About this course
A process hazard analysis (PHA) is a documented, systematic review of a chemical process used to identify hazards, evaluate whether existing safeguards are adequate, and catch gaps before they lead to a release. This course trains safety engineers on how PHAs are structured and how to apply HAZOP — Hazard and Operability Study — one of the most widely used PHA methodologies for continuous processes, such as ammonia refrigeration systems commonly found in food and beverage plants.
The requirement comes from OSHA's Process Safety Management standard, 29 CFR 1910.119(e), which OSHA describes as the key provision of the 14-element PSM program. The standard requires employers to use one or more recognized methodologies appropriate to the process being analyzed, including What-If, Checklist, What-If/Checklist, HAZOP, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis, or an equivalent approach. Every PHA must address the content items listed in 1910.119(e)(3), including facility siting, human factors, and the consequences of failure of engineering and administrative controls. PHAs must be revalidated at least every five years, and PHA records and the resolution of any recommendations must be retained for the life of the covered process.
This course is written for safety engineers, process engineers, and PSM coordinators who will lead, participate in, or scope a PHA team, particularly at facilities with ammonia refrigeration or other processes covered by PSM thresholds. It assumes a working familiarity with the facility's process safety information (P&ID's, equipment specifications, and operating limits) that feeds into the analysis.
After completing this course, learners will be able to select an appropriate PHA methodology for a given process, run a HAZOP review using standard guide words (such as No, More, Less, and Reverse) to identify deviations from design intent, document findings and recommendations in a manner that satisfies 1910.119(e), and plan for the required five-year revalidation cycle.
Topics covered
- Why PHA is central to OSHA's PSM standard
- Choosing between HAZOP, What-If, Checklist, and FMEA methodologies
- Running a HAZOP with guide words and process nodes
- Required content under 1910.119(e)(3): facility siting, human factors, and safeguard failure
- Tracking and resolving PHA recommendations
- Revalidation timing and recordkeeping obligations
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