Evergreen PHA: A living approach to process safety

At the recent Hazards35 Process Safety conference sponsored by IChemE in Birmingham, UK, Sphera introduced a concept that is generating significant interest in the process safety community: the Evergreen PHA. The presentation sparked valuable discussions about the future of Process Hazard Analysis. In this blog post, we’re exploring this proactive approach and addressing key questions raised by conference attendees. 

What is an evergreen PHA? 

An Evergreen PHA (Process Hazard Analysis) represents a fundamental shift in how we approach process safety management. Rather than treating your PHA as a static document that sits on a shelf between revalidation cycles, the Evergreen method transforms it into a living document that evolves with your facility. 

This continuous approach prevents the inevitable “degradation” of safety information over time, ensuring your PHA remains current, accurate, and effective. Perhaps most importantly, the Evergreen PHA becomes an integral part of your Management of Change (MoC) process, embedding safety considerations before changes are approved rather than discovering gaps years later. 

The industry challenge

The current state of PHA management presents significant challenges. Regulators worldwide are increasingly finding fault with PHA quality. In the UK, the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations 2015 operators face serious regulatory actions for non-compliance. According to OSHA, a staggering 80% of PHAs performed today don’t comply with current interpretations. Even more concerning, less than 10% adequately address hazards during start-up, shutdown, and online maintenance, while less than 30% address critical damage mechanisms such as corrosion, erosion, and vibration. 

The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) continues to issue recommendations concerning PHA weaknesses identified in incident investigations, highlighting the real-world consequences of inadequate hazard analysis. 

Understanding the PHA

Here’s the problem with traditional approaches: once a PHA study is completed and filed away, your facility keeps running. Activities continue, changes occur, and alterations are made to improve quality or increase production rates. With each day that passes, the gap between your documented PHA and operational reality grows wider. 

The Evergreen PHA method addresses this by treating your PHA as a living document that’s updated immediately after process changes and incidents rather than waiting for periodic revalidation every few years. This proactive approach leads to better hazard awareness, more efficient resource use, and a more robust risk management system over time. 

The evergreen PHA trigger protocol

To remain current and effective, an Evergreen PHA requires specific “triggers” that prompt immediate updates. Common triggers include mechanical inspection findings, incidents or near misses, product quality concerns, and Management of Change (MOC) actions. This trigger-based approach ensures your PHA evolves alongside your facility, capturing critical safety information when it’s most relevant. 

Technology: The key to evergreen success

Traditional PHA approaches allow facilities to degrade and become inaccurate, carrying hidden risks during long periods between revalidations. The key to implementing a successful Evergreen PHA program is leveraging the right technology. 

Sphera’s award-winning Advanced Risk Assessment platform is specifically designed to enable Evergreen PHA programs. By introducing a digital PHA solution, organizations achieve error reduction, automation, comprehensive compliance tracking, and real-time risk visibility. The platform enables access to digital risk assessment libraries, systematic collection of lessons learned, and leveraged global best practices while retaining valuable corporate knowledge. 

Building on previous assessments rather than starting from scratch saves valuable time and resources while promoting safe and productive operations. The result is enhanced performance of your safety management systems with streamlined review processes, effective version control, and enhanced workflow collaboration. 

Real-time visibility through digital dashboards

Sphera’s PHA dashboard provides real-time visibility on identified hazards within your industrial processes, helping you identify, assess, and control risks. These dashboards display risk levels, incident trends, and compliance status to enhance decision-making and promote a safer work environment across your organization. 

The future: AI-enhanced process safety

Artificial Intelligence represents the next frontier in PHA excellence. In the near future, AI will enhance PHA studies by making them faster, more consistent, and more thorough. These systems will act as a “safety copilot” to assist engineers—not replace them—by offering consistency and ensuring more complete analysis. Sphera has AI integration on their roadmap, ensuring Sphera customers will benefit from these advancements as they become available. 

Your questions answered

At the Hazards35 conference, attendees raised several important questions. The Evergreen PHA operates on event-driven triggers rather than arbitrary time periods, ensuring updates occur when actually needed. Based on current regulatory findings, regulators would welcome technology that demonstrably improves PHA effectiveness. Technology enables staff to work more efficiently, shifting focus from administrative burden to strategic safety management. While the Evergreen concept can theoretically be implemented manually, technology is essential for successfully managing the continuous update cycle at scale. 

Moving forward

The Evergreen PHA represents more than just a new methodology—it’s a fundamental rethinking of how we approach process safety management. By maintaining living documentation that evolves with your facility, you can reduce risk, improve efficiency, and demonstrate genuine commitment to safety excellence.