INSIGHTS
The importance of design choices to shape safety
In high-hazard industries, early design choices shape safety, compliance and operational success for years to come. Strong planning, clear standards, and engaged expertise ensure projects run smoothly, meet compliance from the outset, and deliver long-term value. We’ve worked alongside engineering teams across oil and gas, power, nuclear, water treatmentand renewables, witnessing how proactive design approaches transform outcomes.
The Challenge
High-hazard facilities face a fundamental tension: design decisions made early, often under time and budget pressure, carry consequences that last the entire operational lifecycle. Errors or omissions at the design stage are far more costly to resolve later. Without structured assurance from the outset, projects risk non-compliance, rework, and long-term safety vulnerabilities.
5 questions to ask yourself to strengthen design assurance
When supporting design teams, we focus on planning and verification, the twin pillars of safe and reliable outcomes. To guide projects, we ask five key questions:
- Planning foundations — Have all relevant standards (IEC 60079, IEC 61511, EI15, SR25) been identified, and has a provisional Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) been developed to inform safer design?
- Risk awareness — Are risk boundaries defined, and is there a review process to keep risk assessments and HAC current as design evolves?
- Competence assurance — Are team members demonstrably competent in the standards they apply, with roles and responsibilities clearly documented?
- Design appraisal — Has the design been reviewed for practicality, fit for purpose, and equipment suitability, with assumptions documented and traceable?
- Independent verification — Is there dedicated time and budget for independent review to confirm compliance and strengthen assurance?
Positive design practices we recommend
- Plan compliance from the start, integrating standards into early design decisions.
- Use provisional HACs to guide inherently safer plant design and inform equipment selection.
- Apply the hierarchy of control (open air, LEV, MEV) to optimise solutions.
- Consider different protection concepts (for example, Intrinsically Safe vs Flameproof) for the most effective and maintainable option.
- Confirm all safety device and equipment certifications at the purchasing stage.
- Keep documentation current as the project evolves, maintaining alignment between safety, engineering, and operational goals.
- Prioritise competence verification at every stage of the lifecycle.
What the standards say
Standards such as IEC 61511 (Functional Safety) and IEC 60079 (Explosive Atmospheres) are clear: safety is a lifecycle responsibility, and the design phase sets the foundation for everything that follows. Core requirements include conducting hazard and risk assessments early, developing clear Safety Requirement Specifications (SRS) and SIL assessments, engaging competent personnel throughout, selecting and certifying equipment that aligns with intended use, and building independent verification into the process.
Would you like to take a closer look at your design process?
Download our Design Appraisal Checklist to support planning, design reviews, and independent verification in your next high-hazard project.
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