Review of the layer of protection analysis results after process safety incidents

The layer of protection analysis (LOPA) is a well‐established and valuable tool to assess process risk in a plant. Due to the complexity of the method, the composition of the team evaluating a safety scenario bears the inherent risk of subjective judgment and may influence the outcome significantly....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Process safety progress 2022-09, Vol.41 (3), p.461-468
Main Authors: Essl, Hans Juergen, Sandholzer, Daniel, Werner, Leonhard, Zimmer, Georg
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ammonia
hazards evaluation
incident investigations
layer of protection analysis (LOPA)
Safety
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Summary:The layer of protection analysis (LOPA) is a well‐established and valuable tool to assess process risk in a plant. Due to the complexity of the method, the composition of the team evaluating a safety scenario bears the inherent risk of subjective judgment and may influence the outcome significantly. Factors influencing the results of the analysis are the experience and knowledge of team members, but also national regulations and standards. Thus, LOPA gives a good basis for process safety risks but needs to be accompanied by additional considerations. The aim of this paper is to share experiences of the practical application of LOPA in existing plants and review scenarios of Process Safety Incidents. The comparison of results between five Borealis ammonia plants located in France and Austria has revealed significant differences in approach and result.
ISSN:1066-8527
1547-5913
DOI:10.1002/prs.12339