Critical Success Factors for Effective PHAs

Abstract for 11^th Global Congress on Process Safety

Proposed title:  Critical Success Factors for Effective PHAs

 Key Words:  PHA scope, PHA team, leadership skills, PHA techniques, information, safeguards, PHA traps

 PHA’s have been an industry practice since the early techniques were develop at ICI in the 1970’s and a part of the PSM rule since its inception in 1992.  While PHAs are consistently completed on processes, they are also frequently cited in incident investigations as having been ineffective in identifying critical hazards, missing required safeguards, being inadequate for the complexity of the process, or being ineffective in other ways. 

Much has been learned over the years on what makes a PHA successful in preventing incidents.  Substantial effort is required in the preparation for a comprehensive PHA.  Appropriate methodologies must be used.  PHA Teams must be comprised of people with the right knowledge and skill sets.  Information available to the PHA Team must be complete and comprehensive.  The time spent doing the PHA must be adequate for thorough analysis of the process.  Recommendations from the PHA must be carried though to closure.

This paper will review the success factors for effective PHAs, list some practices that should be employed for improving the quality and effectiveness of any hazard analysis, and provide the user with an outline for conducting high quality PHAs.