Page 1 - Bow Tie for understanding COVID-19

Bow Tie for Covid-19 (as per CCPS/EI guidance)

Authors: Mark Manton (ABS Group), Martin Johnson (BP), Mark Scanlon (Energy Institute), Rob Miles
(Hu-tech) and Charles Cowley (CCPS)

st
Date: 31 March 2020
Covid-19 is sweeping the globe and there is a lot of guidance on what we should be doing, but this tends
to be many words and it is not always obvious why specific guidance has been introduced and what it
hopes to achieve. So we have produced a picture which hopefully explains your role in the whole
pandemic, a visual aid in the shape of a bowtie:

The bow tie methodology illustrates how threats can act on hazards leading to a loss of control, which may
result in catastrophic consequences. In the bow tie diagram, prevention barriers are located on the left
side and mitigation barriers are located on the right side. A well-drawn bow tie clearly shows all barriers
that can prevent the top event, the loss of control, from occurring or mitigate the consequences.

We, members of the committee who worked on the recent book, “Bow Ties in Risk Management”,
published by the Energy Institute and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Center for Chemical
Process Safety, developed this bowtie for Covid-19.

We welcome all comments to help us improve it to make it more useful for all.
Please note: this bow tie is based primarily upon the directives and guidance from the UK Government
and the CDC. In all cases you should follow the directives and guidance from your own government
and health institutions around the world. The knowledge and understanding of Covid-19 is increasing
and the most recent directives and guidance should always be followed. We will update and edit this
bowtie as new guidance becomes available.