Conducting Hazops That Are Good and Don’t Just Look Good

It is difficult to imagine a time when HAZOP was not so prevalent in the process industry. But there was such a time. When HAZOPs first came about, they were performed much differently than they are today. Fast forward a few decades, and much has been gained in the implementation of HAZOP studies – and much has been lost. This paper gives a 40-year perspective on the history of HAZOP approaches and tools, including 32 years of the author’s personal experience on how HAZOPs go right or go wrong. The pros and cons of the methods that are currently in use and misuse in different situations are discussed. The overall theme is to drive at the core of what constitutes a truly “good” HAZOP, rather than just performing a HAZOP that only looks good.