Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)

Online | Face-to-face | In-company

Overview

This course will develop your understanding of the Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) methodology and how to apply it. LOPA is a semi-quantitative tool used for analysing and assessing risk on a process plant which uses an order of magnitude technique to evaluate the adequacy of existing or proposed layers of protection against known hazards.

The course will help you understand how significant scenarios are categorised and tolerable frequencies assigned for identified hazardous events. You will also learn to assign risk categories and determine how many Independent Protection Layers (IPLs) should be in place. The course also covers the specification and requirements for a protection layer to be accepted as an IPL.

All the essential LOPA steps are practised in workshops, including the use of software tools. Course materials include LOPA research papers, reference materials and further reading.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course you will understand:

• the LOPA methodology and how to apply it
• how to decide if a process needs a safety instrumented system (SIS)
• what safety integrity level (SIL) is required
• how to define an Independent Protection Layer (IPL)
• how to implement a process to manage these systems through the life cycle of an installation
• how to lead a LOPA study.

Who will benefit

• Process safety engineers
• Loss prevention specialists
• Production engineers
• Process design engineers
• Project engineers
• Process programmers
• Instrument control designers
• Anyone responsible for leading a LOPA study

Course outline

• Concept, purpose and principles of LOPA
• LOPA methodology (selecting scenarios, the LOPA process, describing scenarios, estimating initiating event frequencies, independent protection layers and their reliability)
• LOPA study and documentation
• Advanced aspects 
• Facilitating a LOPA study
• Responsibilities and challenges

What delegates say

“I enjoyed the course. It offered a good balance of theory and practical. I enjoyed the practical application elements which really helped reinforce my learning.”
M Rivera, Santos, Australia

"Resources for the course are excellent and videos helped me understand and run through it multiple times at my own pace."
K Natarajan, AirProducts, UK

"The worked examples helped highlight common mistakes and nuances with the LOPA method."
A Campher, Johnson Matthey, UK

"Course structure with prerecorded materials followed by online live sessions made for a very efficient use of time."
E O'Raghaill, DPS Group, Ireland

"I liked the structured approach and I enjoyed the course. I learnt a lot from Nigel. Nigel is very accommodating and his many years of experience comes through as he explains concepts and approaches. Well delivered course. Highly recommend."
I Wood, Exolum, UK

"Exactly the required information for me to carry out LOPA activities."
P Gow, Mexichem, UK

"Great to have the recorded versions as reference, very helpful. Paul clearly had a wealth of experience and was able to share this well with the group."
J Cleary, Croda, UK

"All of a sudden, the whole concept came together as an 'aha'."
T Hughes, Hughes Consultancy and Research, UK

"I found the real-life examples very useful to aid understanding."
P Nash, Natural Resources Wales, UK

"The theory and principles were covered very well and the worked examples enabled me to put them into practice."
S Allan, Johnson Matthey, UK

Course delivery

Face-to-face

Dates & location

• 16–17 October 2025, Cork, Ireland

Not available then or looking for an alternative course delivery? View more dates.

Fees 

• IChemE member: £1,850 + VAT
• Non-member: £2,200 + VAT

More than one person to train?

Multi-place discounts

Discounts are available to companies booking more than one place. Bookings must be made at the same time to receive the discount.

• 2 places – 10% discount
• 3 places –15% discount
• 4 or more places – 20% discount

In-company training

This course can be delivered to in-house teams, either on-site or online. This could be a cost-effective option if you have several people requiring the training. Content can be tailored to your specific requirements. Request a quotation.

Attendance certificate & CPD hours

An e-certificate will be issued at the end of the course to confirm attendance and CPD hours logged. Please note that you must attend the whole course to receive the certificate. 

In the case of online courses, CPD hours should be used as an approximate guide and will vary depending on the preferred approach of the delegate and to what extent additional learning is completed.