.Late design changes can have a more significant impact on project schedule later in the project cycle.rn4.With the proper focus, designers can often benefit from feedback obtained from owner-operator personnel and from the thought process invoked by the HAZOP approach.rnThese issues represent fundamental contrasting priorities. Although applying a designed-to-be-detailed analysis tool like HAZOP at early stages of the project is a fundamental challenge and presents many dilemmas to the HAZOP Study Facilitator, the application of a phased approach can help achieve the true objectives of the HAZOP Study, which is to make as many safety improvements as practical to minimize risk. The "double-edge sword" is by incorporating HAZOP Study approaches early in the designrnprocess, important safety improvements can be done more cost-effectively, allowing limitedrnproject funds to have a greater impact in lowering net risk, but it may require some "re-visiting"rnof the HAZOP Study. The alternative (doing a final HAZOP Study, after all of the design work is complete) obviates the need for any re-assessment of safety issues, but it also eliminates thernpractical ability to implement any design changes, unless the risk is very high. Thus, if carefullyrnmanaged, the introduction of HAZOP concepts early in the design cycle, evolving the level-ofdetailrnwith design maturity, and the performance of focused updates to the HAZOP Study, can bernused to most cost-effectively minimize the risk associated with the project design. This approachrncan also be used to minimize last-minute design changes that could have had the potential torngreatly increase project costs and result in project delays.rnThis paper will examine the use of the HAZOP approach during the design cycle and introducernmechanisms to make this Design HAZOP (D-HAZOP) meaningful as a decision-making andrntechnical problem-solving tool that can be used to accent the Design Formulation and DesignrnReview process.rnOur objective is to assist the reader with practical tips to communicate these concepts to therntechnical community and capital project management – to facilitate a shift in paradigm that usesrnHAZOP in a new way that provides for safer process facilities, while likely streamlining projectrnschedules and budgets. D-HAZOP then is not perceived as a project impediment, but as supportrnof critical capital project goals and objectives.