Process Hazard Analysis
Prevent and Mitigate Process Risks with Our PHA Services
Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) tools have long been used to identify hazards in the Process Industries. Today, the various techniques are used for a much broader range of industry segments. These tools have proved their worth as an integral part of a robust Process Safety Management System. PHAs are required by regulations such as OSHA’s Process Safety Management standard and the EPA’s Risk Management Plan rule. More importantly, they provide a structured method of identifying process upsets that can lead to catastrophic incidents. They are used today in a much wider range of situations because of its proven value.
DEKRA Process Safety is an industry leader in Hazard Identification, Evaluation and Control. Our extensive expertise in, and familiarity with, the hazards of fires, explosions and toxic chemical releases provides assurance that hazards are not overlooked, and identified hazards are thoroughly understood.
Our PHA Leaders ensure the PHA team conducts a thorough review of the process, potential upsets, their causes and consequences. They are experienced experts at managing a diverse team with different personalities, backgrounds and expertise. We can guide the team to reach consensus decisions and recommend practical solutions. DEKRA Process Safety has also provided numerous Subject Matter Experts, in a wide range of disciplines, to complement our clients' PHA Teams.
PHA Methodology
There are many PHA methods available, each with individual strengths and weaknesses. It is critical to select the appropriate technique to 1) ensure a thorough analysis at the appropriate level of detail, and 2) prevent excessive resource expenditure using techniques better suited for more complex processes than the one being studied. Conversely, the PHA method used must provide a sufficiently rigorous review based a number of factors. DEKRA’s specialists are experienced with the most widely used PHA methods, including Checklist and What-if Studies, Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP), Failure Mode and Effects Analyses (FMEA) and many others. It is often pragmatic to utilize different techniques for different portions of a study, assuring the right amount of scrutiny depending on the complexity of each process operation. This will allow the resources required for the study to be focused and used most efficiently.
Quantitative Assessments
Where complex incident sequences or potential high-consequence incidents demand more than a qualitative assessment of risk, DEKRA can guide you through more rigorous analysis methods. Our experts bring experience with tools such as Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA), Event Trees and Consequence Analysis to help our clients better understand Risk. We can quantitatively assess the risk and examine where the most risk reduction will occur to help prioritize capital expenditures.
DEKRA specialists have conducted PHAs lasting from a single day to several months. These studies span diverse industries including chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas, food, agriculture and pharmaceuticals throughout the world. We have trained our clients’ PHA Leaders and Participants, and mentored newly trained PHA Leaders through their first studies. Whatever your PHA needs – for existing systems, PHA revalidations, design-stage studies, planned modifications, or Management of Change assessments - DEKRA Process Safety has a solution with a perfect fit.
