Enhancing Safety and Risk Management, from Conception to Delivery - Integrating Lessons and Good Practices to Maximise the Performance of HAZOP (and Similar) Studies

摘要

Risk assessment methodologies such as Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) and Hazard Identification (HAZID) studies are broadly established across the industry as best practices for hazard identification and evaluation. Despite the level of knowledge built to date, and the extensive researches and studies carried out in the past with focus in discussing their weaknesses, constraints and areas for improvement, techniques such as HAZOP still face challenges common to any risk assessment process. Such challenges include, for example; ensuring that all potential hazards and risks have been effectively covered for the whole scope of the assessment; promoting clear communications and the understanding of the risk assessment results from all key stakeholders, and; ensuring that the optimal safety and risk management performance is delivered, maintained and continuously improved. This paper presents lessons and good practices drawn from relevant applications of risk assessment techniques in the industry; compiling and discussing different approaches for improving the HAZOP development and strengthening its role within a process safety management remit. The discussions included: the initiation of the HAZOP, with focus on the process segmentation; improved reporting and targeted presentation of results; the role of a HAZOP as part of a wider risk management process and its relationship with other risk studies. As a result, it is intended to demonstrate how a HAZOP can effectively inform and improve the decision-making process and become a valuable asset to maximise the delivery of safety and operational performances.