Prioritizing PHAs
First, employers must determine and document the priority order for conducting process hazard analyses.
Priority should be given to processes with the potential of adversely affecting the largest number of employees. Other considerations include:
- the extent of the process hazards;
- the number of potentially affected employees;
- the age of the process; and
- the operating history of the process.
Together, these factors would suggest a ranking order using either a weighting factor system or a systematic ranking method.
The use of a preliminary hazard analysis will assist an employer in determining which process should be of the highest priority for hazard analysis resulting in the greatest improvement in safety at the facility occurring first.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4.3. PHA priority should be given first to processes _____.
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