Using the HAZID Study, HAZOP Study and LOPA to Generate Ideas for Inherently Safer Designs

摘要

Fundamental changes in a chemical process are most cost-effective at early stages of a design,and specific inherently safer design evaluations are typically performed at these early stages toidentify fundamental improvements that can remove hazards or significantly decrease themagnitude of the consequences associated with plant accidents. As the detailed design comesinto focus, thoughts of inherently safer designs are rarely revisited because the designer'sparadigm has shifted. Although fundamental changes are more difficult, there may still beopportunities during the detailed design phase to entertain new ideas of inherently safer design,especially due to the rapidly changing environment of process plant technologies. Thus, it is theduty of the process designers to look for new mechanisms for improving plant safety, andthroughout the design process. As teams assemble for various activities, good opportunities forrevisiting inherently safer design concepts do materialize. The focus of this paper is to presentthese opportunities to the reader, provide examples of inherently safer design concepts that canbe applied at different phases of design, and provide guidance as to how these concepts can beapplied specifically during the HAZID, HAZOP study, and LOPA processes that are routinelycarried out during most major plant process designs.