Patent ID: 7716239

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for performing process hazard analysis to identify and report on potential hazards of a process having a plurality of interconnected nodes, wherein the nodes comprise one or more pieces of equipment with the potential of having one or more types of hazards, the method comprising: providing a plurality of master lists for performing process hazard analysis created by importing information from a plurality of sources and storing the information within the plurality of master lists in a data file of a computer, wherein said plurality of master lists comprise an equipment list comprising imported equipment information for a process, a safeguard list comprising imported safeguard information about mitigating process hazards, and an analysis criteria list comprising a plurality of imported guidewords from a particular predefined analysis methodology for classifying a plurality of types of hazards for the process; transforming the information from the plurality of sources into analysis records for performing process hazard analysis, comprising: assembling a node template for each individual node of the process by retrieving data from the plurality of master lists for the individual node and populating the node template with the data, wherein the data in the node template comprises equipment information for each piece of equipment at the node; for each of the plurality of guidewords classifying the plurality of possible types of hazards of the process creating analysis records by: (i) selecting a current guideword from the plurality of guidewords, wherein the plurality of guidewords comprising the plurality of hazard operability (HAZOP) criterion for processes related to flow comprise no flow, reverse flow, more flow, less flow; (ii) creating the analysis record by copying the node template into the analysis record for each piece of equipment at the node, (iii) supplementing each analysis record with further data from the safeguard list comprising causes and consequences, and (iv) associating each created analysis record with the selected current guideword, so that one or more analysis records are created for the node and associated with the guideword; generating an interactive node form for performing and reporting process hazard analysis, the node form comprising user-selectable analysis criterion by guideword for organizing and displaying analysis records for each node of the process by guideword; and displaying the analysis records for each node of the process by guideword in response to a user-selection, thereby allowing the process hazard analysis to be consistent with the particular predefined analysis methodology.