HAZOP

Hazard and Operability (HAZOP / SAFOP) studies use a structured, collaborative approach to identify, assess, eliminate or minimize potential hazards present in Electrical Power System Installations to enhance the safety of personnel who will operate and maintain the equipment. Electrical systems can present significant risks to operation and maintenance personnel if they are not designed ,with safety and operation correctly taken into account. In the UK the Electricity at Work Regulations impose absolute requirements on Duty holders to control danger and prevent harm to employees involved in electrical activities. Similar requirements are stipulated in NFPA 70E. Electrical systems can present major hazards to operation and maintenance personnel if they are not designed with safety and operation properly taken into account.

An EHAZOP/SAFOP assessment typically comprises: Safety Analysis (SAFAN) which considers the layout of plant and facilities to assess potential hazards, System Security (ability to discriminate and isolate only affected faulted areas) and Operability Analysis (SYSOP), which considers the way the system is designed to function, reviewing the design intent, and assessing security of supply. It covers the main equipment items and auxiliaries including multiple supplies, on-site generation, changeover schemes, standby generation and UPS systems and Operator Task Analysis (OPTAN), which examines probable tasks to be undertaken by local and remote operators during both normal and abnormal conditions These three elements, when combined, form a complete EHAZOP/SAFOP assessment process. In the early stages of a project it is advisable to carry out a SAFAN and SYSOP once the basis of design is established. A complete SAFOP, including OPTAN, should be undertaken when the details of the design and the selected equipment have been established in enough detail. The EHAZOP/SAFOP methodology can also be applied to undertake the required EHAZOP/SAFOP assessments on existing installations as part of periodic safety reviews. A key deliverable is that the basis of safety is challenged and better understood by stakeholders. Courtesy: solutions.abb.com industrialautomation-consultingservices