Most risk analysis studies are conducted by gathering the team members in a room and pouring over documents and drawings that show a representation of the real-world facility. When you use this approach to conduct a baseline or project risk analysis study on an existing facility, there is a huge amount of information and value that is left out of the study, creating critical gaps that can undermine the value and effectiveness of the study:
- Gaps between the real facility and what’s shown on the drawings and documents,
- Gaps between the intended operation of the process, and how it is really operated,
- Gaps between the technical representatives understanding of the process through the drawings, and the operations and maintenance representatives understanding of the process through working with the real equipment,
- Gaps between the representation of the facility as an ideal schematic, and the real physical layout of the equipment.