Operationalizing Your Risk Management with Critical Data: Implementing Barrier Management with Dynamic Bowties

Operationalizing your risk management with critical data: Implementing Barrier Management with Dynamic Bowties

Emerging in the 1980s in high hazard industries, the bowtie methodology helps answer three key concerns in risk management: understanding potential risks, knowing what safety measures are in place, and assessing the effectiveness of these measures. In due course, Barrier Management emerged focusing on the monitoring of Safety Critical Equipment and it has since evolved into a comprehensive methodology for the full barrier lifecycle, from design and implementation to monitoring, reviewing and improvement.

When combining both approaches, bowtie with barrier management serves as a comprehensive framework, integrating maintenance, incident, and audit data. This consolidation of big (safety) data facilitates prioritized improvements, targeted recommendations, and informed, risk-based decision-making. As such, Dynamic Bowtie – where one can monitor critical scenarios and barriers at break-down element level – comprises system-based bowties that reflect the risk and status of processing systems. Hence, implementing Barrier Management with Dynamic Bowties is an effective way to seamlessly integrate risk assessment and assurance with real time data.

This topic has emerged as a focal point for industry frontrunners and holds significant relevance for deliberation at the 10^th Latin American Conference on Process Safety. Wolters Kluwer Enablon would be really honored to be provided with this opportunity to participate.