Hazard Identification

INTRODUCTION

BY J U P N I M U LYA N A
Definition
A hazard is defined as a situation with a potential for causing harm to
human safety, the environment, property or business.

The essence of a hazard is that it has a potential for causing harm,

regardless of how likely or unlikely such an occurrence might be
Definition
Hazard identification (HAZID) is a general risk analysis tool for
early identification of hazards to identify possible unwanted
incidents/event within a discipline, operation or area.
There are two possible purposes in identifying hazards:
 To obtain a list of hazards for subsequent evaluation using
other risk assessment techniques. This is sometimes known as
“failure case selection”.
 To perform a qualitative evaluation of the significance of the hazards
and the measures for reducing the risks from them. This is
sometimes known as “hazard assessment”.
Objective
 Identify areas of major HSE hazard (risk)
 Determine what further risk assessments need to be
conducted.
 Capture any “low hanging fruit” requiring early hazard
mitigation action
General Approach
HAZID is usually a qualitative exercise based primarily on expert
judgement.
 The HAZID should be creative, so as to encourage identification of
hazards not previously considered.
 It should use a structured approach, in order to obtain comprehensive
coverage of relevant hazards without skipping less obvious problem
areas.
 It should make use of accident experience, where available, so as to
capture the lessons from previous accidents.
 The scope of the HAZID should be clearly defined, so as make clear
which hazards should be included and which have been excluded.
Methodology and Procedure
The specific steps of the IHAZID Study methodology include:.
 Defining the facilities / activities and creating IHAZID “systems”.
 Validating the Hazards as required
 Brainstorming for each System and Hazard the:
 Top Event or Condition of Concern
 Causes for the Top Event or Condition of Concern
 Consequences without safeguards or control measures
 Safeguards or controls measures currently in place, or expected
to be in place, to prevent, detect, control, mitigate the event and
/ or its consequence(s), emergency response, and recovery
Methodology and Procedure
 Developing Recommendation required to improve a system and to
reduce impact of hazard
 Repeating this process for each hazard and each system / activity
until all systems have been studied.
FLOWCHART
SELECT SYSTEM

DESCRIBE SYSTEM

HAZID APPLY HAZARD

PROCESS IDENTIFY TOP EVENT OR CONDITIONS OF CONCERN

BRAINSTORM CAUSES

IDENTIFY CONSEQUENCE(S) (WITH NO SAFEGUARDS)

NO

IDENTIFY SAFEGUARDS / CONTROL MEASURES

NO

NO

DVELOP
REQUIRED RECOMMENDATION? YES
RECOMMENDATON

NO

LAST CONDITION OF CONCERN?

YES

LAST HAZARD?

YES

LAST SYSTEM?

YES

HAZID SESSION COMPLETE

VISUALISATION TOOLS
SYSTEM 1

3 5 5 4

Emergency
Prevent Detect Control Mitigate Recovery
Response

HAZID WORKSHEET

HAZARD TOP EVENT CAUSE CONSEQUENCE SAFEGUARD RECOMMENDATION REMARK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7