What is Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)?
Through process hazard analysis, we identify and evaluate the hazards of processes associated with chemicals that pose more hazards and establish a systematic approach to its control, which plays an important role in preventing accidents caused by chemicals.
It is therefore critical to perform a process hazard analysis (PHA) to identify process hazards as early as possible and put in place measures to control the hazards.
PHA is a method of technical risk assessment.
It analyses industrial processes to identify hazardous situations and assess their potential impact if improperly managed.
The main objective of process hazard analysis is to identify and evaluate events and to consider their control, and to reduce the likelihood of the consequences of accidents caused by whatever hazardous substances are.
Therefore, in a place where the level of risk is high during the work, consider process hazard analysis is in such a place, which proves to be a good option to do the work in a systematic manner and prevent accidents.
In such a situation, during the work, we have to identify such places where process hazard analysis is require, and during the work, there is a need to evaluate from time to time how much PHA is affect.
If there is a lack of process hazard analysis, after evaluating it, implement it effectively again.
Process Hazard Analysis Concept:
As far as process hazard analysis is concerned, it plays an important role in improving safety within any organization and preventing unplanned release effects of chemicals and preventing the dangers caused by them and making decisions. So when considering PHA, the first simple question we ask is “Is risk acceptable at the workplace?”
PHA should always be presented by a knowledge-trained experienced and competent team and should involve a process engineer.
This is done so that there will be no output commitments for the tasks and people will not think that it is a waste of time.
If the team member lacks knowledge and lacks experience with him, then the result of PHA can be useless and very bad, because it is not implemented properly at the workplace.
When a person is not confident while designing a PHA that the process and technology of the PHA , then an effective process is not able to implement hazard analysis.
As many organizations where employees are working, understand that it is definitely very expensive and it is unnecessary cost which we can prevent.
Therefore, it is very important to understand the exact cause of accidents, to find a proper solution to prevent it and to prevent the recurrence of damage.
As far as PHA is concerned, it is basically a model that plays an important role in adequate and effective control over the potential threats and risks identified within the organization. Therefore, it is very important to understand the exact purpose of any program perform within the organization to prevent harm.
Therefore, you have to understand that investing enough to reduce risks cannot be more secure, but by effectively implementing PHA, reduce risk and prevent property losses.
Principles of Process Hazard Analysis:
Do Process hazard analysis to analyze and identify the hazards within any organization and also to analyze the importance of the hazards.
Through this, the safety measures within the organization need to observe whether it is adequate according to the work. Let’s find it through it.
PHA is not for the purpose of review the design and quality of any work or the operation of the work. This process should take place before PHA meetings to show that everyone has accepted the functionality of the PHA design.
While working within the organization, we see or experience that most accidents happen by equipment failure or improper operation of equipment. And some accidents are happen due to failure of risk control.
There are some errors within the organization that indicate accidents such as – maintenance error, alarm failures, shut down system failures, source of ignition or failure of the management system.
Therefore, to avoid such a mistake, we design the engineer system which relieves all the above-mentioned dangers.
When do You Perform PHA:
- When a new project is start.
- After making changes to the processes that are going on at the workplace.
- To assess the process risks and changes in the operation of the facilities every year, two years or five years.
Speaking of a proper PHA assessment, it focuses on collectively design and safety as well as reviewing the risks of operational teams and incorporating input approaches and preventing accidents and developing procedures.
We see that most organizations prioritize techniques such as JSA, HAZOP or Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment to prevent accidents.
Methodologies of Process Hazard Analysis:
Any process at the workplace can be successful only if those working at that place should have a general understanding of risk acceptance, if the understanding of risks is not to be equal, then meaningless discussions take place at that place and the result is that there is no clear action.
It can be more effective only if you follow the following points:
- What if there are risks at the work place? Consider this question from the start of the task.
- A check list should be available for each task.
- Hazards at work place and work efficiency should be studied (HAZOP)
- Analysis of failed mode of task and its effect (FMEA)
- Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)