Startup is where plans meet reality — equipment behaves differently under first load, procedures get tested for the first time, and small oversights can escalate fast. The Process Safety and Risk Control During Plant Startup Training Course from Arab British Fellowship Training Academy trains teams to keep that window under control through disciplined process safety and operational risk management.

Within the Operations Readiness and Assurance Training courses specialisation, the course moves from hazard identification through process safety fundamentals, operational controls and maintenance readiness, and closes with practical case studies that put risk registers, mitigation measures and startup reviews into real use.

• Understand how risk ownership and readiness connect during startup and initial operations.
• Identify startup hazards using structured hazard-identification techniques.
• Apply dynamic risk assessment as conditions change through commissioning and startup.
• Recognise process safety fundamentals, safety-critical systems and permit-to-work considerations.
• Prevent process safety incidents through emergency preparedness and response planning.
• Establish operational controls, procedures and operating limits using a mitigation hierarchy.
• Develop contingency plans and manage residual risk.
• Assess equipment, mechanical and electrical readiness alongside maintenance controls.
• Monitor emerging risks, near-misses and incidents to drive continuous improvement.
• Build and apply a startup risk register through practical case studies and exercises.

Target Audience

• Operations and Maintenance Managers
• Startup and Commissioning Managers
• Process Safety Professionals
• HSE and Risk Management Specialists
• Operations Readiness Professionals
• Engineering and Maintenance Personnel
• Project Managers and Project Engineers
• Plant Operations Supervisors
• Asset Integrity Professionals
• Reliability and Maintenance Engineers
• Facility and Production Managers
• Professionals responsible for operational assurance and startup activities

Module 1: Risk Ownership from Startup to Steady State

• Introduction to Startup Risk
• Risk management principles and ownership
• Startup and operational risk environments
• Relationship between readiness and risk management

Module 2: Finding and Assessing Startup Hazards

• Hazard identification techniques
• Risk registers and risk categorisation
• Risk assessment methodologies
• Critical startup risk scenarios
• Dynamic risk assessment during startup

Module 3: Process Safety and Emergency Readiness

• Process safety fundamentals
• Process safety risks during commissioning and startup
• Safety-critical systems and barriers
• Permit-to-work considerations
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Preventing process safety incidents

Module 4: Operational Controls, Mitigation and Contingency

• Establishing operational controls
• Mitigation hierarchy and control measures
• Procedures, checklists and operating limits
• Contingency planning
• Managing residual risk

Module 5: Equipment Readiness and Maintenance Controls

• Maintenance-related startup risks
• Equipment readiness and reliability
• Mechanical and electrical risks
• Inspection and testing requirements
• Deficiency and punch-list management
• Startup readiness assessment and gate review approval

Module 6: From Monitoring to Practical Application

• Monitoring startup risk indicators and emerging risks
• Incident and near-miss learning
• Corrective and preventive actions, risk communication
• Developing a startup risk register
• Practical case studies and exercises