Process Hazard Analysis
Learn how to conduct a process hazard analysis and the methods available.
Definition: Process Hazard Analysis
Process safety hazards can result in catastrophic outcomes, from a major fire to an explosion and/or a toxic release, if the process or material is not managed with care.
It is therefore critical to perform a process hazard analysis (PHA) to identify process hazards as early as possible and put in place measures to control the hazards.
PHA is a method of technical risk assessment. It analyses industrial processes to identify hazardous situations and assess their potential impact if improperly managed.
Conducting PHA
The steps to conducting a typical PHA are as follows:
- Select process for analysis
- Assembly PHA team
- Schedule PHA meetings
- Select PHA method
- Conduct PHA
- Document PHA findings
- Develop action plan
- Implement action items
Methods for PHA
Some common PHA methods used in the process industry include:
- Checklist
- What-If
- What-If Checklist
- HAZOP Study
For more information on PHA, refer to the WSH Guidelines on Process Hazard Analysis (PDF).
