Chemical Safety: Relief and Risk Assessment Course

Lesson 1 • Properties of Hazardous Chemicals

Teaches physical and chemical properties that drive hazard behavior. Links property data to storage, handling, and release consequence predictions.

Lesson 2 • Safety Culture and Human Factors

Analyzes how organizational culture and human behavior influence incident rates. Provides tools for assessing and improving safety culture at the facility level.

Lesson 3 • Chemical Hazard Classification Systems

Covers globally harmonized hazard categories, pictograms, and signal words. Establishes the classification vocabulary used throughout all subsequent risk assessment work.

Lesson 1 • Qualitative Risk Ranking Methods

Applies risk matrices and risk graphs to rank identified hazards. Provides criteria for prioritizing mitigation resources across multiple process units.

Lesson 2 • Hazard Identification Techniques

Introduces HAZID, checklist, and what-if methods for systematic hazard discovery. Connects identification outputs to risk ranking and mitigation planning.

Lesson 3 • Risk Assessment Concepts and Terminology

Defines hazard, risk, consequence, likelihood, and risk tolerance. Establishes a shared vocabulary essential for all subsequent assessment methods.

Lesson 1 • HAZOP Study Methodology

Teaches guide-word application, node selection, and deviation analysis in HAZOP. Directly supports identification of credible causes and consequences in process systems.

Lesson 2 • Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

Applies FMEA to equipment and instrumentation to identify failure modes and effects. Builds risk priority numbers to rank corrective actions by criticality.

Lesson 3 • Selecting and Combining PHA Methods

Guides selection of appropriate PHA tools based on process complexity and lifecycle stage. Demonstrates how HAZOP, FMEA, and LOPA outputs integrate into a unified risk picture.

Lesson 1 • Relief Device Design Standards

Reviews internationally recognized pressure vessel and relief device codes. Applies standard requirements to set pressure, accumulation, and overpressure allowances.

Lesson 2 • Relief Device Installation and Maintenance

Addresses inlet and outlet piping requirements, isolation practices, and inspection intervals. Ensures installed devices perform as designed under actual operating conditions.

Lesson 3 • Types of Pressure Relief Devices

Covers spring-loaded valves, pilot-operated valves, rupture disks, and combinations. Connects device characteristics to selection criteria for specific service conditions.

Lesson 1 • Credible Overpressure Scenario Identification

Systematically identifies all scenarios that can generate overpressure in a process unit. Links scenario selection to HAZOP findings and design basis documentation.

Lesson 2 • Reactive and Two-Phase Relief Loads

Addresses calorimetric testing data and two-phase flow models for reactive systems. Extends standard sizing methods to handle the most complex and hazardous relief scenarios.

Lesson 3 • Non-Fire Scenario Load Calculations

Covers blocked outlet, control valve failure, and utility loss load calculations. Demonstrates how each scenario yields a specific required relieving rate for device sizing.

Lesson 4 • Thermodynamic Basis for Relief Sizing

Applies energy and mass balance principles to determine relief flow requirements. Provides the thermodynamic foundation for all subsequent sizing calculations.

Lesson 1 • Liquid Relief Valve Sizing

Sizes relief valves for incompressible liquid service using standard flow equations. Addresses viscosity correction and liquid thermal expansion scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Documentation and Design Verification

Structures relief device datasheets, calculation packages, and design basis documents. Establishes verification steps to confirm sizing meets all applicable standard requirements.

Lesson 3 • Vapor and Gas Relief Valve Sizing

Applies API and equivalent standard equations to size relief valves for compressible flow. Covers critical and subcritical flow regimes and back-pressure correction factors.

Lesson 4 • Two-Phase and Reactive System Sizing

Applies omega method and direct integration techniques for two-phase relief sizing. Ensures adequate capacity for the most demanding reactive and flashing service conditions.

Lesson 1 • Flare Header and Network Design

Covers simultaneous relief load estimation, header sizing, and back-pressure management. Ensures the flare network accommodates worst-case combined relief without exceeding device limits.

Lesson 2 • Disposal System Design Principles

Establishes the hierarchy of disposal options from closed systems to atmospheric venting. Connects disposal method selection to fluid toxicity, flammability, and regulatory requirements.

Lesson 3 • Knockout Drum and Seal Design

Sizes knockout drums for liquid separation and flare seals for flashback prevention. Integrates drum and seal design into the overall flare system safety architecture.

Lesson 4 • Flare Tip and Radiation Analysis

Applies combustion and radiation models to size flare tips and establish exclusion zones. Verifies personnel and equipment protection against thermal radiation limits.

Lesson 1 • Individual and Societal Risk Metrics

Calculates individual risk contours and F-N curves for societal risk presentation. Applies risk tolerance criteria to determine whether calculated risk is acceptable.

Lesson 2 • Risk Management Plans and Communication

Develops risk management plans integrating QRA findings with operational controls. Structures risk communication for regulators, workers, and surrounding communities.

Lesson 3 • Fault Tree and Event Tree Analysis

Constructs fault trees and event trees to quantify failure probability and accident sequences. Provides the probabilistic foundation for full quantitative risk assessment.

Lesson 4 • Consequence Modeling for Chemical Releases

Models dispersion, fire, and explosion consequences using standard engineering tools. Quantifies hazard zones to support risk contour generation and land-use planning.