The case for control and operability (COOP) studies

Throughout the process industries hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies are used extensively as a formal means of analysing the safety of plant design. Most modern plants are controlled by some form of computer control system to which computer hazard and operability (CHAZOP) studies relate. These are an extension to HAZOP which address the safety related issues of the control system´s hardware design and its system software. This paper argues the case for control and operability (COOP) studies and proposes a methodology with key words analogous to HAZOP. The objective is to create a consensus for supporting the development of COOP and for its placement in the public domain