Technical Risk
Technical Risk Management
“Technical risk involves Industrial Process Safety employing a wide suite of modelling and risk quantification techniques aimed at identifying key risk reduction areas and provide client with invaluable insight into potential incidents before they can occur.”
During technical risk assessment, a specialised team visits the client premises and draws up a comprehensive list of all the risks associated with operations to help the clients see potential red flags before an actual incident takes place.
In this respect, SynergenOG has helped numerous customers from all over the world avert unfortunate incidents.
Elements of Risk Assessment
Fire and Explosion Risk Analysis (FERA)
Fire and Explosion Risk Analysis is to be conducted to identify credible fire scenarios that could result in a major process loss of containment and to determine their impact on personnel and the Main Safety Functions. This analysis mainly consists of two (2) parts:
• Consequence / physical effects modelling
• Frequency assessment.
Consequence / physical effects modelling is conducted using DNV Process Hazard Analysis Software Tools (PHAST) or equivalent software, to evaluate the extent of ignited event consequences for all credible hazards. For frequency assessment, SOG utilises its specialised in-house database (derived from established sources such as OGP, UK HSE and UKOOA) in order to develop an estimate of the potential frequency of release events.
Read More On Fire and Explosion Risk Assessment
Non-Hydrocarbon Hazard Analysis (NHHA)
This assessment is typically conducted to evaluate all identified non-hydrocarbon related hazard incidents for any given facility. Example of hazards which may be covered within this study are:
• Helicopter Hazards;
• Boat Transport Hazards;
• Occupational Risk;
• Dropped Objects;
• Rotating Equipment/Missiles;
• Structural Failure;
• Mooring Failure;
• Non-Process Fires;
• Loss of Stability; and
• Security Threats
Read More On Non-Hydroharbon Hazard Analysis
Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analysis (EERA)
Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analysis (EERA) is a goal based assessment of the various escape, evacuation and rescue elements present within a facility in order to ensure that personnel can safely leave the facilities in the case of a Major Accident Hazard being realised. The goals which can be assessed in this study (depending upon the type of facility) include:
• Alarm & Detection
• Escape
• Temporary Refuge/ Primary Muster Station
• Alternative Muster Area
• Evacuation
• Rescue
• Duration of time for complete evacuation
Read More On Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analysis
Temporary Refuge Impairment Analysis (TRIA)
Assess adequacy of the TR to support escape, muster, evacuation and rescue in the event of a major accident hazard (MAH). The analysis will determine the potential TR impairment mechanism (such as smoke and gas ingress, heat build-up from personnel, depletion of oxygen and build-up of carbon monoxide within the blood stream, fire impingement, and explosion overpressure).
Read More On TRIA Analysis
Acoustic Induced Vibration (AIV) & Flow-Induced Vibration (FIV)
Vibration of process plant piping can be a significant risk to asset integrity and safety. This is often due to flow induced vibration (FIV) and acoustic induced vibration (AIV), and is related to the flow of the main process fluid through the piping system. Industrial Process Safety uses a widely recognised approach towards AIV and FIV based on Norsok Standard and Energy Institute guidelines respectively.
SynergenOG, through its in-house calculation sheets is able to accurately map out your specific piping network and determine potential risk areas within the network which are susceptible towards failure. This can then be used to generate specific remedial steps to mitigate the potential vulnerable areas.
Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA)
Quantitative risk assessments (QRAs) are extensively used in petrochemical and process industries to evaluate the safety of activities, processes and systems. QRAs are generally required for production and processing facilities, pipelines and storage facilities.
QRA effectively calculates a numerical representation of the level of risk within a given facility in the form of one or more of the following:
• Location Specific Individual Risk (LSIR)
• Individual Risk Per Annum (IRPA)
• Potential Loss of Life (PLL)
QRAs through its numerical risk representation allow clients to:
• Benchmark risks against regulatory compliance levels, ALARP or industry best practice
• Identify key hazard risk drivers
• Provide clarity on which risk reduction measures should be considered or provide greatest degree of impact.
Industrial Process Safety QRAs are customised towards our client’s facilities in order to ensure that risk levels are accurate and representative, using a combination of specialised in-house software spreadsheets and commercial software such as TNO RiskCurves (or equivalent).
Gas Dispersion modelling (in 2D and 3D forms)
This assessment looks at dispersion of smoke generated by fire events and unignited flammable/ toxic gas due to loss of containment/ leak incidents. Such incident may create a hazardous situation where personnel safety is compromised if exposed to a toxic gas cloud or plumes of smoke obscure their vision. When a gas or vapour is released into the atmosphere, it disperses in the atmosphere. This is a process whereby the original vapour cloud is diluted with the surrounding air as time passes. As wind is defined as the movement of air from one point to another, any vapour released into the air will naturally travel with the wind, that is, it is advected by the wind. These scenarios can be modelled using industrial recognised software (2D or 3D approach) to estimate the extent gas cloud based on its release characteristic, location of release, wind condition and the like.
Read More On Gas Dispersion Modelling
Noise Study
Noise Study will be undertaken using the Cadna-A Noise Software to evaluate the personnel noise exposure. The assessment will evaluate significant potential airborne noise sources within the facility which are rotating equipment (such as pumps, compressors, generators, coolers) and flare.
The assessment will determine the noise level throughout the whole facility, comprising accommodation and exterior areas (including topsides and machinery spaces) under normal and emergency scenarios, as well as providing recommendation to mitigate the noise hazard. This analysis will provide a noise contour map highlighting noise ‘hotspots’ and aiding in defining facility noise restriction areas and PA/GA system design suitable for the facility. A report detailing this analysis results will be produced.
Flare Radiation and Vent Dispersion Study
Flare Radiation and Vent Dispersion Study is conducted in order to assess the potential impact of all potential flare / vent upon sensitive areas within the facility which may include manned areas, equipment intakes. This study shall utilise a combination of FLARESIM (for flare scenarios) and/or PHAST (for flare flameout or vent scenarios) in order to model the physical effects generated by the flare / vent.
Human Factors Engineering (HFE)
Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is the application of human factors knowledge to the design and construction of equipment, products, work systems, management systems and tasks. By understanding the working environment, user task demands as well as work constraints, work systems can be designed and/or improved in such a way to optimize human contribution to production and minimize potential for design-induced risks to health, personal, process safety or environmental performance. Example of HFE activities which may be covered within this scope are:
.• Valve Criticality Analysis (VCA);
• Safety Critical Task Analysis (SCTA);
• Alarm Management;
• Control Room Study; and
• HFE Design Verification.
Emergency System Survivability Analysis (ESSA)
The Emergency System Survivability Analysis (ESSA) study aims to determine the vulnerability of safety systems to MAH that may prevent them from maintaining the level of protection they are designed to provide. Safety systems are reviewed in the light of their vulnerability to each MAH – this requires a deep understanding of the design and their functionality. The assessment involves review of each system based on specific scenarios where their successful activation may be compromised. In cases where vulnerability is identified then redundancy in the system is evaluated and diversity should there be insufficient redundancy.
Read More On ESSA Analysis
Technical Risk Management
What is risk assessment?
Risk Assessment is the thorough and detailed process/assessment of hazard identification (HAZID), risk analysis, and risk evaluation.
