Meet your course leader
Louise Wilson has over 17 years of experience in oil and gas, having worked for BP and Shell as a process engineer, process safety engineer, and technical safety manager before founding PSM Hub. She has sat on every side of the HAZOP table (as team member, as the person commissioning the study, and as independent facilitator) with over 400 days of HAZOP and LOPA experience across diverse onshore and offshore environments.
For the past 7 years, Louise has personally delivered IChemE's own HAZOP Leadership and Management course (the industry-standard training for HAZOP facilitators) tens of times, both face-to-face and online. She also teaches HAZOP to 4th-year chemical engineering students at Imperial College and the University of Cambridge, shaping how the next generation of engineers first learn the technique.
She is a Chartered Engineer, Professional Process Safety Engineer, Certified Functional Safety Expert, Fellow and President of the Safety and Reliability Society, and Process Safety Lead on the IChemE Learned Society Committee.
This course goes further than theory and further than any other HAZOP course. You'll leave able to hit the ground running as a facilitator, with the tools most training leaves out entirely:
- A Terms of Reference template that generates a working ToR, built with site layout in mind for more realistic consequence estimation
- Ready-to-use worksheets in PHA Pro, Excel, and Word
- How to actually quote and price a HAZOP the commercial side of independent facilitation that no other course covers
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Real industry incidents woven through every module and exercise not textbook hypotheticals, but scenarios drawn from genuine, documented process safety failures
Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone who already has some experience with HAZOP (as a team member, scribe, or occasional facilitator) and wants to develop the confidence and skill to lead studies independently. You don't need to be an expert going in, but you should already understand the basics of the methodology (guidewords, deviations, node structure) before you start, since this course builds facilitation and leadership skill on top of that foundation rather than teaching it from scratch.
New to HAZOP entirely? Start with HAZOP Foundations first, it's designed to get you to exactly the starting point this course assumes.
What you will gain from this course
HAZOP is one of the most time intensive tasks on any asset or project however it is often one of the tasks overlooked until it has to be undertaken. This results in poor quality preparation, poor delivery and a large number of actions to follow up after. All of this perpetuates a negative experience of HAZOP in your organisation which routinely undermines the most important safety study that will be completed as part of your work scope. This has the potential to result in unidentified hazards being carried forward into operation with the potential for major incidents such as BP Texas City.
The lack of good process hazard analysis has contributed to more than 50% of all major incidents in recent history and is often listed as the cause or contributory cause in CSB investigations. In this course you will learn that HAZOP does not start when you all sit down at the table and does not end when you get up at the end of the last node. This course will show what best industry practice is and what international standard compliance looks like.
Key Dates Summary
This is a live cohort course with fixed session dates, build them into your calendar before enrolling.
- On-demand modules: Available 15 September 2026. Self-paced
- Live Session 1: 1 October 2026. 9:30am–1:00pm (coaching to 1:30pm)
- Live Session 2: 15 October 2026. 9:30am–1:30pm
- Live Session 3: 29 October 2026. 9:30am–1:30pm
- Live practice day: Week commencing 9 Nov 2026. 9:30am–3:30pm
Coaching participants: 1:1 feedback sessions completed by 30 November 2026, arranged by mutual convenience.
Course Curriculum
The course is structured into a blend of on-demand modules (which ideally would be completed before the live session but it is not essential) and then five group live sessions. These sessions are aimed at practical application of the facilitation skills required throughout the lifecycle of a HAZOP. There is an option to add coaching on (there are only 4 places for coaching so please reserve early if you plan to complete the coaching).
The basic course will give you everything you need to facilitate a HAZOP including templates and theory. The coaching will provide you with three one hour 1 to 1 sessions with the facilitator (one during the preparation phase, one during the report writing phase and one to reflect on the whole process). This will include feedback on preparation, execution, team management and reporting as well as support in these areas. The coaching individuals will be given the opportunity to prepare for and facilitate a small HAZOP scope as well as the opportunity to attend as a participant a session chaired by another. There will be a shorter time for other participants to facilitate.
Module 1: HAZOP Foundation - On Demand
- Refresher of HAZOP foundations and on demand video of example execution
Module 2: Strategic HAZOP Preparation - On Demand
- HAZOP Types
- Study Scope Definition & Requirements Analysis
- Documentation Management
- Professional Noding Techniques
- Duration Estimation & Resource Planning
- Terms of Reference Development (includes templates)
- Technology Integration:
- PHA Pro mastery with live demonstrations
- Word and Excel template
- Delivery Format Optimization (Live vs. Online HAZOPs)
- Team Preparation & Onboarding
- Standards Application & Compliance
Module 3: Live Session
- 01 October 2026 - 9:30am UK time to 13:30 UK time (Main session ends at 13:00 and remain online if attending coaching till 13:30)
- Covering
- Time for questions on M1 and M2
- Exercises in scoping, noding, terms of reference generation, information gathering, worksheet use, delivery style and preparation for team dynamics.
