The Challenge

In high-hazard operations, the margin for error is zero

A single unmanaged hazard — an overpressure, a runaway reaction, an arc-flash, a dust cloud — can cost lives, shut down a plant and end a licence to operate. Regulators and insurers now expect documented, defensible evidence that every credible hazard has been identified and controlled.

Northstar gives you that evidence. Our engineers combine deep field experience with disciplined study methodologies to find the hazards others miss, quantify the real risk, and hand you a clear, prioritised path to control it.

Our Approach

A disciplined, five-stage method

Scope & data gathering

We define study boundaries and assemble drawings, process data and operating philosophy with your team.

Structured hazard study

Facilitated Hazard and Operability studies and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment sessions with your engineers and operators.

Risk quantification

We rank each scenario by likelihood and consequence, testing existing safeguards against recognised standards.

Recommendations & action plan

Clear, prioritised and costed corrective actions — practical enough to implement, robust enough to audit.

Close-out & verification

We track actions to closure and re-verify, so the risk reduction is real and documented — not just on paper.

What You Receive

Board-ready, audit-ready deliverables

✓ Full study report with node-by-node findings

✓ Prioritised, costed action register

✓ Risk ranking matrix and safeguard analysis

✓ Compliance mapping to applicable standards

✓ Executive summary for leadership and insurers

✓ Close-out verification and re-assessment

Within This Service

Specialist studies we deliver

Hazard and Operability studiesSystematic, node-by-node examination of process deviations and safeguards.

Hazard Identification and Risk AssessmentTask and area-based identification, ranking and control of workplace hazards.

Process Safety ManagementEnd-to-end programs that embed process safety into daily operations.

Arc-flash studiesIncident-energy analysis and labelling to protect people from electrical hazards.

Dust-explosion surveysAssessment and control of combustible-dust risk across handling and storage.

Hazardous-area classificationZoning of flammable atmospheres to guide safe equipment selection.

Occupied-building risk assessmentSiting and blast-resilience evaluation for buildings near process hazards.

Layer-of-protection analysisQuantified evaluation of independent protection layers for critical scenarios.

"Northstar rebuilt our process-safety program from the ground up. We passed our statutory audit with zero non-conformances — a first in the plant's history."

0Non-conformances at audit

60%Incident-rate reduction

12 wksTo full close-out

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How long does a typical study take?

Most studies run three to eight weeks depending on plant complexity and the number of nodes. We agree a clear timeline and milestones at scoping.

Which standards do you work to?

We align to the internationally recognised process-safety and risk standards relevant to your sector and jurisdiction, and map every finding back to them for audit defensibility.

Can you facilitate remotely?

Yes. We run studies on-site, remotely or hybrid — though for the highest-hazard facilities we recommend at least one on-site session.

What happens after the report?

We don't stop at recommendations. We track every action to closure and re-verify, and can deploy Axiomi to keep the actions live in your day-to-day operations.

Process Safety & Studies