Process Hazard and Risk Analysis

Gain a solid understanding of risk assessment frameworks and methods used in the oil, gas, and process industries. Learn how to identify, analyse, and manage hazards to support safer operations and better decision-making.

Course information

Process Hazard and Risk Analysis training is available in the following formats

Four Day Face-to-Face Course Four Day Virtual Course Two Hour Awareness Module

Learning objectives

Explain the purpose, scope, and benefits of process hazard and risk analysis in major hazard industries
Apply the ISO 31000 risk management framework to address process industry challenges
Define risk criteria and explain their use in hazard and risk assessments, including tolerability thresholds and corporate standards
Identify hazards and major accident hazards (MAHs) using structured methods (HAZOP, FMEA, Structured What-If, checklists)
Analyse risk using qualitative and quantitative techniques, including fault tree analysis (FTA) and event tree analysis (ETA)
Evaluate risk against acceptance criteria and apply the ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) principle
Select, prioritise, and justify appropriate risk control and mitigation measures using the hierarchy of controls
Communicate risk assessment findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
Understand the integration of risk analysis outputs into safety cases, management systems, and regulatory submissions
Recognise common challenges, uncertainties, and good practices in conducting hazard and risk analyses

Key contents

Introduction to process hazard and risk analysis: purpose, drivers, and benefits
Overview of ISO 31000: risk management framework and relevance to process industries
Establishing risk criteria: tolerability thresholds, risk matrices, and corporate risk standards
Hazard identification techniques: HAZOP, FMEA, Structured What-If, checklists, and bowtie analysis
Consequence modelling: fires, explosions, toxic and flammable gas releases, environmental impacts
Frequency estimation: fault tree analysis (FTA), event tree analysis (ETA), historical data, expert judgement
Hierarchy of controls and selection of risk reduction measures
Demonstrating ALARP across project phases: design, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning
Risk evaluation frameworks and decision-making under uncertainty
Communicating risk assessment results: reports, visualisations, and stakeholder engagement
Case studies and examples of good practice from oil, gas, chemical, and energy sectors

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of process operations, safety concepts, or engineering principles is recommended. No prior experience with formal risk assessment methods is required.

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