Process hazard review fault tree analysis

Several qualitative approaches can be used to identify hazardous reaction scenarios, including process hazard analysis, checklists, chemical interaction matrices, and an experience-based review. CCPS (1995a p. 176) describes nine hazard evaluation procedures that can be used to identify hazardous reaction scenarios-checklists, Dow fire and explosion indices, preliminary hazard analysis, what-if analysis, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), HAZOP study, fault tree analysis, human error analysis, and quantitative risk analysis. 

This excellent, 44-page Canadian booklet [18] lists 58 references covering, but not limited to Emergency Planning, Process Hazards Reviews, Fault Tree Analysis, Evaluation of Toxic Vapor Cloud Hazards. 

Identification can be as simple as asking what-iP questions at design reviews. It can also involve the use of a checklist outlining the normal process hazards associated with a specific piece of equipment. The major weakness of the latter approach is that items not on the checklist can easily be overlooked. The more formalized hazard-assessment techniques include, but are not limited to, hazard and operability study (HAZOP), fault-tree analysis (FTA), failure mode-and-effect analysis (FMEA), safety indexes, and safety audits. 

HAZOP and What-If reviews are two of the most common petrochemical industry qualitative methods used to conduct process hazard analyses. Up to 80% of a company s process hazard analyses may consist of HAZOP and What-If reviews with the remainder 20% from Checklist, Fault Tree Analysis, Event Tree, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, etc. An experienced review team can use the analysis to generate possible deviations from design, construction, modification, and operating intent that define potential consequences. These consequences can then be prevented or mitigated by the application of the appropriate safeguards. 

The team must use appropriate hazard analysis methodology and consult with those involved with the process operation and maintenance. Specified methods include what-if , checklist, what-ifVchecklist combination, failure modes and effect analysis, hazard and operability study, fault tree analysis, or an equivalent method. The team must identify process hazards review... 

In the aerospace domain, safety considerations, methods, guidelines and certifications are applied for a long time [2] [3], establishing a safety lifecycle. State of the art processes, concerning safety in the automotive domain, base on hazard analysis, failure mode and effect analysis (EMEA) [4], fault tree analysis (ETA) [5], Markov chains and reviews. A standardized safety lifecycle is not yet applied in the automotive domain. 

There are many hazard analysis formulations which may be used effectively to assess process hazards. These include fault-tree analysis, failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), what if analysis, hazard and operability analysis (HAZOP), check list analysis, and safety review among others. The specifics associated with these analyses can be reviewed by consulting the appropriate American Institute of Chemical Engineers Center for Chemical Process Safety references. ... 

A very thorough safety review is conducted during the final stage of the process design, using techniques such as hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies, failure mode and effect analysis, and fault tree analysis (AIChE, 1993 Kletz, 1999 Crowl and Louvar, 2002). 

In this study detailed fault trees with probability and failure rate calculations were generated for the events (1) Fatality due to Explosion, Fire, Toxic Release or Asphyxiation at the Process Development Unit (PDU) Coal Gasification Process and (2) Loss of Availability of the PDU. The fault trees for the PDU were synthesized by Design Sciences, Inc., and then subjected to multiple reviews by Combustion Engineering. The steps involved in hazard identification and evaluation, fault tree generation, probability assessment, and design alteration are presented in the main body of this report. The fault trees, cut sets, failure rate data and unavailability calculations are included as attachments to this report. Although both safety and reliability trees have been constructed for the PDU, the verification and analysis of these trees were not completed as a result of the curtailment of the demonstration plant project. Certain items not completed for the PDU risk and reliability assessment are listed. 

There are various types of analyses that are used for a process hazard analysis (PHA) of the equipment design and test procedures, including the effects of human error. Qualitative methods include checklists, What-If, and Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies. Quantitative methods include Event Trees, Fault Trees, and Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA). All of these methods require rigorous documentation and implementation to ensure that all potential safety problems are identified and the associated recommendations are addressed. The review should also consider what personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed to protect workers from injuries. 

CONSTRUCTING THE FAULT TREE. Fault tree construction begins at the top event and proceeds, level by level, until all fault events have been traced to their basic contributing events or basic events. The analysis starts with a review of system requirements, function, design, environment, and other factors to determine the conditions, events, and failures that could contribute to an occurrence of the undesired top event. The top event is then defined in terms of sub-top events, i.e., events that describe the specific "whens and wheres" of the hazard in the top event. Next, the analysts examine the sub-top events and determine the immediate, necessary, and sufficient causes that result in each of these events. Normally, these are not basic causes, but are intermediate faults that require further development. For each intermediate fault, the causes are determined and shown on the fault tree with the appropriate logic gate. The analysts follow this process until all intermediate faults have... 

First, the importance of learning lessons from past process safety incidents is highlighted in Section 3.2. The subsequent section presents preliminary hazard review procedure, risk matrix, what-if method, plot plan and layout review, pressure relief system review and fire safety design aspects. Section 3.4 presents PHA techniques and procedures hazards and operability analysis (HAZOP), failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), instrumented protective system (IPS) design, fault trees, event trees, layer of protection analysis (LOPA) and finally SIS life eyele. The importanee of revision of PSI is highlighted in Seetion 3.5. 

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