Workshop

Workshop: The CCPS Risk Analysis Screening Tool (RAST)

Date: 17 October 2019 

Venue: Hawar 5, Gulf Hotel, Kingdom of Bahrain

Timings: 9am - 5pm

Registration fee is USD 850

Workshop Objectives

The Risk Analysis Screening Tool (RAST) software, downloadable from the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) website, was generously donated for global use by The Dow Chemical Company. CCPS has modified RAST and its associated training for general use.   It is sincerely hoped that companies using RAST during their hazards evaluations and risk assessments will be able to improve their process safety performance.
 

The objectives of this workshop are:

•      Introduce the RAST software tool to personnel participating in hazard evaluation teams to show them how RAST can be used to screen between lower- and higher-risk scenarios in a Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis (HIRA).

•      Understand the limitations of the RAST/HIRA methodology, when to utilize more advanced tools, and when to engage a Subject Matter Expert

Course Instructors

Brief Technical Overview

RAST allows users to enter the following information for their risk screening evaluations:

• Chemical material safety data, including chemical reactivity data, either from a prepopulated list within RAST or by user-defined and entered information
• Type of equipment and specific equipment characteristics (used when evaluating failure mechanisms, failure likelihoods, and potential release rates)
• Processing conditions (such as temperatures, pressures, etc.), and
• Facility layout information (used to evaluate dispersion characteristics and distances)

With this information, RAST helps users identify hazard scenarios and evaluate the consequences for potential loss of containment scenarios. RAST also allows the users to specify their own hazard scenarios based on their own knowledge of the process.

RAST uses powerful linear relationships which have been quality-checked and verified. These relationships correlate closely to the complex algorithms of many commercially available, detailed analysis tools, allowing the RAST software to perform screening analyses on systems, processes, or scenarios in a fraction of the time that is required when using more complex software. For example, when performing a qualitative scenario hazards analysis (e.g., during a HAZOP), the team can reduce the number of its “evaluate” recommendations with a more quantitative answer.

Workshop Format and Expectations

This seven-hour workshop is planned to familiarize the participants with the information required to run the RAST software and to show the steps RAST uses when performing a HIRA.

Prior to the workshop, each participant will need to

1)    Download the RAST program onto their laptop, click here

2)    Pre-read some articles and introductory materials (to be sent after registration)

At the time of the workshop, each participant will be expected to use their individual laptop – entering information and analyzing for risks - as the instructors lead them through example case studies.  These case studies will provide the participants with the foundation for entering the technical information required to effectively evaluate and screen between their process safety risks.

Expected outcome and Benefits

The expected outcome and benefits for the participants are a working knowledge of the RAST software, which provides two major deliverables:

• RAST is a semi-quantitative tool for conducting a Hazards Identification and Risk Analysis (HIRA) and it can be tailored to specific processes within each industry. 
• RAST can provide a real-time HIRA during a hazards evaluation meeting or other type of critical business review.

RAST fills a void between qualitative and detailed quantitative analysis (i.e., it is “semi-quantitative”). This real-time risk analysis provides the risk information needed to address the scenario while all of the hazards evaluation team members are present, helping reduce the number of recommendations which could require scenario evaluations after the team meetings are completed.