Practical Approach to Vendor Package HAZOP Studies and Preparing the Package Vendor

摘要

During the design phase of a project, vendor packages (e.g., compressors, water desalination) arerntypically treated as a "black box" with a very specific function, and the typical perspective of thernbuyer/owner/operator is that safety issues have been thoroughly addressed, based on the packagernvendor having designed and built a large number of similar units. Although in many cases, thisrnis true, in other cases, low-probability/high-consequence events just haven't yet occurred on thernsystems that have been installed or the system operator may have made retrofits that havernaddressed potential safety issues. Regardless, the thorough evaluation of vendor packages, priorrnto acceptance/installation, as part of a holistic safety review is critical.rnWhen structuring a HAZOP Study that will properly challenge the design, a key issue is thernknowledge, background, and state of preparedness of the vendors that participate in yourrnHAZOP Study. Many individuals may be very familiar with the normal functioning of thernsystem, but not so much the dynamic response of the system to upsets or things that mightrnchallenge safety limits. In other cases, the individual sent to participate in the HAZOP Studyrnmay not have been exposed to and knowledgeable of the types of the design limits that arernpursued during the HAZOP Study. Another key issue that is often not investigated is thernpotential interactions between the vendor package and the process system. The HAZOP Studyrnmust also thoroughly review the vendor-provided information to ensure that turnover packagesrninclude all of the key process safety information that may be required for company requirementsrnand regulatory programs. The key objective of this paper is to provide practical tips on key issues that should be evaluatedrnas part of the HAZOP Study, and to provide checklists and timelines that can help the vendorrnrepresentatives that are attending your HAZOP Study prepare. The tables of key informationrnthat the vendor should be prepared to discuss and the charts containing timelines for preparingrnthe vendor for the HAZOP Study that will be provided in the paper will provide definitivernguidelines and tips for ensuring that the vendor is properly prepared to support the HAZOPrnStudy. The following key topics are addressed:rn1.Background, Evolution of the Use of Packaged Units, and Vendor Package Integrationrninto HAZOPrn2.Evolution of the use of packaged units in the design process and the importance ofrnthrough evaluation, BEFORE YOU TAKE OWNERSHIPrn3.Importance and benefits of challenging the Vendor and thoroughly evaluating (viarnHAZOP) the vendor packagesrn4.Examples from one project of safety issues that had not been addressed in the vendorprovidedrndesign detailsrn5.How to help your vendor get prepared for the HAZOP Study, including a masterrnchecklist of issues not always considered by the vendor, to avoid “design formulation”rninstead of HAZOPrn6.Timelines for preparation for a HAZOP Study that includes a vendor packagern7.Characteristics to look for in the individuals from the vendor company that arernparticipating in your HAZOP Study.