Documentation and utilization of the results of hazard evaluation studies

Abstract

A Hazard Evaluation (HE) study is not finished until the study documentation is complete and all of the issues and recommendations from the HE study have been resolved. While the extent and detail of the HE documentation will vary depending on the HE technique used, and on the stage in the process life cycle at which the study is performed, all studies should include documentation in three categories:

• 1
  Process documentation, defining the design and intended operation of the facility at the time the HE study was performed.
• 2
  HE study documentation, recording the actual performance of the HE study and including, for example, meeting notes or worksheets, logic models, hazard index calculations, etc.
• 3
  Action documentation, summarizing all recommendations, perhaps with prioritization, and listing actions taken in response to the recommendations.

Thorough and complete documentation of HE studies is essential for understanding the concerns which give rise to each recommendation, tracking action taken on recommendations to insure that all are resolved, using the HE study as a basis for subsequent HE or quantitative risk analysis studies, using the HE study to assist in the management of change, and periodic updating of the HE study. Modern computer based information storage and retrieval technology also opens the potential for use of HE study documentation as a tool for training and for process troubleshooting.