Functional Modeling and Reasoning about Hazards

Hazard identification is the first step of risk management. It is vital to ensure quality of risk management. To improve the consistency and completeness of hazard analysis of complex system, such as offshore installations, this paper proposes a method in relation with hazards modelling and reasoning to systematically dealing with hazard analysis, eventually it helps with process safety including digital solutions. The Multilevel Flow Modeling (MFM) method is selected as a modeling framework. The definition of hazards, hazard taxonomies, hierarchy of hazards, and domino effect in terms of MFM and reasoning for its escalating consequence are introduced. The method is applied to the case study of an industrial real complex oil well test process in the North Sea for analyzing a hypothetical accident, which is assuming that the fire and explosion following loss of containment of HP flare header. The results show that the method can facilitate hazard analysis. It potentially can connect condition monitoring information of equipment to avoid such accident happening.