Conferences and Journal Publications
The Flow Method: An Improved Hazard and Operability Study Methodology
2025 Process Safety Progress
The traditional Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) is a well-established methodology in the chemical industry for hazard identification and risk analysis, also known as Process Hazard Analysis (PHA). However, its deviation-based approach can lead to inefficiencies, fragmented reviews, and increased team fatigue. The Process Flow Failure Modes Analysis (PFFM) was introduced as an efficient alternative, evaluating risk based on the natural process flow, and recognizing that each piece of equipment has knowable failure modes. However, PFFM's limitations include the intensive preparation and the qualitative nature of the evaluation, leaving potential for missed risks. Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA), a more quantitative method, typically relies on HAZOP results, which increases team resource usage. This paper introduces the “Flow Method,” an evolved and optimized blend of HAZOP, PFFM, and LOPA. By integrating additional tools, the Flow Method enhances the overall PHA process, resulting in streamlined, and consistent studies with unparalleled thoroughness. With over 200 studies conducted across 25 production sites and terminals, Nutrien has now adopted the Flow Method for all PHA studies. This paper presents comparative data from multiple studies and locations, demonstrating the Flow Method's effectiveness and its potential to revolutionize process safety analysis in the chemical industry.
The Hazards Next Door: Streamlining PHAs in Utilities and Ancillaries
2025 AIChE GCPS Conference
Poster Session
Almost every industrial process has ancillary and utility processes to deliver essential energy and maintain stable conditions for uninterrupted, optimal performance. While potential interruptions in these systems are often considered within the main process PHA, the specific risks and reliability of utility and ancillary processes are evaluated inconsistently across companies and industries. This session will present a case study on a streamlined hazard analysis methodology that provides a thorough risk assessment for utility and ancillary processes without requiring the extensive resources of a full HAZOP study.
This methodology employs a dual approach: a checklist aligned with Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP), combined with a targeted what-if analysis to assess and address any identified reliability and safety gaps. The checklist ensures that system design meets RAGAGEP standards, while the what-if component evaluates specific risks and confirms that adequate safeguards are in place.
The data gathered through this streamlined approach is compared to outcomes from full-scale hazard assessments, demonstrating effective hazard identification, risk mitigation, and resource efficiency. This presentation will illustrate how companies can adopt this method to achieve comprehensive safety insights with significantly reduced effort and cost.
Empowering Process Safety Culture: A Case Study on Leadership-Driven PSM Program
2025 AIChE GCPS Conference
Presentation
This case study examines a targeted initiative to enhance the PSM program at a chemical manufacturing site, focusing on cultivating a robust process safety culture. This study highlights the influential role of process safety professionals in inspiring all employees to consistently commit to process safety as a core value. Data collected through employee surveys, administered before and after implementing improvements, provide insights into the PSM program's impact on process safety culture.
The case study underscores the essential influence of site and corporate leadership in driving cultural change, emphasizing that clear and consistent messaging around PSM principles can inspire employees at all levels to engage proactively in safety initiatives. To address the upcoming generational transition known as the "great shift change," the program includes specific efforts to develop process safety leadership skills in newer employees, ensuring the continuity of process safety values.
Preliminary findings indicate that these leadership-focused strategies have led to measurable improvements in safety performance indicators at this site. This study offers a practical model for other facilities aiming to achieve sustainable process safety excellence through influential and inspirational leadership.
Evaluating the Limitations of Generative AI in the Analysis of PHA Recommendations
2025 AIChE GCPS Conference
Presentation
While advancements in generative AI offer promising avenues for innovation in process safety, the use of AI in analyzing complex text datasets such as PHA recommendations remains a challenging endeavor. This paper presents a case study in which generative AI was used to analyze a dataset of 800 PHA recommendations, with the objective of identifying trends, enhancing risk understanding, and pinpointing key areas for program improvement. Despite initial expectations, the analysis revealed limitations in generative AI's ability to accurately identify and contextualize trends within the data. The complexity and specificity of safety recommendations posed challenges for generative AI, which struggled to consistently categorize nuanced information or distinguish patterns that require subject matter expert-level context and domain-specific insights.
This research underscores the gap between generative AI's capabilities and the high precision required in process safety applications, raising important questions about the applicability of generative AI for automated decision-support in safety-critical environments. While generative AI showed potential in assisting with straightforward engineering evaluations during PHAs, it fell short in delivering actionable insights for trend analysis and risk identification. This paper discusses the limitations observed, along with the ethical implications of relying on generative AI in such contexts. The findings highlight the importance of integrating expert oversight in generative AI-assisted analyses and propose avenues for refining AI approaches to better support the rigorous demands of process safety.
Enhancing Virtual PHA Communication: Applying Motivational Interviewing Techniques to Improve Hazard Identification in Remote HAZOP Sessions
2025 AIChE GCPS Conference
Poster Session
As the industry increasingly adopts virtual PHA sessions, efficiency gains are evident. However, questions arise around the quality of communication in these settings: Does the lack of in-person body language and face-to-face interaction compromise hazard identification? Can facilitators adapt by integrating proven interviewing techniques, drawing from motivational interviewing practices in the medical field, to foster open, effective dialogue in virtual sessions? This paper explores these questions, presenting data-driven insights and evidence-based conversational techniques designed to enhance facilitator-participant communication. Findings suggest whether participants express concerns more openly in virtual versus in-person HAZOPs and outline strategies for effective facilitation in digital environments.
Enhancing PHA Facilitation through the Elicit-Provide-Elicit Method: A Novel Approach Inspired by Motivational Interviewing
2024 AIChE GCPS Conference
Presentation
The traditional Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) is a widely accepted systematic methodology for hazard identification and risk analysis in the chemical process industry. However, the deviation-based approach in the traditional HAZOP method may be considered as counterintuitive, leading to fragmented reviews, time inefficiency, and increased fatigue in study teams. The Process Flow Failure Modes Analysis (PFFM) is one method in industry that has been proposed as an efficient alternative to HAZOP, but there are some weaknesses with PFFM as well. To address these weaknesses, this paper proposes an evolution to PFFM called the Flow Method, which combines additional tools along with an improved PFFM method to deliver streamlined, consistent, and thorough study results. This paper presents data on many study outcomes using the Flow Method as evidence of its efficacy.
The Flow Method: An Improved Hazop Methodology
2024 AIChE GCPS Conference
Poster Session
The traditional Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) is a widely accepted systematic methodology for hazard identification and risk analysis in the chemical process industry. However, the deviation-based approach in the traditional HAZOP method may be considered as counterintuitive, leading to fragmented reviews, time inefficiency, and increased fatigue in study teams. The Process Flow Failure Modes Analysis (PFFM) is one method in industry that has been proposed as an efficient alternative to HAZOP, but there are some weaknesses with PFFM as well. To address these weaknesses, this paper proposes an evolution to PFFM called the Flow Method, which combines additional tools along with an improved PFFM method to deliver streamlined, consistent, and thorough study results. This paper presents data on many study outcomes using the Flow Method as evidence of its efficacy.