Continuous Improvement Toward Excellence in PHA Studies

CCPS Middle East Conference on Process Safety

October 9-11, 2017 - Bahrain International
Exhibition and Convention Centre

ABSTRACT

Author:
Pedro Mujica, P&CSD, HIPS Unit - Saudi Aramco.

Co-author:
Herman Cipriano, P&CSD, HIPS Unit - Saudi Aramco.

Topic
Category:

Process Safety – Risk Assessments
techniques

Title:

Continuous Improvement Toward
Excellence in PHA Studies.

Objectives/Scope:

To explain a systematic approach
for identifying applicable and adequate Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) techniques, providing a rationalization for the use of
Qualitative, Semi-Quantitative, and Quantitative techniques in projects or for
evaluation of existing facilities, following the risk based approach.

Methods,
Procedures, Process:

All operating plants, Brownfield
or Greenfield projects are bound to perform Process Hazard Analysis  to identify process hazards, analyze and
evaluate the process risks, either as demonstration of due diligence (ex. good corporate
citizenship) or as in compliance with a regulatory requirement based on the
jurisdiction the project is instituted.

Often, the teams handling the
responsibility to guarantee the Process Safety wellbeing (of a new design or an
existing facility) struggle to select the right Process Hazard Analysis
techniques required to cover all technical safety elements and to provide the right
level of process safety assurance to endorse it, without running the risk of
under/over using the efforts and resources to assess the process risks.

The presentation attempts to show
a practice proven in use in the Oil and Gas industry, to select the adequate
Process Hazard Analysis techniques meeting international standard requirements
to comply with the process safety due diligence, either imposed by regulatory
requirements or as a self-impose target set by Operators doing business in
countries that do not have well defined regulatory requirements.

The Process Hazard Analysis tools
expressed in the paper are commonly used in the industry, however what is
intendedly stressed by the authors is a methodology that will provide guidance
to decision makers on when to stop (or continue) pursuing more complex Process
Hazard Analysis/Risk Assessments techniques to answer the dilemma of “when
enough is enough” and move on to the next stage of the Process Safety assurance.    

Results,
Observations, Conclusions:

The paper intends to show
a methodology based on recognized industry practices and regulators
requirements, which provides a structured way to demonstrate due diligence in
managing process safety risks and as an instrument to manage the expectations
from auditors (internal or external) and/or government agencies. Performing
thorough and adequate Process Hazard Assessments will support the risk
management process with the ultimate goal of avoiding major industrial incidents,
therefore protecting employees, general public, company assets and
eliminating/minimizing adverse economic impact.

Benefits
of the Paper:

To provide a methodology
to select and exercise the adequate Process Hazard Analysis techniques
according to the potential risk of a facility or project. As a collateral
benefit, the risk based approach will allow optimization of the resources
required to cover all the process safety aspects yielding a potential for
measurable cost reduction in projects and operating facilities.