The cheapest time to fix a hazard is while it is still a line on a layout drawing. Once equipment is ordered, foundations are poured and the P&IDs are frozen, the same issue becomes a change request, a delay and a cost. Yet on many projects the first formal hazard study happens at detailed design, by which point the plot plan, access routes, material selection and control philosophy are all decided, and the study can do little more than add safeguards to a layout nobody questioned.

A HAZID puts structured hazard identification at the front of the project instead of the back. We facilitate and chair HAZID studies for process manufacturers across the UK at concept, feasibility and FEED stage, and for operational reviews or post-incident work on existing plant. The output is a clear picture of what could go wrong and what it means for the design, produced while the design can still absorb it.

What the study involves

A HAZID is a qualitative, wide-angle review. Rather than testing a fixed design node by node, the team looks at the proposed process, layout, equipment or activity and works through hazard sources: chemicals, mechanical systems, pressure and temperature, confined spaces, manual handling, utilities, access and egress, and external events such as flooding or fire. Each hazard is recorded with its possible consequences, the controls assumed or already in place, a qualitative risk classification and an action.

The team matters as much as the method. We bring together design engineers, process safety specialists, operators and your own representatives, because the people who will run and maintain the plant usually see the hazards the drawings do not. We plan and chair the sessions, keep the discussion structured and document everything in an auditable format.

The difference from a HAZOP is scope and timing. A HAZOP is a detailed, node-by-node examination of a defined design against its design intent, using guide words and mature drawings. A HAZID asks the broader question of what hazards this project carries at all, and can be run long before the drawings exist. The two are complementary: the HAZID shapes the design and shows which areas warrant deeper study, and the HAZOP then tests the design you settled on. A Process Hazard Review sits alongside both, useful where a project needs an early risk register but a full HAZOP is not yet justified.

What you get

  • A planned and chaired HAZID workshop with the right disciplines in the room
  • A hazard register covering each identified hazard, its consequences and existing controls
  • Qualitative risk classification against your own criteria or matrix
  • Recorded actions and recommendations with owners, in an auditable format
  • A HAZID report that supports permit applications, project gate reviews and internal governance
  • Input to design decisions on layout, access, egress, material selection and control philosophy
  • Advice on what comes next, whether HAZOP, LOPA, SIL determination or DSEAR assessment
  • Follow-up to confirm recommendations are addressed and closed out

When clients typically call us

  • A capital project is at concept or feasibility stage and needs a hazard review before options are narrowed
  • FEED is underway and the plot layout and equipment arrangement are about to be fixed
  • New technology or an unfamiliar process is being introduced to an existing site
  • A site expansion or a complex modification affects existing operations, traffic routes or escape routes
  • An incident or near miss has prompted a structured review of an operating process
  • An insurer, a corporate standard or a funding gate requires evidence of early hazard identification

Frequently asked questions

How early is too early for a HAZID?

Rarely too early. If you can describe the process, the rough layout and the materials involved, there is enough to review. A HAZID run on a block diagram still influences the decisions hardest to reverse later.

Does a HAZID replace a HAZOP?

No. It informs it. The HAZID identifies the hazards and shapes the design; the HAZOP examines the resulting design in detail once the drawings are mature. Most projects in regulated industries need both.

Who needs to attend?

A multidisciplinary group: design engineers, safety input, operations and maintenance, and someone who can speak for the client’s requirements. We advise on who is needed once we understand the scope, and can provide the engineering disciplines where you cannot resource them.

Can findings feed into DSEAR, COMAH or ATEX work?

Yes. Flammable atmosphere hazards identified at HAZID feed directly into hazardous area classification and DSEAR assessment, and our engineers hold CompEx certification for that work. Findings also support COMAH safety report material where the site is in scope.

Related: Part of our process safety services. See also HAZOP facilitation and DSEAR assessments.

If you have a project taking shape and you want the hazards on the table while changes are still cheap, we can plan and chair the study. Talk to us about your site. Request a call