An overview of PHA templates and checklists developed for a refining system and lessons learned

Abstract

AbstractThe Chevron Refining organization has completed a multi‐year effort to create process hazard analysis (PHA) templates and checklists to improve the consistency and quality of PHAs. The goal of this study is to provide an overview of the content, development process, and lessons learned. The lessons learned included the following. Members of PHA teams and SMEs have differing experiences and perspectives on the risk of loss of containment, necessitating a standardized method for developing consequences and modifiers. Typical PHA teams (e.g., facilitator, process and/or design engineer, and operator) will have differing levels of engineering and operating experience, making a thorough understanding of the various types of equipment and processes in a typical refining unit impractical. PHA teams cannot realistically bring in SMEs on an as needed basis to aid with the analysis. Concerns that templated solutions might cause PHA teams to lose their creativity and focus only on the templates, and that templates might omit or incorrectly assess a hazard, have been outweighed by the benefits of the templates.