Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
Overview
This course is also being delivered online – view details >>
"All of a sudden, the whole concept came together as an 'aha'."
Layer of protection analysis (LOPA) is a semi-quantitative tool for analysing and assessing risk on a process plant. It uses an order of magnitude technique to evaluate the adequacy of existing or proposed layers of protection against known hazards.
The course will help you understand how significant scenarios are categorised and tolerable frequencies assigned for identified hazardous events. You will also learn to assign risk categories and determine how many Independent Protection Layers (IPLs) should be in place. The course also covers the specification and requirements for a protection layer to be accepted as an IPL.
All the essential LOPA steps are practised in workshops, including the use of software tools. Course materials also include a compendium of LOPA research papers, reference materials and further reading.
Learning outcomes
- The LOPA methodology and its application
- How to decide if a process needs a safety instrumented system (SIS)
- What safety integrity level (SIL) is required
- How to define an Independent Protection Layer (IPL)
- How to implement a process to manage these systems through the life cycle of an installation
- How to lead a LOPA study
Who will benefit
- Process safety engineers
- Loss prevention specialists
- Production engineers
- Process design engineers
- Project engineers
- Process programmers
- Instrument control designers
- Anyone responsible for leading a LOPA study
Course outline
- Concept, purpose and principles of LOPA
- LOPA methodology (selecting scenarios, the LOPA process, describing scenarios, estimating initiating event frequencies, independent protection layers and their reliability)
- LOPA study and documentation
- Advanced aspects
- Facilitating a LOPA study
- Responsibilities and challenges
Previous delegates say
100% of recent delegates (in the UK) had their learning objectives met and said they would recommend the course to their colleagues due to the:
- clear explanation of the LOPA process combined with worked examples to demonstrate its application
- experienced trainers able to put requirements into context
- practical exercises and real-life examples/case studies
- detailed course materials.
"All of a sudden, the whole concept came together as an 'aha'."
Trevor Hughes, Hughes Consultancy and Research, UK
"Exactly the required information for me to carry out LOPA activities."
Philip Gow, Mexichem, UK
"I found the real-life examples very useful to aid understanding."
Paul Nash, Natural Resources Wales, UK
Discounts
Discounts are available to companies booking more than one place:
- 2 places — 5% discount
- 3 places — 10% discount
- 4 or more places — 15% discount.
Bookings must be made at the same time to receive the discount.
In-company training
This course is also available as an in-company course (face-to-face or online) where content can be customised to meet your organisation's specific needs and delivered on a date/location that suits your requirements. Contact us for more information.
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Trainer
Nigel Bowker
BSc(Eng), ACGI, MBA, C Eng, FIChemE
After graduating from Imperial College in 1976 with a degree in chemical engineering, Nigel worked as a process engineer for two firms of design contractors (Stone and Webster and Davy Powergas) and later worked for Shell Expro.
In 1986, he joined BP where he worked for the next 22 years. His career with BP included exploration and field development, production operations offshore (in Forties) and onshore (in the Forties Pipeline System), internal audit and health, safety and environment. His final role was as HS&E Manager in supply chain management for the North Sea.
After taking early retirement from BP, Nigel set up his own consultancy. He has provided a range of services to clients including process engineering, audit, process safety and occupational safety. He now specializes in chairing HAZIDs and HAZOPs and is an accredited HAZOP chairman with BP.
Nigel is a fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and is a former chairman of the IChemE’s Aberdeen Member Group.