HAZARD AND OPERABILITY STUDY (HAZOP)
INTRODUCTION
In last Sept, 2019, a massive fire occurred at a chemical plant in USA Industrial city and the fire was immediately extinguished by a local fire service using 8 fire trucks and 18 firefighters in order to bring back the city to a normal situation. Based on the most latest fire and explosion data from fire prevention organizations that the number of fire and explosion incidents in chemical plants have significantly increased in recent years as a result of many reasons such as lack of training, safety planning, strong leadership, and improper Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment(HIRA) which has been recognized as a main reason for these kinds of unwanted events such as fires and explosions which can cause a huge loss of money as well as human loses which in turn is indescribable within financial conditions as human life is non-negotiable pricing. Detecting hazard, proposing an appropriate control measure and eliminate the risk is a critical task and requires a competent person to successfully perform this task. Moreover, the safety staff still facing a major challenge in how to properly choose a method for detecting hazards on the job site, especially those related to chemical plants. Selecting hazard identification method is not an easy task, it requires an expert to adequately manage and eliminate the different risks in chemical plant where different type of hazard identification methods have been applied for a long time, the most well-known of which is HAZOP.
ORIGINS AND DEFINITION
Hazop was initially introduced by Dr Lawley and his team associated with ICI at Wilton during 1960’s. Thereafter, Bullock and Jenning from Chemical Engineering Department at Teeside Polytechnic under a direct supervision of Kletz implemented the approach at higher college and in 1977, Chemical Industries Association (CIA) released the revised version. A Hazop is defined as an instrument or approach established to facilitate a team to pinpoint and underline deficiencies and faults within the design and operation phases of industrial plants where the design team and others will be able to anticipate in which the possibility of failures systems could happen, and then proactively and initiatively apply an appropriate action to eliminate any kinds of risks and reduce costs just before project execution.
LEGAL OBLIGATIONS
As you are a chemical plant manager you have a legal obligation under many regulations such as HSWA 1974, MSWER1999 COMAH to propose a sensible approach which is always pinpoint the hidden and unhidden hazards and operational concerns as well as challenges in advance to avoid these kinds of unwanted events by executing reliable process HIRA and operational assessments through proposing and applying preventive and corrective measures to solve concerns as they are legally required for managing hazards and risks and their permanent effectiveness.
PHA APPROACHES
There are several approaches to conduct Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) such as Checklist, What-If Analysis, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) which has been increasingly used in recent years around the world especially in Europe and USA since it was introduced by a British chemical firm in the 1960s and firstly published in 1977 subsequently it has become without doubt compulsory in many organizations especially in high reliability organizations such as nuclear power stations, chemical plants etc as it offers you a great success, risk free, efficient and reliable chemical plants. Moreover, the particular approach or technique is well established, more developed and successful nowadays as a technique associated with pinpointing potential plant layout or design hazards, risks and operability concerns and challenges as Hazop applies both approach which in turn can be qualitative as well as simplified semi quantitative. According to the experts that there are seven HAZOP studies such as early checking for major hazards, studies at design freeze stage, studies at pre-start up, studies on existing plants, studies prior to plant modifications, studies prior to t & i, studies on research facilities/laboratories. Each one of those has been especially designed to correctly deal with the different sorts of hazards in different stages of plant life and their particular effects on community, individuals and the environment.
HAZOP TEAM
To get a high level of performance with a high quality task make sure that the HAZOP team should be established from different department such as process operations, instrumentation, loss prevention, electrical etc to offer the required technical input, support and structure the roles. Do not miss the team diversity as it is considered as a main factor in succeed, result in better quality group and wisdom decision making as Hazop is considered as a team work due to it consists of plant designer, operation team, instrumentation and control engineers etc. Therefore, it is critical tasks and globalization impacts when it comes to deal with and manage diverse team as different cultural backgrounds of the team members may increase the complexity of the team composition that may adjust the success of the HAZOP study as you have to recognize the cultural dimensions by making your team more enthusiastic and encouraged by grouping them in a method which provides each group individuals from different professions, numerous age group and numerous interests and background. Moreover, Hazop diversity encourages innovation and creativity in design concept assessment. Its utilize outcomes in minimal commissioning and operational concerns and more effective educated and experienced employees, so verifying total HAZOP cost effectiveness adjustment and improvement. In short, it is the time to employ your skills and knowledge to complete the HAZOP in a homogeneous way by keeping your team concentrates on the same topic and allows them to perform their works as a team. Do not forget in this stage to appoint a Hazop secretary “scribe” and its roles include maintaining worksheets, recording meetings discussions and providing HAZOP reports.
