Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
Online | Face-to-face | In-company
Overview
This course will develop your understanding of the Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) methodology and how to apply it. LOPA is a semi-quantitative tool used for analysing and assessing risk on a process plant which 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 include LOPA research papers, reference materials and further reading.
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
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will understand:
- the LOPA methodology and how to apply it
- 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
What delegates say
“I enjoyed the course. It offered a good balance of theory and practical. I enjoyed the practical application elements which really helped reinforce my learning.”
M Rivera, Santos, Australia
"Resources for the course are excellent and videos helped me understand and run through it multiple times at my own pace."
K Natarajan, AirProducts, UK
"The worked examples helped highlight common mistakes and nuances with the LOPA method."
A Campher, Johnson Matthey, UK
"Course structure with prerecorded materials followed by online live sessions made for a very efficient use of time."
E O'Raghaill, DPS Group, Ireland
"I liked the structured approach and I enjoyed the course. I learnt a lot from Nigel. Nigel is very accommodating and his many years of experience comes through as he explains concepts and approaches. Well delivered course. Highly recommend."
I Wood, Exolum, UK
"Exactly the required information for me to carry out LOPA activities."
P Gow, Mexichem, UK
"Great to have the recorded versions as reference, very helpful. Paul clearly had a wealth of experience and was able to share this well with the group."
J Cleary, Croda, UK
"All of a sudden, the whole concept came together as an 'aha'."
T Hughes, Hughes Consultancy and Research, UK
"I found the real-life examples very useful to aid understanding."
P Nash, Natural Resources Wales, UK
"The theory and principles were covered very well and the worked examples enabled me to put them into practice."
S Allan, Johnson Matthey, UK
Upcoming courses
Online
Online courses consist of three live and interactive modules with the trainer. There will also be some work to complete independently before the course and between the live sessions. More details will be provided after you have registered.
From 29 November 2024
- Module 1 – 29 November 2024, 10:00–13:00 GMT
- Module 2 – 4 December 2024, 10:00–13:00 GMT
- Module 3 – 10 December 2024, 10:00–13:00 GMT
From 29 April 2025
- Module 1 – 29 April 2025, 11:00–14:00 AWST/MYT / 13:00–16:00 AEST / 15:00–18:00 NZST
- Module 2 – 30 April 2025, 11:00–14:00 AWST/MYT / 13:00–16:00 AEST / 15:00–18:00 NZST
- Module 3 – 2 May 2025 2024, 11:00–14:00 AWST/MYT / 13:00–16:00 AEST / 15:00–18:00 NZST
From 14 May 2025
- Module 1 – 14 May 2025, 14:00–17:00 BST
- Module 2 – 20 May 2025, 14:00–17:00 BST
- Module 3 – 23 May 2025, 14:00–17:00 BST
Live sessions are delivered via Microsoft Teams. If you don't already have this installed, you can join as a guest in order to access the training.
Please note: this course uses example spreadsheets that do not display correctly on a Mac computer. You are therefore strongly advised to use a Windows-based PC to access the course.
Face-to-face
- 28–29 November 2024, Teesside, UK *Fully booked*
- 22–23 January 2025, Rugby, UK
- 20–21 March 2025, Manchester, UK
- 12–13 June 2025, Reading, UK
- 19–20 June 2025, Brisbane, Australia
- 30 June – 1 July 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 23–24 October 2025, Manchester, UK
- 27–28 November 2025, Teesside, UK
Not available then?
Register your interest in alternative dates.
Fees
Online & face-to-face – UK
- IChemE member £1,850 + VAT
- Non-member £2,200 + VAT
Online & face-to-face – Australia
- IChemE member AU$3,610 + GST
- Non-member AU$4,300 + GST
Face-to-face – Malaysia
- IChemE member 7,770 MYR
- Non-member 9,240 MYR
How to register
Select your preferred course from the list of upcoming start dates and go to the 'Book course' button at the bottom of the page.
More than one person to train?
Multi-place discounts
Discounts are available to companies booking more than one place. Bookings must be made at the same time to receive the discount.
- 2 places – 10% discount
- 3 places –15% discount
- 4 or more places – 20% discount
In-company training
This course can be delivered to corporate teams, either on-site or online. This could be a cost-effective option if you have several people requiring the training. Content can be tailored to your specific requirements. Request a quotation.
Attendance certificate & CPD hours
An e-certificate will be issued at the end of the course to confirm attendance and CPD hours logged. Please note that you must attend the whole course to receive the certificate.
In the case of online courses, CPD hours should be used as an approximate guide and will vary depending on the preferred approach of the delegate and to what extent additional learning is completed.
For participants in Malaysia, this course has been awarded 8 CPD hours by the Board of Engineers Malaysia.
Associated course
Process Risk Assessment
Learn about risk assessment in the process industries and why it is key to protecting against process safety incidents.
Trainer
Dr Ken Patterson
After a 10 year career as an industrial chemist with experience of both lab work and plant operation, Ken joined HSE in 1986 and became a Principal Specialist Inspector, dealing with process safety. He worked as a field inspector across the North of England and spent periods in HSE headquarters, in major hazards and operational research. He moved to Hickson & Welch in 1994, after the company’s major accident, as their Health and Safety Manager. In 2016, he retired from Synthomer, an international polymer group with manufacturing sites across the world, where he was Group Risk and SHE manager.
Ken was a member of the working group which wrote IChemE’s Fundamentals of Process Safety course and has taught the course many times. He chaired the working group which produced the revised third edition of the CIA’s Occupied Buildings guidance and was a member of the UK Chemical Weapons Convention Advisory Committee until his retirement. He has been involved in implementing IEC 61508 since the late 1990s and has taught IChemE's Layer of Protection Analysis course since his retirement. In 2011, he was awarded the Franklin Medal by IChemE for his work in process safety.