HAZID Study: Principles and Method for Action to Maximise Safety

Posted on Jun 10, 2023 at 09:06 PM

The first studies implemented for any new project relevant to safety, health, and the environment are HAZID Study which happened in the early stages of the project design. But is a flexible technique used to identify the risk for each phase of the project's life cycle.

The following article will help you learn about this process and how it works and bring benefits to project design. Follow us.

What is the definition of a HAZID study?

HAZID is a systematic process by a specialised team with fair skills and expertise in assessing risks likely to cause direct risks and threats affecting the safety of resources, operations, and employees' health at work locations to identify, test and attempt to mitigate them.

The risk study also aims to identify and assess all protection and safety procedures included in the design and control of critical safety requirements. as it would reduce the severity of risks associated with and control over those approved events.

Furthermore, HAZID assesses and analyses the reliability of the engineering and procedural safeguards established, highlighting the need to secure and develop more methods and preventive measures with it.

The HAZID model depends on research and exploration by asking a range of questions, such as What if? How is it possible? Studying the element by answering previous questions on any potential risk and how it may evolve, then identifying those affected and the preventive measures necessary to assess, analyse, prevent, or mitigate those risks.

The primary benefit is to measure all threats and risks with significant consequences early, providing crucial ideas and inputs for the project's development before reaching the final stages by developing and developing more efficient and safe options and methods. Then mitigating the costs of the upcoming change.

But the ultimate approach to design review remains the HAZOP Risk and Operability Study, more detailed and structured in risk study and identification, so the HAZID study is always first carried out when creating any new project.

While taking the HAZOP study into account when confirming design and understanding equipment operating policies, for more risk occupational safety methods to enrol in one of the safety training courses in Dubai, HAZID study functions in a variety of industries, including processing plants, power, manufacturing facilities, and oil refineries.

What are the benefits of a HAZID study?

As mentioned, the main benefit of the study is to secure critical inputs to project development in its initial stages. It helps to examine and identify all potential risk sources and opportunities at each stage of the project's life cycle.

Including initial design, construction, installation, operation processes, process changes, and project decommissioning.

Besides, the study helps achieve the following advantages:

• Detect any risk before it occurs at an early stage.
• Identify safety opportunities.
• Risk registration, management, and mitigation.
• The possibility of modifying plans at early stages.
• Possible application of preventive measures and procedures.
• The chance of avoiding exceeding budget limits.
• Risk assessment.
• The possibility of documenting non-critical risks to ignore.

What are the steps of applying the HAZID risk identification method?

Companies use the following key steps to apply HAZID Method, which is as follows:

• Preparation and preparation:

The first step is risk analysis to identify and work to avoid them in the following steps, i.e. preparing each anticipated and potential risk for a successful risk identification study.

• Team Selection:

The team is the key to success; the team must include people with knowledge and experience in risk assessment and management and expertise in HAZID. Besides, the team must consist of people with expertise in the following areas:

• Details of the building, is it under construction or renovation, and will make any future modifications?
• Fire safety.
• Building site safety and structure.
• Building maintenance systems.
• Safety management system.

• Conduct the study:

The study begins by dividing the building into different zones for evaluation. The division method depends on design and use, and divide according to one of the following options:

• Control: in buildings with many access points.
• Blocks or nuclei: in similar structures.
• Floors: collecting similar bases for consideration together.
• Function: assembling Single-function buildings for reviews, such as residential buildings or facilities.
• Combination: considering the existence of any unique or unusual features.

Regardless of the division method. The team must deal with interactions between the previous functions or areas. After completing the partition, HAZID study sessions begin. Each building needs several sessions to test.

Paying attention to the need for such sessions to be time-limited to maintain the team's focus.

At each session, the team concerned with each part of the residential building must provide a detailed description of the part of the evaluated building, including all plans and personal files of the residents.

The facilitator's task then begins with identifying the starting points of the Panel and encourages the Panel members to ask questions to determine the Organization-wide risk mechanism.

 How it might evolve, and what the consequences would be.

• Documentation and follow-up:

The penultimate step is the documentation process; the registrar captures the critical elements of the discussion and records them in a special paper, and reports them to track and monitor in an orderly manner later to ensure the successful completion of the project.

• Completion and conclusion of risk analysis:

To complete the final step and finalise the HAZID method, prepare a report including all the results found. 

Classifying all the risks that emerged during the study. This helps decision-makers conceptualise and make correct and informed decisions on implementing and planning the enterprise's project work plans, clarifying what the HAZID process requires and the appropriate way to operate them.

In conclusion, 

This was all about HAZID Study. We hope the article will be well received and provide you with all the information you want about the HAZID plan and its efficient role in helping you make efficient decisions and prepare sophisticated plans for your project management.