Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

Prevent and mitigate process hazards and safety risks with our expert PHA services

Effectively managing process hazards in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, metal, pulp and paper, wood, food, and process industries has wide-reaching benefits for all stakeholders, including the employees, contractors, and the public. A Process Hazard Analyses (PHA) helps prevent injury, loss of life, and property and environmental damage that can result from industrial activity and is a primary tool for compliance with regulations such as OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 (e).

PHA is a proactive and structured approach by chemical process operations to understand what can go wrong, how likely it is to go wrong and what steps are necessary to prevent or mitigate undesired consequences.

Our process safety specialists can help you select the PHA method best suited to your specific processes and operations. With many years of experience in process safety, we are well heeled with the complexities of hazards analysis. We can assist you in accumulating the necessary process safety information including hazardous materials properties such as combustibility, flammability, explosivity, reactivity, self-heating, toxicity, electrostatic properties as well as assembling and leading the PHA team and drawing up reports and documenting outcomes.

Your Benefits

• Identification of error sources and estimation of probabilities of occurrence
• Process safety specialists with a strong industry background
• Compliance with regulations such as OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 (e)
• Internal workshops to train employees to manage risk and be effective PHA leaders

Our Approach

As each PHA method has pros and cons as well as varying scope and application, consulting with one of our experts before making a choice contributes significantly to the overall success of your PHA.

Whatever PHA methodology is chosen, the first phase of the analysis is dedicated to gathering all the applicable safety information about the materials handled, the chemical process and conditions, the control methods employed, and the equipment and systems use. The applicable safety information relevant to the targeted process are gleaned from Safety Data Sheets (SDS’s), laboratory testing, design manuals, operating procedures, and equipment manufacturers/suppliers.

During the PHA exercise for each hazard identified the team examines the existing safeguards that prevent or mitigate the undesired consequences in addition to proposing new measures should they be required.

The final critical aspect of the PHA effort is to provide adequate documentation of the analysis, its findings and recommendations. A risk management plan must follow the PHA in order to ensure that effective follow-up and closure occurs.

Why DEKRA?

• We are specialists in the entire field of process hazard analysis methods, including what-if checklists, hazard and operability studies (HAZOP), failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), fault tree analysis (FTA), layers of protection analysis (LOPA) and more.
• We assemble our teams under the guidance of an experienced, knowledgeable leader, composed of members with diverse experience and expertise.
• We have offices around the world that focus on the client's situation and take a holistic and individual view of the PHA implementation.
• We offer our services in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic and Hindi.