HAZOP

  • Fully qualitative risk assessment

LOPA

  • Semi quantitative risk assessment for individual failure modes in a system

How to

  • Identify Hazardous Scenario:
    Example → Overpressure of a reactor leading to rupture.
  • Determine Initiating Event Frequency (IEF):
    How often could the initiating event (e.g., valve failure) happen? → e.g., once every 1,000 years (1×10⁻³ per year)
  • Identify Independent Protection Layers (IPLs):
    IPLs are safeguards that work independently to prevent or mitigate the consequence. Examples:
    • Pressure relief valve (PRV)
    • High-pressure alarm with operator action
    • Emergency shutdown system (ESD)
  • Assign Probability of Failure on Demand (PFD) to each IPL:
    → How likely is that safeguard to fail when needed? Example: 1×10⁻²
  • Calculate Residual Risk:
    → Multiply initiating event frequency by the PFDs of the IPLs
    → Compare residual risk to company or industry tolerable risk criteria.