Case Studies

Results from Recent Engagements

Pharmaceuticals/HAZOP Study

HAZOP Revalidation for a Multi-Product API Manufacturing Plant

Challenge

A growing API manufacturer needed to revalidate HAZOP studies across 6 reactors after multiple process route changes accumulated without a structured review.

Approach

Process Pulse conducted a gap-focused HAZOP revalidation, prioritising nodes affected by route changes, and cross-checked existing safeguards against current process chemistry.

Outcome

Identified 14 unaddressed deviations introduced by route changes; closed all high-priority actions within 8 weeks ahead of a regulatory inspection.

Petrochemicals/Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA)

QRA for Land-Use Planning Approval at a Petrochemical Expansion

Challenge

A petrochemical complex expansion required individual and societal risk contours to support land-use planning approval near a growing residential boundary.

Approach

Full QRA covering all major hazardous inventories, including consequence modelling across multiple weather categories and ALARP demonstration for risk reduction options.

Outcome

Risk contours demonstrated compliance with land-use planning criteria; ALARP report supported approval without requiring costly inventory reduction.

Fertilizers/Consequence Modelling

Ammonia Release Consequence Modelling for a Fertilizer Plant ERDMP Update

Challenge

An ammonia storage and synthesis facility needed updated dispersion modelling to support a statutory ERDMP revision after storage capacity increased.

Approach

Modelled multiple ammonia release scenarios across credible weather conditions, generating toxic dispersion contours for emergency planning zone definition.

Outcome

Updated ERDMP submitted with revised emergency planning distances; off-site authority coordination improved with clearer hazard footprint data.

Refineries/Risk Based Inspection (RBI)

RBI Program Reducing Turnaround Inspection Scope at a Refinery

Challenge

A refinery's time-based inspection program was driving turnaround scope and cost upward without clear risk justification for the equipment selected.

Approach

Implemented an API 580/581-aligned RBI program covering 400+ equipment items, ranking risk and optimising inspection technique and interval per item.

Outcome

Reduced next turnaround inspection scope by 22% on low-risk equipment while increasing inspection frequency on the highest-risk 8% of assets.

Hydrogen Plants/HAZID Study

HAZID Study Informing Site Layout for a Green Hydrogen Facility

Challenge

A green hydrogen production facility at pre-FEED stage needed early hazard identification to inform site layout before electrolyser and storage placement was finalised.

Approach

Conducted a HAZID workshop addressing hydrogen-specific flammability, embrittlement, and storage hazards, screening scenarios for further QRA study.

Outcome

Layout revised to increase separation between electrolyser and storage areas at near-zero cost; flagged scenarios carried into a follow-up QRA.

Specialty Chemicals/SIL Assessment

Combined LOPA and SIL Program for a Specialty Chemical Multi-Purpose Plant

Challenge

A multi-purpose specialty chemical plant had HAZOP findings recommending instrumented safeguards without a consistent basis for determining required reliability.

Approach

Ran LOPA across all high-severity HAZOP scenarios to quantify required risk reduction, then performed SIL verification for the resulting safety instrumented functions.

Outcome

Established SIL targets for 11 safety instrumented functions with verified architecture and proof-test intervals, replacing ad-hoc safeguard decisions.