TEST YOUR PROFESSION
During HAZOP study as same with other activities related to HAZOP or not and is part of your profession to make all team members to willingly listen and follow up your health and safety instructions in order to complete HAZOP Study in professional manner, safely and on targeted date. You may deal with managers with different nationalities and cultures as it is very difficult task as earlier mentioned, especially when your target is to make them listen and follow HAZOP specific procedures. Your profession should have the ability to effectively communicate and have interpersonal skills that allow you and others such as team members to identify the most effective method of communication to get the full co-operation and commitment from concerned employees such as workers.
RECORDING SHEETS
These kind of excel tools can also be called a commercial recording system or spread sheet and you should make sure that the said sheet maintain in columns. It should consist of a specific convention and usually such as reference number, parameter, guideword, cause, consequences, hazard, protective systems, risk, action, action on and some necessary information such as date, node, attendees and job titles, P&ID serial numbers.
HOW TO START?
As you are a member of the management team of the chemical plant that features you a great opportunity to introduce your proposal of the need and value of a HAZOP study in the primary umbrella of the development of the accident prevention program. This can be taken place during safety committee meeting in which the purpose is definitely for taking decisions and actions that will support the development of accident prevention program in the direction of the strategic targets in attendance of departmental managers or their representatives
You can start by presenting your topic by asking several simple questions for the attendees and discussing them and taking their opinions such as does the plant work in a safe condition? Does anybody fully satisfy with Plant safety condition? Does plant require re-assess? Once you get their feedbacks then you can add and match the feedbacks with your investigation and proposal report. You have to do a comparison with other plants with same business and capacity in the world and how the risk is completely eliminated or at least managed?
PREPARE YOURSELF
The HAZOP study main meeting with top management members and departmental managers can be divided into two main sessions which should be taken place on proposal introduction stage with a plant visit to present practically and theoretically the HAZOP implementation program. The presentation should include but not limited to HAZOP project overview statistics such as incidents and near miss reports, expected and Possible Obstacles, justifications, possible Implications benefits, cost and achievements. However, the progress report can be discussed during regular committee meeting. The second meeting should be conducted in the end of project completed to present such as the expected and planned benefits been already attained and plant changes and modifications achieved, further training required if applicable and submission of HAZOP final report.
You should develop the processes internally within your HAZOP team and externally with other department and insist to have systematic exchange of knowledge and do not be away from any useful idea and processes which might assist in increasing the opportunities of improvement the Hazop. Additionally, create a clear communication system and channels between your team and other concerned departments in order to maintain path coordination, cooperation etc i.e. for required information such as drawing, etc
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
The update documents are highly required and must be made available either for a new or current as they save time during this stage. You may need the process details with interlocks details, startup, safe operating instructions, emergency shutdown procedures, MSDS for hazardous substances, P&IDs, Plant and equipment layout drawings and diagrams, instrument and equipment technical data sheets, Plant plot plans, utility detail as necessary and the most important one is to establish safety plan
HAZOP CHARACTERISTICS
In HAZOP study you have to deal with specific key words that are a combination of i.e. GUIDEWORDS (deviations) PARAMETER and OTHERS that are fitted with unique value. The derivation connected to OTHERS guidewords tend to be certain towards the process itself which enable it to have unique meaning to make the process, however, you as an expert team leader has the ability to overcome and eliminate expected and unexpected challenges, problems by employing basically PARAMETER AND DEVIATION. You can use PARAMETER flow F, Pressure P etc. such as to explain how the process could possibly perform the work and GUIDEWORDS such as More M, Less L etc explain the said could depart from the appointed designer’s intent. Sometime you need to use X which refers that you have a possible combination of PARAMETER and GUIDEWORD. You need also to consider about DIAGNOSTICS as well as NO in order to recognize the requirements to conduct mass balances and the data needed to analyze some sort of upset process provision or situation. Do not forget to pay an attention regarding some important meaning of PHASE as well as guideword CHANGE which can be one of the following status evaporation or condensation or sublimation. More words can also be employed such as Maintenance, Purging and Access in order to explain those significance variations that might arise in the course of unstable operation.