Module 4: Expert HAZOP Execution - On Demand
- Advanced Facilitation Leadership
- Process Management Excellence
- Strategic Use of Parking Lots
- Quality Control & Detail Management
- Risk Assessment Integration
- Methodologies and comparative analysis
- Pros and cons evaluation
- Team Dynamics & Management
- Attendance Optimization Strategies
Module 5: Professional Report Preparation - On Demand
- Comprehensive Report Standards (includes template)
- PHA Pro Export Optimization
- Client-Ready Document Preparation
- Action Sheet Generation & Management
- Quality Assurance Processes
Module 6: Live Session
- 15 October 2026 - 9:30am UK time to 13:30 UK time
- Covering
- Time for questions on M4 and M5
- Team introductions and session tailoring, parking lot usage, risk ranking, what happens post-HAZOP, difficult team moments, reporting strategies, action closure process
Module 7: HAZOP Action Closure Management - On Demand
- Recommendation Writing Excellence
- Closure Tracking Systems
- Quality Closure Standards & Best Practices
- HAZOP Action Assurance
Module 8: Specialized HAZOP Applications - On Demand
- HAZOP Revalidation Expertise
- Revalidation methodology and standards
- Stage-specific approaches and considerations
- Management of Change (MOC) HAZOPs
- MOC-specific methodologies
- Differential stage management
Module 9: Live Session
- 29 October 2026 - 9:30am UK time to 13:30 UK time
- Covering
- HAZOP recommendations, revalidation and MOC HAZOP exercises
Module 10: HAZOP Facilitation Practice - On Demand
- Preparation - Read the Terms of Reference for your HAZOP
- Live session one day of the week commencing 09 November 2026 - 9:30am UK time to 15:30 UK time
- Coaching clients will have prepared one of the Terms of Reference for one of the 4 session and will receive structured feedback on facilitation in a one to one after
- Coaching clients will have the opportunity to prepare a report for the facilitation session for feedback or alternatively seek feedback on other HAZOP aspects
- All feedback sessions completed by 30 November 2026 by mutual convenience
Module 11: Business & Client Management - On Demand
- Time Management & Efficiency
- Preparation, execution, and write-up optimization
- Client Relationship Management
- Understanding diverse client needs and expectations
- Stakeholder engagement strategies
- Professional Quoting & Pricing Strategies
- Invoicing & Business Administration
- Building a Sustainable HAZOP Practice
Module 12: HAZOP Auditing and Continuous Improvement - On Demand
- Why audit the HAZOP?
- Performance evaluation template
- How can you improve on your own?
Learn from real industry incidents, not just theory
Every module and every live exercise in this course is built around real, documented process safety incidents, the kind investigated by bodies like the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and the UK Health and Safety Executive. You won't just learn HAZOP methodology in the abstract; you'll apply it to genuine scenarios where the right facilitation, the right question at the right node, could have changed the outcome.
This isn't one case study bolted on for colour, it runs through the whole course, from your first noding exercise through to recommendation writing, revalidation, and Management of Change. By the time you finish, you'll have practiced HAZOP thinking against real industrial failure, not just hypothetical examples.
Or Add the Coaching or Digital Downloads now
Click on one of the below bundles to add lifetime access or coaching.
Testimonials
- This is one of the best HAZOP sessions that I have ever attended. I have been a HAZOP chairman for around 50 workshops & I have learnt a lot from Ms. Louise as a Chairman. Corporate Risk Advisor at ADNOC
- Really liked the way Louise brought her experience and knowledge into the presentation of the course using the standard material. Anonymous
- Good as an introduction to the topic and very well thought out methodical approach. Anonymous
Useful information to support the use of HAZOP methodology
Additional Resources
Through LinkedIn I share a wide range of information and this link will take you to my HAZOP information. This includes articles, free resources and other courses.
T2 Laboratories
HAZOP when completing a change is so important but can often be overlooked. Either because the change is not recognised as a change or because the need for a HAZOP is not identified. At T2 laboratories the reaction was scaled up which not only overwhelmed the relief valve but put a high reliance on the control system for the water cooling.
HAZOP Guide
If you're looking for a text with more detail the IChemE HAZOP Guide is an excellent start.
Frequently Asked Questions
IF YOU HAVE ISSUES CHECKING OUT?
Please just get in touch on LinkedIn or through our contact page. We have other ways to pay (in lump sum or monthly) and you will be added to the course.
WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE COURSES?
- Fantastic presentation, Louise explained things very clearly and progressed at the ideal pace to allow for note taking throughout. Anonymous
- Really clear presentation, confidently delivered. Simple scenario used to highlight key issue to non oil and gas specialists. Anonymous
- Louise was a fantastic leader, she was very informative and always took time to answer questions in detail, giving very helpful answers! Really appreciated her sharing some of her knowledge with us. Anonymous
HOW DO I JOIN THE SESSION?
The links for the live session are in the Live Sessions Links part of the course. You will also receive an email near the date of delivery with a reminder and the meeting link. You will not receive this email if you have opted out of email marketing.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONTINUOUS, BATCH AND PROCEDURAL HAZOP LIVE SESSIONS?
The continuous HAZOP is the main designed workshop with this session. It uses HAZOP guidewords on a continuous process and is the traditional method of HAZOP. However, several processes and high risk activities occur in a batch manner which uses a different approach in HAZOP therefore there is an example to allow this to be demonstrated for both batch and procedural.
WHAT IF I CAN’T MAKE THE DATE ANYMORE?
If you let us know on the contact email address 2 weeks before the training date then there will be no charge and you will be given a new link to book on a different date.
WHAT COULD CAUSE THE COURSE NOT TO GO AHEAD?
We reserve the right to cancel the course date if there are insufficient sign ups or for any other reason. We will endeavour to notify you 2 weeks before the date of the course with alternative dates.