Facilitator for HAZOP and SIL determination, who to choose?
Davide Arnoldi
Principal Safety Consultant | IEC61511 Functional Safety Expert | HAZOP/C-HAZOP/HAZID/SIL Chairman
I will say something that may annoy many!
There is a belief that anyone who facilitates HAZOP must necessarily be a process engineer. I don't think of it that way.
Of course, there are advantages but also disadvantages many times for those who are facilitators who come from the process. An advantage may be that you actually understand the steps of the process well, but the disadvantage is that often, thanks to your knowledge, you have a voice in the discussion and many times also give the solution.
The Facilitator (the word itself says it) must organize and guide the discussion and then collect the final result or any recommendations.
It is now common practice for the HAZOP facilitator to also be a facilitator for SIL determination (risk graph, LOPA), but this also means that the process facilitator has also well understood the assessment of the SIL level and, in the case of LOPA, to have the reduction of the risk of a dangerous event through preventive IPL is very clear.
Unfortunately I often see HAZOP performed in an exemplary way, and LOPA done by the same Facilitator which have terrible errors of evaluation.
I would not start from the base by defining Facilitator as a process engineer, but from the fact that the facilitator must have a clear procedure and standards for conducting a HAZOP and thus also an in-depth knowledge of the SIL assessment and many experience of that. These steps are very important for those who design SIS, not least they are also very important in the case of investigation after an industrial accident.
Remember that we always talk about reducing risks to save lives and the environment, don't underestimate this topic!
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1 年Welcome to the Gen AI. Sooner or later, AI solution is able to generate HAZOP, SIL/LOPA (which is already happening!). The idea is not to replace experts but to enhance and improve efficiency and completeness. We have done some R&D along these lines. It is exciting time. There are many potential innovations feasible. https://www.haz360.cloud In 1990s all bank employees used to strike as a union not to implement computerized systems - fast forward in 2024, Banks are thriving and employees many more and investing billions of dollars in technology alone, no bank can work without Mobile solution and computers today. Were there job losses because of computerization? AI today is making similar waves.
Global Lead Consultant in Digital Safety at HIMA - FS Expert
1 年Agree Davide. Actually, the Facilitator should focus on maintaining the team focused, avoiding anyone from dominating the discussion and following the HAZOP (and SIL assessment) process to make sure a clear and understandable result is achieved
Thx, to my opinion the facilitator must be independent, experienced with design/operation/Hazop etc. Success of the Hazop is not only dependent on the chair but the whole team. So some team members should also have experience with the Hazop/lopa etc techniques.
Functional safety is my professional passion. But only working with customers and colleagues fills it with life.
1 年Very well said, Davide. I think we all agree that it is very helpful if the moderator has a very good understanding of industrial processes so that he/she can initiate and follow up on the important points in the analysis discussions. But he/she does not necessarily have to be a process engineer. The tasks after the HAZOP are just as important and are often neglected because they are underestimated or ignored and therefore sloppily carried out. As a result, there is a lack of traceability or even a clear definition of safety functions. "If the pressure is too high, shut down the reactor" is not really a precise description of a SIF. It only creates misunderstandings and errors. A good facilitator should have this overarching thinking, I totally agree.
Retired @ INPS
1 年Aggiungerei che alcune Company specificano nelle loro procedure che il Chairman, può anche non conoscere il processo, ma deve conoscere la metodologia hazop e come gestire un team.