What-if Analysis | Job Hazard Analysis | Checklists | Standard Operating Procedures | Control Banding
A technique using brainstorming to determine what can go wrong in specific scenarios and identify the resulting consequences.
Appropriate for both individuals and teams.
Minimal. Requires someone to be familiar with the equipment, processes, etc.
What will happen if toxic gases leak into a liquid pipeline? What if tank feed is increased or decreased? What if an earthquake occurs? Such questions can be critical in reducing or eliminating risks to people working in a laboratory environment.
A What-if Analysis consists of structured brainstorming to determine what can go wrong in a given scenario; then judge the likelihood and consequences that things will go wrong.
What-if Analysis can be applied at virtually any point in the laboratory evaluation process.
Based on the answers to what-if questions, informed judgments can be made concerning the acceptability of those risks. A course of action can be outlined for risks deemed unacceptable.
The team leader walks the team through each step of the What-if Analysis. The leader may use a detailed equipment diagram along with any prepared operating guidelines. (Include guidelines for determining acceptable level of safety.)
The team generates What-if questions relating to each step of the experimental procedure and each component to determine likely sources of errors and failures.
Things to consider when developing questions:
Learn more about these and other factors to assess when identifying hazards.
Sample What-if Analysis Questions
The team considers the list of What-if questions, one-by-one, to determine likely sources of errors. They then decide the probability of each error occurring and assess the consequences.
Risk deemed unacceptable:
If the team concludes there’s a need for corrective action, a recommendation is recorded.
Risk deemed acceptable:
When probability is very low, consequences are not severe, and the action to correct the condition would involve significant cost and time, the team may note a “no recommendation” response.
The team’s analysis is summarized and prioritized.
Responsibilities are assigned for follow-up action(s). Consider adding a column to your What-if Analysis form to indicate the person or group responsible for each corrective action.
Examples
Templates
*Examples based on actual incidents that are useful for teaching
Benefits | Limitations |
---|---|
|
|
Following is a list of sample What-if questions to get your group thinking in the right directions. These questions can be modified according to experiment or process.
Human errors occur regardless of training and experience. Human error factors may drive consideration of written SOPs, a decision for engineering controls, etc.
The following questions concern utilities, which are key to the support of any experiment or process:
Consideration of failure of materials or components may result in decisions for additional controls or changes to higher rated or alternative types of materials and components.
This should be included since, despite best efforts with hazard reviews and training, incidents will occur.
This collection of methods and tools for assessing hazards in research laboratories is based on the publication, Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories [PDF]. The guide was published in 2015 by the Hazard Identification and Evaluation Task Force of the American Chemical Society’s Committee on Chemical Safety in response to a recommendation from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
Engage with other members of the chemical safety community. Membership provides networking opportunities, access to career advancement tools, meeting discounts, and more.
Email the Safety team at safety@acs.org