Introducing FERA - A Web-Based Risk Assessment Solution

In today’s episode of the Dust Safety Science podcast, Daniel Zellweger, CEO and owner of FireEx Consultant GmbH and owner and President at RICO Sicherheitstechnik AG, talks about a software called Fire and Explosion Risk Assessment (FERA). This is a web-based risk assessment solution released by the FireEx team.

FireEX was founded by recognized explosion protection expert Richard Siwek more than 20 years ago. Richard was very involved in dust pollution testing and developed a 20 litre chamber for testing. Even today, people still call it the Siwek chamber. When he retired, Daniel took over the company. FireEX is active from four different locations in Europe, but it does projects all over the world.

What Is FERA And Why Was It Created?

When Daniel took over the company from Richard, he noticed that creating risk assessments was demanding and that projects often took a long time due to numerous changes, waiting for customer input, and various potential errors. Richard favored using tools and had developed software called the wind vent solution, but Daniel also observed that operating companies frequently struggled to keep their risk assessments up-to-date.

“Sometimes even when we go to customers, they say, ah yes, we have done something, but they cannot find it anymore. In addition, we also see that the expectations from the customer to the consultants are very high in terms of responsibility, in terms of liability. And at the end of the day also regarding efficiency,” Daniel said. “So the customers are not ready anymore to always start from zero and pay for the risk assessment.”

FERA is beneficial not only for consultants but also for companies and equipment manufacturers. Consultants can save time by involving companies directly in conducting risk assessments, since much of the input comes from them. This direct involvement can reduce error rates and help create a knowledge base where team members can review previous work. Furthermore, the software facilitates ongoing communication post-risk assessment with both companies and equipment manufacturers.

Manufacturers can use the software to conduct their risk assessments for equipment and easily adapt it to new demands or applications. Operating companies can also manage their risk assessments using the software, handling modifications themselves online even after project completion. This capability allows them to address minor issues independently and take responsibility for their changes, although they can still contact consultants for approval of these modifications.

This arrangement simplifies communication between operating customers, operating companies, and consultants. Additionally, when personnel changes occur on the customer side, it is easy to grant access to successors, ensuring they have a comprehensive overview of all previous risk assessments.

What Are The Benefits Seen With FERA?

The software includes an approval process that culminates with signatures on the final report, which is crucial for liability purposes. The report carries not only the consultant’s signature but also that of the customer, clearly indicating who has approved the process. In the event of an investigation, it’s evident who used the software, and there is a log file documenting all modifications made during the risk assessment. These log files can detail who performed each action within the risk assessment.

This functionality is essential in scenarios such as accidents or incidents; the software can protect individuals responsible for the risk assessment by demonstrating their diligence and adherence to required processes. In such cases, the records can be provided as evidence, allowing any external party to verify the actions and decisions documented.

What Are Some Examples of FERA In Use?

Customers using the software have the option to work on the FireEx database or install the software on a local server, which is particularly beneficial for large or multinational companies with multiple sites or numerous installations. These companies can maintain ownership of the database and instruct their consultants to use FERA, giving them full control over how the software is utilized.

When working with the FireEx database, customers can access only their specific risk assessments, ensuring confidentiality and security. The software allows for specific access rights to be assigned to a limited number of people, simplifying the management of permissions for each installation.

The risk assessment process begins by defining the probabilities and impacts of potential incidents like explosions. The workflow includes multiple steps, starting with an introduction page explaining the purpose of the risk assessment, followed by a team page listing those involved, which can include additional members without software access. Users define the intended use of the application, describe the system, and can upload plans of the installation. A significant step involves describing facility properties using a library of components like silos or fluid bed dryer systems, which simplifies the repetitive aspects of risk assessments.

Customers can enter property details themselves, and once completed, they can send a notification through FERA’s internal messaging system. The consultant can then restrict editing rights, moving the process forward to analyzing the characteristics of the product, the zoning of the plant, and detailed function and state analysis of the process.

Risk estimation involves checking each zone for potential ignition sources and determining if there is enough energy to cause an explosion. After evaluating the risks, a summary defines the likelihood of incidents during normal operations or malfunctions. This leads to the creation of a risk profile grid, identifying areas of acceptable and unacceptable risks.

Risk reduction measures are then implemented to shift any unacceptable risks (red areas) into acceptable ones (green areas). The final steps involve summarizing all risk reduction measures and updating the risk profile grid to ensure no areas remain in the red. The final stage of the assessment outlines the frequency of future risk assessments.

The software supports error prevention by guiding the structured entry of data, allowing for preview in HTML format, and ultimately generating a PDF document. This document, signed by both the consultant and the customer, along with a version list of all generated reports, enhances transparency for both internal consultants and customers, clearly documenting all actions taken.

Conclusion

According to Daniel, the current software releases are merely the beginning for FireEX. They plan to tailor the software based on customer requirements and needs. For instance, they are currently in discussions with a multinational pharmaceutical company to develop a solution that simplifies the process for managing multiple products. This is crucial for installations that produce various products, as it is impractical to conduct a new risk assessment for each product.

Additionally, they aim to better integrate the assessment of fire risks into the software. Ultimately, the software will evolve in response to customer needs and the nature of the projects they undertake. While the future direction of the software in the next ten years is undecided, FireEX is confident that it will continue to develop positively.

If you would like to discuss further, leave your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach Daniel Zellweger directly:

Website: https://www.fireex.ch/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-zellweger-30b704a/

Email: [email protected]

If you have questions about the contents of this or any other podcast episode, you can go to our ‘Questions from the Community’ page and submit a text message or video recording. We will then bring someone on to answer these questions in a future episode.