Hazard and Operability Study
A Hazard and Operability Study is a structured team review used to identify process hazards and operating problems by examining deviations from design intent.
What this term means in maintenance
A Hazard and Operability Study is a structured team review used to identify process hazards and operating problems by examining deviations from design intent.
How HAZOP works
A multidisciplinary team reviews process sections using guide words such as:
- No
- More
- Less
- Reverse
- Other than
- As well as
Practical example
The team reviews the deviation “No Flow” through a reactor feed line and identifies causes, consequences, safeguards, and actions.
Maintenance contribution
Maintenance provides information about equipment failure modes, isolation, testing, bypasses, reliability, and maintainability.
Outputs
HAZOP produces findings, recommendations, owners, priorities, and required follow-up.
Common mistake
Closing HAZOP actions administratively without implementing and verifying the actual risk-control work leaves hazards unresolved.
Related concepts
Related maintenance terms
Keep exploring connected CMMS, reliability, and maintenance planning terms.
Layer of Protection Analysis
Layer of Protection Analysis is a semi-quantitative method used to evaluate whether independent protection layers provide sufficient risk reduction for a hazardous scenario.
Management of Change
Management of Change is the controlled process used to assess, approve, implement, document, and review changes that could affect safety, quality, environment, reliability, or compliance.
Fault Tree Analysis
Fault tree analysis is a deductive method that starts with an unwanted event and maps the combinations of equipment, process, control, or human failures that could cause it.
Hazard and Operability Study FAQs
- What does HAZOP stand for?
HAZOP stands for Hazard and Operability Study.
- How does HAZOP identify hazards?
A team applies guide words to deviations from process design intent.
- How does maintenance contribute?
Through failure modes, isolation, bypass, testing, reliability, and maintainability knowledge.