ISO Ingénierie is present through multiple activities in many sectors of activity (chemicals, oil, gas, energy, nuclear, pharmaceutical, rail, food…).

The services provided in the fields of environment and safety require a particular knowledge of the regulations.

Thus, in order to guarantee to its clients an increased relevance of its advice and recommendations,

ISO Ingénierie carries out a monthly monitoring of environmental regulations at both national and European level.

This regulatory monitoring allows ISO Ingénierie to:

• To carry out a personalised follow-up of national and European regulatory texts specific to the activities of its clients within the framework of its missions,
• To provide its customers with the new texts identified during the publication in the official journals by newsletter via its website

Risk is a “danger, more or less probable inconvenience to which we are exposed”. Risk management involves the identification, analysis and reduction of risk, in an iterative process. This management is essential for all companies, from an economic point of view but also from a safety/environmental point of view.

In process safety, any industrial activity generates a risk that can result in damage to people, the environment, equipment or the company’s reputation. For installations subject to authorisation, the legislation on classified installations for the protection of the environment (ICPE) requires a hazard study including a risk analysis.

Risk analysis using a structured and systematic approach is the fundamental step in the risk management process. ISO Engineering has been using recognized risk analysis methods for many years and helps you to implement them:

• APR (Preliminary Risk Analysis). This is a sufficient “large mesh” analysis for low complexity installations, or at the beginning of the project when detailed information is not available.
• HAZOP (HAZard and Operability study). It is the most widely used method worldwide in process industries (oil, chemicals, petrochemicals, etc.). It is a systematic analysis of the process in a multidisciplinary working group that, based on keywords, identifies potential scenarios and verifies the presence of effective safety barriers
• HAZOP-LOPA, which includes a HAZOP review and a LOPA review (Lawyer Of Protection and Analysis) in order to evaluate in a working group the level of confidence required for safety barriers

• HAZID (HAZard IDentification). This analysis is of an intermediate level of detail between the APR and HAZOP.

• What-if. This is another brainstorming technique whose starting point is “what happens if…? ».

• FMECA (Analysis of Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality). This method identifies the failure modes of a system’s components, identifies the causes of these failures and their effects. The evaluation of the time of detection and correction of the failure is also part of the analysis.

• Failure tree. It is a deductive method of identifying basic events and event sequences leading to a feared event.

• Event tree, to identify accidental sequences and determine the frequency of occurrence of final feared events.

• Butterfly knot. It is the combination of a failure tree and an event tree.
  Etc…
  The philosophy of these analytical methods is to identify potential accident scenarios and highlight possible improvements in the design of an installation. The use of a rating matrix also allows the prioritisation of risks and changes to be made.

Depending on their activity, Classified Facilities for the Protection of the Environment ICPE must provide their instructing services with regulatory dossiers:

• An environmental permit application file (DDAE) for the commissioning or significant modifications of installations subject to authorisation.

An EADD includes, among other things, facility characterization elements, an impact or environmental impact assessment and a hazard assessment. These elements justify that the project should, under economically acceptable conditions, achieve the lowest possible level of risk and environmental impact, taking into account the knowledge and practices and the vulnerability of the installation’s environment.

The single environmental permit, which came into force in March 2017, changes the procedure and content of the documents.

• A Hazard Study (EDD)

The hazard study is used to characterize potential hazards and assess risks using a regulatory criticality matrix. It makes it possible to verify the adequacy of risk reduction measures in relation to potential scenarios.

The ESD includes an accidentological study, a preliminary risk assessment and a detailed risk analysis. The identified hazardous phenomena can be modelled. In some cases, it may be necessary to build bow ties.

Hazard studies must be updated every 5 years and in the event of significant modifications to the installations.

• A safety study of transport pipelines

The safety study corresponds to a hazard study for a transport pipeline. Professional guides specify the content and methodology of the study.

• A third party expertise,

Third-party expertise is a procedure initiated by the administration whose objectives are specified by the administration. It consists in appraising all or part of the hazard study and aims to provide an independent expert opinion on the validity of the hazard study, which should inform the administration on the acceptability of the risk of the installation

• A Scope of Knowledge (PAC) in case of modification or evolution of a BPI
• A declaration file, a registration file for facilities subject to declaration or registration
• An FDI review file to comply with Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions

ISO Ingénierie supports manufacturers in the production or updating of these documents and exchanges with the administration, from the preparation of the first plans to the submission of the file to the prefecture. Risks and impacts can be assessed at all stages of a project, from the preliminary project stage.

Explosion prevention: assistance in the application of ATEX regulations

Our customers are committed to producing in a safe working environment: preventing explosions in the workplace is an integral part of their concerns.

Since 2005, we have been offering support services to ensure that you have a safe working environment with regard to the risk of exploding explosive atmospheres. Whether you are an operator or an installation designer, we adapt our approach to your needs, from a simple inventory to the preparation of your Explosion Protection Document (EPD), with constant attention to your specific needs.

More details on our approach here: Assistance in bringing industrial installations into ATEX compliance