Process Safety Consultancy

Our expert Process Safety Consultants are available to support the chemical process and associated high hazard industries in identifying hazards, quantifying risk, and delivering compliant safety studies. These are fully compliant with international standards including IEC 61511 (functional safety) and BS EN 61882 (HazOp) and follow established industry best practice. We provide independent, technically rigorous facilitation and review to ensure that risk reduction measures are proportionate, defensible, and capable of withstanding regulatory scrutiny.

Consultancy topics

• HazOp
• LOPA
• DSEAR Assessment
• Process Safety Management
• Process Safety Auditing

Hazard and Operability Study (HazOp)

HazOp is a systematic technique for reviewing a process design to understand the hazards present and identify appropriate control measures.

We deliver:

• Professionally facilitated hazard studies, in full compliance with IEC 61511. This includes all stages of hazard study, including hazard studies 0 and 1, HAZID and HazOp.
• Clear identification of credible failure scenarios and relevant safeguards.
• Clear identification of the scenarios that require further, more detailed analysis (e.g. using LOPA).
• Structured documentation suitable for regulatory review.
• Practical actions and recommendations linked to risk reduction.

Our approach ensures that studies are technically disciplined, efficiently executed and integrated into the wider project lifecycle. We specialise in delivering the right study, in the right way, and at the right time.

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Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)

Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) is a semi-quantitative risk assessment methodology used to further evaluate any high-consequence scenarios that were identified during HazOp.

LOPA is most frequently used for “SIL determination” – that is, deciding what SIL (if any) instrumented protective functions need to be designed to. LOPA may also be used to support risk-based decision making for major accident scenarios.

Our LOPA procedures are structural, transparent, and numerically robust, ensuring clear decision-making and defensible SIL targets.

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DSEAR Assessment

Our DSEAR assessment services support organisations in complying with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR).

We conduct structured assessments to identify dangerous substances, evaluate the risk of fire and explosion, and determine the adequacy of existing control and mitigation measures. Our work includes hazardous area classification (HAC), ignition source analysis, and review of equipment suitability in accordance with relevant standards and guidance, including BS EN 60079 and EI15.

Each DSEAR assessment includes:

• Clear identification of fire and explosion hazards.
• Evaluation of technical and organisational control measures.
• Clearly documented hazardous area classification (HAC) and hazardous area zoning.
• Practical, proportionate recommendations.
• Audit-ready documentation.

Our assessments are technically rigorous, but also focus on providing pragmatic solutions. We ensure that appropriate risk reduction measures are put in place, and that the whole assessment is clearly documented to ensure compliance.

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Process Safety Management (PSM) Support

Our process safety consultants are available to support clients in designing, implementing and strengthening PSM frameworks which prevent process safety incidents and demonstrate compliance with legal requirements and relevant good practice.

Effective process safety management requires a structured, leadership-driven system that integrates hazard identification, risk control, operational discipline, and continuous improvement at each stage of the process safety and project lifecycles.

We support organisations to:

• Develop and enhance Process Safety Management systems.
• Align governance structures with legislative requirements such as COMAH.
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities.
• Establish appropriate process safety performance indicators (PSPI) in accordance with published good practice guidelines.
• Strengthen Management of Change (MoC), contractor control and competence management processes.
• Integrate functional safety lifecycle requirements (e.g. from IEC 61511).

Our approach combines technical depth with practical implementation. Where gaps are identified, we provide structured, proportionate improvement plans. These focus on strengthening barriers, reinforcing leadership oversight and cultural change - embedding process safety into day-to-day decision-making.

The outcome is a robust PSM framework that prevents process safety incidents from occurring and demonstrates compliance with relevant and best practices.

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Process Safety Auditing

Our Process Safety Auditing services provide independent evaluation of your organisation’s process safety management systems, governance arrangements, and technical compliance.

We assess conformance against recognised frameworks, including COMAH, IEC 61511, and EI 3197 – the Energy Institute’s high level framework for process safety management. Audits examine both documentation and operational reality, checking whether systems are implemented effectively rather than existing solely on paper.

Our audits typically review:

• Process safety management systems and leadership oversight.
• Hazard and risk assessment quality and follow-through.
• Functional safety lifecycle compliance.
• Management of change (MoC) processes.
• Competence and training arrangements.
• Leading process safety indicators (i.e., indicators that look at the inputs to the process safety management system).
• Lagging process safety indicators (i.e., indicators that look at the results of the PSM system, including learning from incidents and near misses).

Each audit delivers a structured findings report with prioritised, risk-based recommendations. We focus on identifying systemic weaknesses, strengthening governance and improving the practical control of major accident hazards.

Our objective is not simply to confirm compliance, but to enhance resilience and reduce the likelihood of high-consequence events. Put simply, a =Method process safety audit will help you to sleep at night, knowing that you’ve taken all necessary measures to keep your people and plant safe.

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