Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP)

A Hazard and Operability Study, or HAZOP, is a structured, team-based examination of a process design that systematically searches for deviations from the design intent and judges whether each deviation could create a hazard or impair operability. Its signature device is the guide word: terms such as 'No', 'More', 'Less', 'Reverse' and 'Other than' are combined with process parameters like flow, pressure and temperature at each part of the system to provoke a complete and disciplined set of 'what if it went wrong this way?' questions. IEC 61882 is the international application guide that defines the technique, its guide words and its workflow, while the CCPS Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures situates HAZOP among the core hazard-evaluation methods of process safety. The method's power lies in its rigorous, qualitative completeness: by walking every node and every guide word, a multidisciplinary team aims to leave no credible deviation unconsidered.