How Layer of Protection Analysis In Europe Is Affected by the Guidance Drawn up After the Buncefield Accident

The Buncefield fire was described as the biggest fire in Western Europe since the second world war. It has had a major effect on the regulator's standards for storage of flammable materials. These standards include significant changes in design requirements for overfill prevention, secondary and tertiary containment, operations, emergency planning, land use planning and risk assessment. In the case of risk assessment the Health and Safety Executive's preferred methods include Layer of Protection Analysis. The initial reports in 2007 included examples on how this might be applied. In the event, these examples led several operators and supporting consultants to produce what the regulator considers inadequate LOPA studies. The Process Safety Leadership Group requested that a multi interest group be formed under the chairmanship of the European Process Safety Centre to produce suitable detailed guidance. The work of this group formed appendix 2 of the final report published December 11 2009.

The paper describes: • the process by which the guidance was produced, • the testing it received and • the guidance itself

The published guidance goes significantly further than what might be considered ‘standard' LOPA practice. It is quite clear that some aspects will conflict with the originators' original intentions. However, it is clear that the current ‘state of play' in the U.K. is a development of LOPA which is still operable and valuable. The key advantages of LOPA as a method are retained while at the same time introducing some aspects which the regulator perceives as essential.