LOPA (Layers of Protection Analysis)

LOPA is a Safety Report which has been created to be submitted under the Control of Major Accidents Regulations 1999 (COMAH) needs to justify that the risks occurring from major hazards at the business of operation are as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).

Most cases will require a method of risk assessment. The Safety Report recognises several risk assessment techniques using the Line of Defence / Layer of Protection concept and their usefulness in the COMAH context. Several methods (LOPA, TRAM, AVRIM2 and PLANOP) are used for demonstrating ALARP in COMAH safety reports. Of the techniques considered, it is well established that LOPA (Layer of Protection Analysis) is a useful tool in presenting risk assessments for COMAH purposes. (Information contained on this page was sourced from the Health and Safety Executive, you can find out more here).

LOPA allows assurance of safety as it provides:

Detailed, Semi-Quantitative Assessments

LOPA can provide a more detailed, semi-quantitative assessment of the risks and layers of protection associated with hazard scenarios.

Discovers Weaknesses and Strengths

LOPA allows the safety review team an opportunity to discover weaknesses and strengths in the safety systems used to protect employees, the plant, and the public.

Identifies How Safe a Scenario is

LOPA is a means to identify the scenarios that present the most significant risk and determine if the consequences could be reduced by the application of inherently safer design principles.

Identifies the Needs for Safety Instrumented Systems

LOPA can also be used to identify the need for safety instrumented systems (SIS) or other protection layers to improve process safety.

Minimises Safety Risks

Potential risks are minimised which helps to prevent prospective accidents within a business. It is a method of risk assessment and hazard evaluation, particularly pertinent to chemical threats. It is used mainly in the process industries as a risk assessment tool. Every industrial process has a degree of risk associated with running it and this is one of the popular tools to evaluate these risks and ensure that they remain as minimal threat as possible. It may be used in conjunction with other risk assessment tools such as HAZOP and is also used to calculate a target SIL (Safety Integrity Level) for a Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS).

We have many years of expertise and the capabilities required to conduct Layers of Protection Analysis for your business.