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COURSE INFORMATION

Failures and Risk Management
Type:
Training Course

Length:
1 Days
CEU:
0.8
PDH:
8

Fee:
$995 CAD

Upcoming Sessions
Location:
Calgary, Alberta

Date:
Thursday, December 3, 2026
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Register before November 12th and receive $50 off! Use the promo code EarlyBird
Course Description
Click here to see who has attended this course
This highly interactive one-day course is designed for leaders, team members, and anyone who needs to assess risk and make decisions. Too often these two activities are based on subjective bias and not objective facts. This course will discuss the bias that we all have and present methods to assess risk and make decisions as a team with minimal bias to obtain the best possible results.

Starting with a review of failures and how they occur, we then go over tools to reduce the likelihood of failures throughout the course.

The methods of facilitated risk assessment using risk matrices and fault tree analysis will be explained and both methods practiced in the classroom.

Methods to mitigate risks will also be discussed including Independent Protection Layers (IPL) and the LOPA process. In addition, this will cover Safety Instrumented Function (SIF) and Safety Integrity Levels (SIL).

The Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) methodology will also be covered.

A structured and quantified method of making decisions will be taught and practiced based on the Kepner Tregoe Method.

A complete set of course materials is included.
Who Should Attend
Anyone who must identify, quantify and mitigate risks or help to make important decisions but lack the tools and knowledge to do so.
  • What is a Failure?
  • Errors / Mistakes
  • Is Failure Always Bad?
  • Violations
  • How Can We Best Learn from Failures?
  • Failing Is Not Welcome – Why?
    • Aversion
    • Confusion: Not All Failures Are Alike
    • Fear: Stigma and Rejection
  • The Irrelevance of Blame
  • Investigations
  • Basic Failures
    • The Basics of Basic Failure
    • How to Recognize a Basic Failure
    • Single Cause
  • Human Drivers of Basic Failure
    • Inattention
    • Fatigue
    • Neglect
    • Overconfidence
    • Faulty Assumptions
    • Lack of Training
    • Lack of Ability
    • Underestimating Danger
  • Examples of Failures – Medical vs Air
  • Oil/Gas/Chemical Failures
  • Checklists as a Tool
  • Prevention and Error Management
    • Blameless Reporting
    • Preventive Maintenance
    • Codification and Procedures
  • Complex Failures
  • Risk Analysis and Management
    • Course Objectives
  • What are Hazards?
    • We are Surrounded by Hazards!
    • Process Hazards
  • What is Risk
    • Hazards to Risk – How?
    • Examples of Risk
    • Factors Influencing the Likelihood of a Risk
    • Human Perception of Risk
    • Pie in the Sky and Risk!
    • Risk Belief Example #1: Climate Change
    • Risk Belief Example #2: Smoking
    • Human Perception: Perceived Benefits
    • Inherent Bias
  • The Risk Matrix
    • Risk Matrix Example
    • Risk Matrix Category
    • Risk Matrix Severity
    • Risk Matrix Probability
    • Risk Matrix – Risk Level
    • Risk Matrix – Risk Types
  • HAZID
    • Practice a HAZID
  • The Risk Assessment or What If?
    • Risk Assessment Goals
    • Risk Assessment Process
    • Risk Assessment Practice
  • HAZOP
    • Basic HAZOP Process
    • HAZOP Pros
    • HAZOP Con
    • Hazards and HAZOP
    • When to Hold a HAZOP?
    • How Long Does a HAZOP Take
    • Planning a HAZOP
    • HAZOP Scope
    • Pre HAZOP
    • HAZOP Analysis - Finally, the actual HAZOP!
    • HAZOP Documentation & Follow Up
    • Who to Invite to a HAZOP?
    • HAZOP Ground Rules
    • Reasons for Ground Rules
  • HAZOP Methodology
    • Nodes – Why and How?
    • HAZOP Guidewords
    • HAZOP Causes
    • HAZOP Consequences
    • HAZOP Inherent and Mitigated Risk Rankings
    • HAZOP Safeguards
    • HAZOP Recommendations
    • Example of Cause/Deviation Pair
      • Example of Safeguards
    • HAZOP Parking Lot
    • The HAZOP Facilitator
      • Facilitator Before the HAZOP
    • Facilitator During the HAZOP
    • Facilitator Post HAZOP
    • HAZOP Facilitator Skills
    • Role of Process Engineering Lead
    • Role of Project Manager
    • Role of Scribe
    • The HAZOP Report
    • HAZOP Assumptions
  • HAZOP Documentation Examples
  • LOPA - Layer of Protection Analysis
    • LOPA – Swiss Cheese Analogy
    • LOPA Terms and Glossary
    • LOPA TEG
    • LOPA IEF Probability Modifiers
      • LOPA Enabling Conditions
      • Time-at-risk Enabling Condition
      • Campaign Enabling Conditions
    • Conditional Modifiers
      • Probability of Hazardous Atmosphere
      • Probability of Ignition or Initiation
      • Probability of Explosion
      • Probability of Personnel Presence
      • Probability of injury or fatality
      • Probability of equipment damage or other financial impact
    • LOPA Calculation
    • LOPA Process
    • LOPA Documentation
  • Mitigating Risks –Safeguards and IPLs in Detail
    • Basic IPL Types
      • Alarming IPLs and Operator Action as an IPL
    • PPE as an IPL
    • Mitigating IPLs
      • Mitigating IPLs – Basic Process Control Systems (BPCS)
      • Using More Than One BPCS Loop in a LOPA Scenario
      • Using More Than One BPCS Loop in a LOPA Scenario – Design Considerations
      • Using More Than One BPCS Loop in a LOPA Scenario- Performance Considerations
    • IPLs and Credits
    • Physical Protection IPLs
    • Latent Failures IPLs
  • Prevention
  • SIS, SIFs, SILs
    • SIL uses PFD.
  • Event Tree Analysis
    • Building an Event Tree
    • Event Tree Probabilities
  • Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
  • Fault Trees
    • Build a Fault Tree
    • Event Tree Analysis Actual & Practice
  • PHA Pro
  • Decision Analysis
    • Decision Making Process
    • Options
    • Musts
    • Wants
    • Weighting of Wants
    • Scoring of Wants
    • Risk-Assess the Decision Analysis
    • Decision Analysis Actual Example & Practice
  • Root Cause Analysis
    • Root Cause Analysis - Practice
    • Real Example – Tank Rupture Glycol Dehydrator
  • People
  • GLOSSARY
Keith Timms, P.Eng.
Keith Timms has been a Process Engineer for 46 years and has worked in the chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas and oil sands industries in both the UK and Canada. Half of his career has been in Operations and he therefore has a good understanding of what actually works and what does not and how to troubleshoot problems. Keith is very practical and hands-on but also has a very deep understanding of engineering fundamentals which he likes to apply to all problems.

