Beyond the PHA – Major Hazard Management for Battery Energy Storage Systems Using Bowtie Analysis

R4Risk’s Michela Leedow delivered a presentation on managing major hazards in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Her presentation, titled “Beyond the PHA: Major Hazard Management for Battery Energy Storage Systems Using Bowtie Analysis,” explored how bowtie analysis builds on a Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) to support ongoing safety management.

Key takeaways:

• Understanding the Hazards: Thermal runaway can lead to fire, explosion and toxic gas exposure, with potential escalation to neighbouring equipment or facilities. Contaminated firewater also presents environmental risks.
• Looking beyond the PHA: Bowtie analysis brings initiating events, consequences and safeguards together, helping operators examine the complete control picture and recognise dependencies on critical systems such as the Battery Management System (BMS).
• Managing the consequences: Detection and isolation, emergency ventilation, separation distances and emergency response arrangements play important roles in limiting the effects of thermal runaway.
• Sustaining control performance: Safety management systems support reliable controls throughout operation. An illustrative BMS example showed how testing, inspections and fault management can translate control expectations into measurable performance requirements and clear interventions. 
• Responding to operational change: Equipment replacements and technology changes can affect hazards, control effectiveness and consequence modelling. Operating arrangements must also support the controls that depend on site attendance, competent personnel and reliable communications.

Michela’s presentation reinforced the importance of connecting hazard assessment with everyday operations: a sound PHA establishes the basis, bowtie analysis reveals critical controls, and safety management systems sustain their performance.

To read more about the presentation, download the presentation slides here.

If you have any questions regarding major hazard management or bowtie analysis for Battery Energy Storage Systems, get in touch with us to discuss.