(125c) PHA Evaluation Using Loss Prevention Principles from Ragagep

Objective. PHA studies like HazOp and LOPA are the most widely used hazard identification and risk evaluation techniques within the process industries, allowing companies to design facilities with appropriate safety barriers to prevent and mitigate against major accident hazards.

The adherence to RAGAGEP within PHA studies helps with establishing and maintaining relevant, effective and robust safety barriers to allow the barriers to perform their function in the cycle of life for the existing or new facilities.

Introduction. Conventional risk analysis does not provide sufficient information to support the decision-making process in safety-critical systems. Thus, the structured nature of PHA provides a forum to apply lessons learned about incidents, process upsets, chronic operational issues, changes to the process that have been made since the original design and a occasion to adhere to Recognized and Generally Accepted Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) to establish more adequate and reliable safety barriers for each type of unitary operation during scenarios analysis of the PHA.

Process safety incidents in the chemical and refining industries occur for many reasons. Investigators find multiple low-reliability and inadequate barriers that result in a process safety incident. Barriers such as engineering and administrative controls often play a role in the prevention of chemical process incidents. Barrier design, operation, and maintenance are frequently based on RAGAGEP.

Adhering to RAGAGEP in PHA Studies to Enhance Safety and Reliability. Particularly PHA are integral to hazard identification and risk assessment. Their structured and multidisciplinary approaches allow for the design and evaluation of safety barriers tailored to prevent and mitigate major accident hazards in both new and existing facilities. However, the effectiveness of these barriers relies heavily on adherence to Recognized and Generally Accepted Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP), which are foundational for reducing incidents in safety-critical systems.

RAGAGEP establishes consistent engineering and administrative controls based on widely accepted industry standards. By applying RAGAGEP in PHA studies, companies achieve more robust and reliable safety measures that capture the complexity of potential major accidents and address real operational scenarios, not only theoretical approaches. This adherence not only aligns with regulatory expectations but also promotes the ALARP principle, ensuring that safety risks are minimized.

The review of safety barriers under RAGAGEP-guided PHA scenarios helps identify overlooked hazards, chronic operational issues, and changes made post-design, providing a comprehensive risk assessment. Ultimately, this approach builds resilience within operations, minimizing the uncertainty of safety barrier effectiveness and offering greater protection to personnel, the environment, and the facility’s operational integrity.

Conclusion. The rationale behind adherence to RAGAGEP within PHA, in turn, ensures risk mitigation by preventing undesirable events have occurring during operation or limiting potential consequences. The main purpose of the RAGAGEP application is to capture the complexity of potential major accidents and to reduce the uncertainty.