Keith has worked in many areas of Operations such as Utilities, Upgraders, Refineries, Tailings, Chemical Units, etc.

Working in Operations has given Keith a keen understanding of safety and this has resulted in Keith developing expertise in overpressure protection, relief scenario identification, HAZOPS and LOPAs. Keith has facilitated hundreds of HAZOPS and LOPAs as well as Risk Assessments and Event Tree Analysis.

Keith is a hands-on facilitator that draws out risks and hazards and also tries to make the sessions enjoyable. Clients include Shell, Syncrude, Suncor, Husky Energy, Nexen, IOL, BP, ConocoPhillips and Enbridge Pipelines.

Keith has also developed particular expertise in the hydraulics of many types of fluids in many types of applications including pipelines and networks.

Keith is a funny, energetic, positive instructor that enjoys working closely with clients to deliver innovative solutions. He believes in developing good rapport by listening and understanding goals and interests.

Keith is currently an independent consultant and has been a P.Eng. with APEGA since 1984.


Read More about Keith Timms, P.Eng.
"Very Detailed. Examples and time spent on using tools were nice. Showed how to apply in real life. "
- SCM Analyst

"Provided a lot of course material that is helpful. "
- Facility EIT

"Perfectly delivered content with presentations."
- Process Safety, New Grad EIT

"Course was great - went in depth into a lot while skimming the surface on related areas. Organization was great, along with content/infrastructure. "
- New Grad - Sustainability and Social Engagement

"A good beginning looking over psychology, with more technical relevancy later. Good examples of differences between HAZOP, LOPA, DA and Root Cause Analysis. Keith is enthusiastic!"
- EIT

"Organized, Efficient. It was good to know what goes into risks/making decisions."
- Land Analyst

"It underscores the importance of risk management and potential failures in the work place. The course was insightful and well organized."
- Reservoir EIT

"This course would be excellent as an introduction to someone entering safety. Very pragmatic explanations of these topics."
- Innovation EIT

"Great overview into hazard identification and risk assessment which is very useful in STEM careers. Keith is knowledgable with relatable experiences."
- GIT

"Great instructor. Knowledgable. Kept class interaction. Good introduction to risk and risk assessment methods."
- M & R - EIT

"Instructor is very knowledgable. Good overview for those who have never participated in a HAZIP, HAZOP or LOPA. Very detailed breakdown and things to consider to make them successful."
- Facilites EIT

"The course material started off basic and then got more advanced to the afternoon. I like that we were given resources to use. Instructor was knowledgable, and funny. Great sense of humour. Keith knew his material and was passionate about the subject. I enjoyed the decision analysis example."
- EIT

"Instructor is very knowledgable and clearly has a lot of experience. Keith did a great job to lighten the mood and keep it interesting."
- Maintenance EIT

"Good content. Keith tried to keep it fun and interesting, but overall the content is dry. Good information. Well said and easy to understand."
- EIT

"Good overview of risk analysis and introduction to Risk Analysis and mitigation."
- Operations Process EIT

"Thorough course starting from the definition of risk makes it a course for anyone, regardless of how much they know about risk."
- EIT

"Helpful course with lots of valuable info. Keith was a great instructor, very funny and knowledgable. I found it a bit content heavy, but the group activity that we did was really fun/engaging."
- EIT

"Instructor was nice and knowledgable. More breaks would be appreciated."
- Development EIT

"Very knowledgable instructor! Lots of resources and materials provided for future reference. Keith was very well paced, easy to understand and engaging. "
- Unit Contract Engineering

"Good pace. Keith uses simple examples to make understanding easier."
- Production EIT

"The course was extensive and covered a lot of subject matter. Keith was very knowledgable and used real-life examples."
- Abandonment Engineer

"Well structured. Good Examples. Good Pace. I liked the content and real industry examples."
- Operations Engineer

"Good instructor with very good experience and examples. Basics for risk were provided. Its what I was looking for. "
- Auditor

"It covered all of the topics that I was interested in learning about during this course. The instructor has a really good knowledge of the topics."
- Operations Facilities EIT

"Very well sequenced and prepared. Very thorough. Content was great."
- Operations Engineer

"Very detailed and informative. Great tools provided."
- Anon.