Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) Preparation: A Role Based Optimization

A Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) meeting consumes large resources and can place a strain on departmental manpower. Companies are often faced with the want to be more efficient in PHA’s, conflicting with the need to be thorough and accurate. The key to solving this paradox is efficient preparation. By examining the lessons learned from past PHA’s, a role-by-role analysis of best practices with regards to preparation will allow a PHA team to reduce the costly time spent in the meeting and yet still stay true to the methods and deliver a great, safe result.

When it comes to an optimal PHA, preparation is everything. For example, in a 6-member PHA team, 60 minutes of misused time equates to 6 hours of misused manhours. Whether the role is managerial, operations, engineering, or even facilitation, there are lessons learned from previous PHA’s that, when shared, will not only make the PHA more efficient and the facility safer, but the industry as whole better. The goal being that those in attendance be able to take back to their company these practical preparation tips to share with their present and future PHA team members so that the resources of the facility can be better spent.