PRE-START MEETING
Your purpose of each single one of questions will be wanted to know regarding valuation of the chemical plant in general, examine the attendees’ particular knowledge to HAZOP and their acceptance in order to adopt and embrace the HAZOP study proposal which would significantly develop the plant performance in term of health safety, productivity, cost reduction and employees interaction. Subsequently, you have to collect the data as a feedback of the attendees. Do not be shocked if someone found unaware of the HAZOP study as some of managers around the world do not experience of these types of HIRA identification methods such as HAZOP and others as earlier mentioned. Most of them are fully aware and familiar with the common HIRA such as generic. You might also find that some of them do not make an effort to improve their own practices related to HAZOP. This can be considered as a training gap in term of health and safety which must be highlighted, added in your training plan, tackled and closed out as soon as possible. You should make your top management members do agree that this training gap if detected at your firm it is because of lacking primarily in the firm’s strategic aims and objectives. This is the right time to invest and take advantage of top management support in term of obtain resources, human supports and to make more and more gains in the field of health and safety in the chemical plant. However, you will detect many smart managers who have the individuality feature of openness, talent and creativity in executing HAZOP study.
It is a good opportunity to inquire the attendees regarding their thoughts and opinions in term of roles and responsibilities within HAZOP study in order to find out their departmental health and safety strategic plan for at least three years and to significantly increase the speed of the modification of the chemical plant in the modern, economic and green environment. Do not forget that in the end of the meeting you have to get the top management approval to have a” HAZOP Study” as a principal agenda on incoming major target, your appointment as a HAZOP Leader and you should present yourself as a main player in each activity such as shut down, during regular meeting and health and resources etc. You should request and insist on a plant visit by all attendees in order to collect required documents such as drawings and to have a clear vision about what needs to be done.
MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT AND APPROVA
As a result of the above displayed viewpoints and feedbacks, it is usually noticed that the top management members (TMMs) have different viewpoints and feedbacks when it comes to HAZOP. In the end of the day it is your mission to make the TMMs optimistic to HAZOP and realize it is absolutely essential to develop the chemical plant efficiency in term of safety, system reliability, productivity, Preventive Maintenance culture, promote the employees and plant HS standards, and achieve full legal compliance and customer satisfaction. Perhaps some of other members are neutral, and indicated that it is a positive aspect to conduct the HAZOP but the plant, its assets, and resources are still not in a position to accommodate the HAZOP, there might be a few number are pessimistic to HAZOP who might find the plant is either in sound condition and the safety standards might be more sufficient. These usually belong to the production sectors, who believe in the primacy of production over other important things.
As outcomes of open questions, and regarding the assessment of the plant position toward Hazop, it is also your mission to keep the HAZOP as one of plant main strategic goals, never been absent from your comprehensive HS development and progression plant and there is a strong management commitment at all HAZOP stages. The main concern that you have to do in this stage is to have deep discussions with management in order to clearly create the HAZOP study objectives and scope and they need to be obviously defined, stated, documented, and obtain an approval from the management as this helps you to save a great deal of time and or rework in the future. The regular and continual preventive maintenance program should be included.
CONCLUSION
There is no debate between safety experts about the HAZOP as it is a critical task and requires many essential elements to overcome with HAZOP challenges such as strong management commitment and support, a strong leadership with multi skilled in order to successfully perform it in a safe manner, and establish realistic work deadlines to perform HAZOP, choice of professional HAZOP team to offer technical support and manage the task adequately, appropriate recognition of nodes and hazards, provision of correct and update documents such as drawing.
One of your duty as a safety manager is to create and execute a proactive safety strategy by developing and disseminating the risk analysis approaches and risk management strategies as they are considered as a main part of a proactive safety strategy. This is to be done from the recruited date at the plant in order to assist your employer in prioritizing risk elimination or mitigation options, developing organization and plant technical safety systems, detecting inherently safer operations and provide risk-free environment, deliver the required safety training to all employees especially those involved in HAZOP study, assess fire, explosion, and harmful release hazards, establishing an effective integrated emergency plan and providing the required emergency equipment. This can be considered as a test of your profession as passing in this task is a great achievement demonstrating that you are a competent and have essential skills of leadership whilst others safety functions are less challenging and complicating.