CHEM ENG 7038 - Process Plant Safety and Risk Assessment
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code CHEM ENG 7038 Course Process Plant Safety and Risk Assessment Coordinating Unit Chemical Engineering Term Semester 2 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 4 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Assessment Tutorials, project Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Michael Malavazos
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1 Understand fundamental principles and elements of Process Safety Management; 2 Knowledge of how to assess likelihood and severity of consequences of incidents; 3 Understand various risk assessment and analysis techniques such as Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP), Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA), qualitative risk matrix, quantitative risk assessment techniques. 4 Demonstrate how the root cause of incidents can be investigated and analysed and the various human and technical aspects of such causes.
The above course learning outcomes are aligned with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for the Professional Engineer.
The course is designed to develop the following Elements of Competency: 1.5 1.6 2.3 2.4
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1-5 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
1-5 -
Learning Resources
Recommended Resources
Material on MyUni
Extensive reading material is available on the MyUni Course Canvas page. All this material is sorted and linked to the lecture topics given in class.
Textbooks
Tweeddale, Mark, Managing risk and reliability of process plants, Gulf Professional Publishing, 2003
Kletz, Trevor, What went wrong, Case histories of process plant disasters, 2nd Ed, Gulf Professional Publishing, 1998
Kletz, Trevor, Still going wrong, Case histories of process plant disasters and how they could have been avoided, Gulf Professional Publishing, 2003
Crowl, Daniel A. and Louvar, Joseph F., Chemical process safety, Fundamentals with applications, 2nd Ed, Prentice Hall, 2002
Ammerman, Max, The Root Cause Analysis Handbook: A Simplified Approach to Identifying, Correcting, and Reporting Workplace Errors,
Crawley, Frank., Preston, Malcolm., and Tyler, Brian., HAZOP Guide to Best Practice, 2nd Edition, IChemE, 2008
Hopkins, Andrew, Lessons from Longford: The Esso Gas Plant Explosion, Published North Ryde, N.S.W. CCH Australia, 2000 -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
As a graduate-level engineering course, the subject material is delivered in a manner which relies heavily on student-centred learning. Each student is encouraged to engage with the material as an individual with a focus on their own particular needs and interestsWorkload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Workload hours commitment:
Expected total workload hours:
Lectures 20
Workshops 10
Personnel Research 80
Assignment 20
Assignment 20
TOTAL 150Learning Activities Summary
This course deals with the study of risk identification and management for the purpose of process plant integrity management. Process integrity management (or as often referred to Process Safety Management) is important because accidents in process plants can cause significant casualties and serious financial losses with the potential impact on the community over a wide radius from the plant itself. This course focuses on high consequence and low probability events.
It seeks to examine:
a) Case studies of major accident events;
b) Quantitative and qualitative methods for identifying and managing the risk (likelihood of potential hazards and consequences) of major accident events;
c) Methods of reducing and controlling risk to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP), in particular through the adoption of the HAZOP process.
d) Techniques for analysing and investigating incidents to identify their root cause.
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Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
* The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.Assessment Task Weighting (%) Individual/ Group Formative/ Summative Due (week)* Hurdle criteria Learning outcomes 2 Individual Assignments 100 Individual Summative Weeks 2-12 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Total 100
This assessment breakdown complies with the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy.Assessment Detail
Assignment 1:
Using a case study provided, in the context of material presented in lectures and any personal review of the literature:
- Identify the various preventative and mitigative controls that failed to function and contributed to the cause of the accident;
- Categorise these controls as either hardware or procedural;
- Present these controls in a bow tie using the bow tie software provided;
- For each control discuss what PSM element(s) are likely to have been deficient that led to the control failing to fulfill its purpose;
Review the findings into the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in 1986 as discussed in class, describe your understanding of the:
Length of 3000 to 6000 words
Assignment 2:
- Root causes leading to the incident and consequences, discuss in terms of:
- Events leading up to the accident;
- Compromised or absent preventative and mitigation controls;
- Physical hardware causes;
- Human causes – unsafe acts (e.g. intendent and un-intendent actions);
- Design issues (e.g. water vs graphite moderated, rods, containment)
Any reason why less inherently safe RMBK was adopted. - Training and competency.
- Leadership and Supervision.
- Workforce involvement.
- Organisation/government vs safety objectives.
- Risk identification/assessment.
- Risk management and work control, PTW/MOC.
- Operational readiness.
- Emergency preparedness.
- Management of safety critical devices.
Submission
Assignments to be submitted on date and by means provided during lecture.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- International Student Support
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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