Bow tie barrier analysis

Summary

Mastering Bow Tie as a risk assessment methodology to showcase how a specific hazard can lead to undesirable consequences and how barriers can be put in place to prevent or mitigate them.

Using a powerful graphic illustration, Bow ties are an effective risk management tool to recognise hazards, threats and under-performing risk controls which may undermine your organisation’s ALARP position in operations and business activities. By identifying potential safety challenges and their potential consequences, organisations are better placed to prevent and mitigate the risks. 

The course aims to ensure participants:

• Understand the architecture of Bowtie
• Identify where Bowtie helps with safety risk management
• Understand barrier-based approach to risk management
• Assist with building a Bowtie by using a system approach to the problem
  identify barrier efficacy
• Utilise barrier information to help manage risk
• Be able to critically review existing Bowties 
  
  
  

Who should attend?

This course is aimed at safety officers, risk managers and personnel who interact with safety management systems at any level who own, review or interact with Bowtie barriers, namely:

• Safety managers and safety team members
• Those involved in accident or incident investigation
• Senior managers and executives who need to understand the basis of their safety systems
• Project designers and project engineers designing plant and equipment or complex control systems

How will I benefit?

After the course you participants will be able to:

• Produce Bow Tie analysis diagrams
• Identify events which initiate accidents or incidents
• Identify critical controls necessary to prevent accidents and incidents as well as interruption to production
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses within a safety system and identify improvements
• Review current Bow ties critically

Use Bow Tie diagrams to assist in:

• Setting key performance incidents
• Training staff
• Incident investigation
• Support for management of change

Key topics

• Bow Diagramme concepts – what Bow Tie diagrams can do and what they can’t do
• How to identify hazards, initiating events and consequences using a fault tree
• Drawing a simple Bow Tie diagram
• Difference between control (preventative) measures and mitigation (impact reducing) measures
• Categorising barrier types by function
• Categorising barriers by vulnerability – potential failure modes
• Identification of barriers which are both high criticality and high vulnerability – identifying weak spots in risk control
• Demonstrating risks are adequately controlled or pinpointing improvements.
• Extracting data from Bow Tie diagrams
• Active barrier management for day to day operations, incident investigation, management of change, and measuring performance using KPIs

Meet our trainers

These trainers regularly teach Bow tie barrier analysis.