Leading LOPA Forward: A CCPS Evergreen LOPA Database

With the publication of Guidelines for Enabling Conditions and Conditional Modifiers in Layer of Protection Analysis (2013), Guidelines for Determining the Probability of Ignition of a Released Flammable Mass (2013), and Guidelines for Initiating Events and Independent Protection Layers in Layers of Protection Analysis (2014), CCPS has made significant strides in documenting much of the progress that has occurred in the Layer of Protection Analysis community since the publication of Layer of Protection Analysis: Simplified Process Risk Assessment in 2001.  During the development of these companion texts, however, CCPS reached the conclusion that a more timely response to changes in the technology was required to serve the LOPA community.  To address this need, CCPS is announcing an exciting new project; an Evergreen LOPA Database is being developed to keep practitioners apprised of new developments, new data, and other changes in the field.  The Evergreen LOPA Database will enable new data and analysis to be incorporated into the most up to date source available on initiating events, independent protection layers, enabling conditions and conditional modifiers.  The Evergreen LOPA database will also allow the community to more easily propose new initiating events and IPLs and have the values and management practices associated with these proposed items peer reviewed and presented to the broader community.  This paper describes the current plans for the database project including the content that will be available, the proposed management practices, and the ability for discussion and continuing development by the community.