What Makes a Good HAZOP Chair?
OTECSA Consulting Ltd
Pragmatic and practical process, safety, environmental and risk services. www.otecsaconsulting.com
The age old question in process safety discussions …
What qualifications, skills and experience are needed to be an effective HAZOP chair?
There are a lot of strong opinions here, with varying suggestions of arbitrary minimum levels of experience. For us, this is much less important than a few key interpersonal and analytical / technical skills:
- the ability to distil a process down to the key process parameters and characteristics that help reveal when deviations can become hazardous. It's unlikely a HAZOP chair will have all the technical knowledge for every scenario they encounter, but they need to understand the engineering to know when things are actually an issue.
- the ability to identify when a viewpoint is not grounded in any scientific or engineering basis. Opinions and causal relationships creep in to HAZOPS and can often be passed off as scientific fact. These need to be confidently challenged.
- the ability to recognise when quieter members of the team have something more to say. This is harder to achieve in remote studies, so often needs a check
-in to ask specifically if they have anything to add. The important bit here is knowing everyone's role in the team, and in relation to the process being assessed.
- the ability to speed up and slow down the assignment to meet both the schedule AND ensure time is not wasted on unrelated topics/ issues leading to no hazard.
- the ability to keep control of the room and keep the team focused on what the goals of the study are, which can vary wildly depending on the type of assessment/ scope.
- knowing when the team needs a break. You don't need to be a feature at your local comedy cub, but a well placed HAZOP themed joke always goes down a treat!
- and last, but certainly not least, coffee. You always need good coffee.
There are probably loads more, but these are a few key areas we try to stay on top of to keep out studies of the highest quality.
What is your experience of good or bad facilitator characteristics?
Owen Llanwarne is a process and process safety consultant and MD pf OTECSA Consulting. His experience comes from the operations of petrochemical plants, product development for upstream oil and gas systems, project engineering in petrochemical plants and design engineering before specialising in process safety and founding the company in 2018.
www.otecsaconsulting.com
Delivering Process Engineering, Sub-Surface & Technical Safety services with hydrocarbon & hydrogen capability.
2 年Succinct article, unlike some HazOps which seem to take an eternity. Andrew Stead & James Brewster both of whom I've had the pleasure of working with over the years make additional excellent comments. From my perspective, people management is vitally important. Being able to engage all participants so that they each contribute effectively and not allowing individuals to dominate is an experience-based skill. Never take anything for granted and ask the 'dumb' or obvious question others may feel unable to ask, for various reasons (lack of experience, political etc). A healthy skepticism can challenge assumptions and tease out potential flaws or gaps. An over-arching desire to minimise the potential for another Piper Alpha, Deepwater Horizon, Bhopal, Hickson & Welch and all other tragic events which have had catastrophic effects on people and the environment is essential.
Process Safety Consultant / HazOp & LOPA facilitator / DSEAR & HAC
2 年What makes a good HAZOP Chair? Probably something with four legs and good upper back support, but not too comfortable that it makes people fall asleep in the tricky afternoon sessions. As for the facilitator a broad range of experience across industry (including operational based) is useful. A time served scribe - so you can appreciate the hardest job in the room. Direct experience of the process isn’t needed and sometimes more helpful (despite what the client professes - I’m not there to do the HAZOP for them). The other requirement is people skills and time management- oh and a sense of humour. It’s an important job but a sense of humour is a must.
We mostly do what we do with people we want to do it with.
2 年A good article and question Owen. And much of the points mentioned you get better with with years of experience with people and high hazard plant. Can be chicken and egg to get into and develop as a HAZOP Facilitator. Just a case of serving your time and building up a bank of relevant experience. Scribing lots and working along side good engineers gives a good grounding in what makes a good chair - in my opinon.? A rewarding and fun profession. Quite purposeful on the grand scheme of things.? An enthusiasm for travel and genuine curiosity helps too.?