Hazard Identification Study (HazID)

What Does Hazard Identification Study (HazID) Mean?

A hazard identification (HazID) study is a procedure used to uncover and identify hazards in the workplace. Its purpose is to determine the adverse effects of exposure to a hazard while also providing suggestions for mitigating risks.

It is one of the multiple tools used for risk management and haard evaluation.

Safeopedia Explains Hazard Identification Study (HazID)

Workplace hazards are a common cause of injury, death, and financial losses. OSHA requires employers to implement measures to control these hazards and protect workers from them. This includes taking reasonable steps to identify and understand the hazards in the work environment.

HazID studies review potential hazards by running through checklists and are often conducted at the project stage.

To ensrue its quality and effectiveness, a HazID study should be carried out with input from a multidisciplinary team that is well acquainted with the project or facility they are reviewing.

Benefits of Conducting a HazID study

One of the purposes of conducting a HazID is to provide essential input to project development decisions. It helps identify or examine all possible sources of hazard in all stages of a project including project design, construction, installation, operations, changes to current operations, and decommissioning.

Other benefits include:

• Reveals hazards at an early stage, i.e., before they happen
• Identifies opportunities for inherent safety
• Hazards are recorded and managed or mitigated
• Specific process modifications can be established at an early stage
• Preventive measures can be applied
• Budget overruns can be avoided
• Establishes hazard screening criteria
• Enables documentation of non-critical hazards that may otherwise be ignored

Steps to Conduct a HazID Study

The HazID can be conducted effectively using the following key elements:

Groundwork

This step involves collecting all relevant information regarding the project including blueprints, understanding the client’s standards and expectations, and forming an effective study team. The team should include a study leader, a person to record the discussions, and an experienced HazID study team.

Terms of Reference (TOR) and Preparation

The prepared TOR should be developed for each study and agreed upon with concerned stakeholders. The TOR should include among other things:

• The objective, scope, guidewords, methodology, and breakdown of HazID sessions
• Reference documents
• Schedule and deliverables
• Details of personnel attending the workshop

Workshop Sessions

The sessions include a review of study TOR and recording of sessions, ground rules, review of facilities and operations. The duration of the workshop may vary depending on the scope of the study.

Reporting

The HazID study report becomes a permanent record that can be referred by those not a part of the team. Client-approved worksheets and recording methods should be used to record the workshop sessions.