Our products
Solutions for
Support
REWRITE THE PLAYBOOK
Learn about HAZOP, its purpose, and the reason why it is important to chemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and nuclear industries
Published March 18th, 2021
Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) is a systematic approach to determining potential problems that may be uncovered by reviewing the safety of designs and revisiting existing processes and operations in chemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and nuclear industries.
Also known as HAZOP study or HAZOP analysis, HAZOP is a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) method recognized in OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard as a way to identify, evaluate, and control hazards and risks in complex processes that involve highly hazardous chemicals that can cause significant harm to workers and extensive damage to property and company reputation if not properly processed and handled.
HAZOP can help proactively catch hazards and help formulate risk mitigation early on during the planning or design stage of projects. HAZOP also helps realize risks during modification of current processes and see how deviations may occur from the design intent. As a recognized PHA method, HAZOP can also be followed during periodic reviews of operations and processes as required by regulations and industry standards.
While risk assessments, HAZID, and HAZOP all aim to uncover safety risks in the workplace, there are differences.
Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment Template
For identifying hazards and determining their risk rating, use this risk assessment template to record findings and provide some details on the most applicable control measures that can be used to mitigate or eliminate the risks discovered during risk assessments.
HAZID
HAZOP Template
You can use this HAZOP template when in the process of identifying risks in design, procedure, or operation. Using this HAZOP template to conduct a HAZOP analysis of your processes, you can:
As HAZOP undertakes the careful review of complex processes involved in the handling and processing of chemicals and materials that can potentially harm workers and stakeholders if not properly contained and handled, it is important to follow the following steps:
Create a multidisciplinary HAZOP team composed of a team leader and members who can collaborate and provide different perspectives based on their fields of expertise at realizing sources of risks and possible deviations from design. An example of HAZOP team members would be design engineers, those who are very familiar with operations, and safety professionals.
When beginning a HAZOP study, it is important to identify the processes in operations, be familiar with the process/piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID), and be aware of all the nodes.
P&ID are drawings or diagrams that provide the visual representation of interconnected processes, equipment, and controls in the physical plant. HAZOP nodes are sections in the entire process where changes happen and they need to be reviewed along with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) so that parameters can be defined and deviations are identified.
Use this SDS template when identifying chemicals and other materials’ properties that can pose hazards to workers. Completed SDS in iAuditor can be easily retrieved during HAZOP reviews.
Define parameters or safe operating limits during the review of nodes so that deviations can be determined and guide words are selected.
Examples of common HAZOP guide words: No or not More Less High Low
With the use of guide words, hazards can be clearly identified as they are the deviations that go beyond acceptable parameters or safe operating limits.
With hazards identified, the corresponding hazard mitigation or elimination strategies should be applied to maintain the safety of the workplace. With ongoing processes and production, monitoring should also be established to ensure that safeguards are still effective and safety procedures are being followed.
Monitoring is only effective when it is actually conducted regularly. With iAuditor of SafetyCulture as mobile safety monitoring software, you can ensure that safety checks and audits are conducted regularly through scheduled inspections and automated notifications. Administrators can schedule and assign inspections and be made aware if inspections are indeed being done on time and on a regular basis. Register here for free.
Another safeguard is to automate safety monitoring through sensors. Sensors can trigger automated notifications for intended personnel whenever safety parameters are exceeded in real-time.
HAZOP Example
This HAZOP example is a result of using this HAZOP template that you can download for free through the iAuditor app or as PDF.
The result of the HAZOP analysis can be used to help elevate safety within the plant and improvements in safety practices and processes should be communicated to as appropriate to employees.
An effective approach to training will also help hasten the implementation of changes and reinforce safety across the board.
HAZOP is rigorous and can take a lot of time and resources to complete, but by following HAZOP steps and using tools that can help hasten the process without compromising the quality of the process and its result, HAZOP can be effectively conducted and completed sooner and the workplace can be made safer and more efficient.
Why iAuditor?
Available on Android, iOS, and the web, iAuditor is a customizable mobile inspection app mainly used to improve and maintain safety and quality in numerous industries. iAuditor offers a number of ready-to-use quality and safety templates, as well as tools that can be used by organizations where HAZOP is crucial in maintaining safety and compliance with industry standards.
Author
SafetyCulture staff writer
As a staff writer for SafetyCulture, Erick is interested in learning and sharing how technology can improve work processes and workplace safety. Prior to SafetyCulture, Erick worked in logistics, banking and financial services, and retail.
Getting started is easy, simply fill in your email and raise the game with iAuditor
Something went wrong with your submission.
Trying to log in? Click here to log in
Contact us if you require any assistance with this form.
We use cookies to offer you our service. By continuing to use this site you consent to our use of cookies as described in our policy