What is HAZID ? Hazard Identification

HAZID, also known as Hazard Identification, is a workshop based qualitative risk analysis technique commonly used for the identification of potential hazards and threats in a process.
The purpose is to:

• • Review the process at an early stage with a view to ensuring that the process design accounts for credible hazardous scenarios
• • Review safeguards included in the design of the process which are designed to mitigate the relevant risk for the identified hazardous scenarios.

In order to conduct a successful HAZID workshop, it is important to involve a multi-disciplinary team familiar with the process and its operation.

The study should be led by an experienced chair, with a scribe to record all identified hazardous scenarios, likely consequences, safeguards and actions. The effectiveness of the HAZID (and similar studies) relies heavily on the experience of the workshop team to ensure that relevant foreseeable scenarios are captured.

When to Conduct a HAZID?

HAZID is likely to be one of the first formal HSE-related studies for any new project and is normally performed at the early design stage of a project.

The major benefit of conducting a HAZID at this time is the early identification of high consequence hazards providing essential input to project development decisions before the design reaches its final stages. This will lead to safer and more cost-effective design options being adopted with a minimum cost of change penalty.

It is a flexible risk analysis technique that can be used at any time in the lifecycle of a plant, from early project life to decommissioning. For example, HAZID analyses are often used for Management of Change where modifications, upgrades, or re-design of existing facilities are carried out.