Saving Time with GenAI: A HAZOP Workshop Case Study

By Sarah Grundy, University of New South Wales

🚀 From Concept to Classroom: Using GenAI to Build an interactive design workshop!

As a chemical engineering lecturer teaching process plant design, we have always strived to make complex technical concepts practical and engaging for students. One such concept is the HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) study—a fundamental part of risk analysis in chemical engineering.

This year, as part of our third-year Process Plant Design course at UNSW, students were tasked with developing a preliminary e-methanol plant design. A core requirement was to deliver a draft HAZOP as part of their preliminary design documents. But how do we teach HAZOP in a way that’s active, team-based, and clear—especially for students still building their technical confidence?

💡 Enter GenAI: My Co-Designer for Teaching

Midway through the term, I decided to try and asked ChatGPT to help me design a 1.5-hour interactive HAZOP workshop. The results were not only surprisingly comprehensive, but also adaptable and ready-to-go. With just a few prompts, I was able to co-create:

✅ A Full Workshop Plan

• A breakdown of the session into timed steps (e.g., intro, breakout activities, peer exchange, debrief)

• Role assignments for students (Chairperson, Scribe, Engineers)

• Objectives aligned with the course learning outcomes

  
  

✅ Ready-to-Use Teaching Materials

• A fillable HAZOP table template with columns for guidewords, deviations, causes, consequences, and actions

• A guideword cheat sheet for students

• A list of key parameters for reactor, separation, and purification units

• A slide summary outline for running the session in class

  
  

✅ Active Learning Focus

The GenAI suggestions emphasized teamwork, decision-making, and iteration—all things that are core to HAZOP in industry. I especially appreciated:

• The peer exchange activity between teams

• Guidance on what hazards to prioritize (not overcomplicating!)

• Using real process data from the SHINE 3.0 pilot plant to anchor the discussion

🛠️ Practical Integration with Assessment

The workshop aligned seamlessly with CEIC3005 Deliverable 3. Students left the session with:

• A draft HAZOP table (3–5 deviations for one unit)

• A clearer sense of what their final submission should include

• Confidence in how to think critically about safety and operability

  
  

🔁 Want to Try It Yourself?

If you're a fellow lecturer or teaching assistant in any discipline in fact, here’s how you can replicate the process. The key is the “prompt engineering” – here are some tips and provide GenAI with the following:

Step 1: A persona, that is who is GenAI supposed to be!

Step 2: Some context

Step 3: Attached an input data and/or examples!

Step 4: Instructions of what you want GenAI to help you with

Step 5: Output type – how you would like GenAI to present the response

Here is an example of what I did:

“You are an experienced lecturer in chemical engineering and process plant design who is teaching third-year chemical engineering students to develop a HAZOP for their e-methanol plant design. The brief is based on the attached file/s [here are some suggestions! You could also attach the files first as well]

• Your course brief or learning outcome.

·         Design brief

Could you please help to analyse the brief and come up with an interactive workshop activity for 1.5 hours for the students to work in their design teams to come up with a draft HAZOP? Also please present as a list of task or steps with also suggested timings for each item.”

You can even prompt GenAI to generate a structured workshop plan—complete with timing, activities, learning outcomes, and supporting materials like HAZOP tables or guideword cheat sheets. But remember: what GenAI produces is just a starting point. It’s not the final product. Your expertise and evaluative judgment are essential to refine, adapt, and ensure the content meets the specific needs of your students. You can also guide GenAI to align the workshop with subject learning objectives, accreditation standards, other relevant frameworks, request templates or cheat sheets (HAZOP tables, guidewords, etc.)! The result? Less prep time, more structure, and high-quality engagement in class.

👩‍🏫 Final Thoughts

Using GenAI as a co-designer allowed me to reframe what used to be a dense, theory-heavy session into a collaborative, real-world workshop. It gave me a head start, saved hours of development time, and helped me focus on facilitating learning, not just delivering content.

If you're thinking about incorporating GenAI into your curriculum design: do it. Start with a conversation, and watch it evolve into something powerful.

This is an example of what you can create in no time:

Workshop Plan: HAZOP for Process Plant Design Portfolio

Title: Understanding and Applying HAZOP in e-Methanol Plant Design

Duration: 1.5 Hours

Target Audience: CEIC3005 Design Teams

Objective: Equip students with the knowledge and practical experience to conduct a HAZOP study for their e-methanol plant design.

Workshop Agenda

1. Introduction to HAZOP (20 mins)

• Definition and Purpose: What is HAZOP, and why is it critical in process design?

• Key Principles: Identifying hazards, operational deviations, and mitigating risks.

• HAZOP Process Overview:

  • Defining the system and process parameters

  • Identifying deviations using guidewords (e.g., More, Less, No, Reverse, As well as)

  • Assessing consequences and proposing safeguards

• Example Case Study: Brief analysis of a real-world incident due to process deviations.

2. Practical HAZOP Exercise (50 mins)

• Team Breakout Activity (35 mins)

  • Each team receives a sample Process Flow Diagram (PFD) of a reactor and separation unit.

  • Assign HAZOP roles: Chairperson, Scribe, Engineers (Process, Safety, Control).

  • Identify at least three potential hazards using HAZOP methodology.

  • Document deviations, causes, consequences, and proposed actions in a HAZOP table.

• Group Presentations (15 mins)

  • Each team presents one identified hazard and proposed solutions.

  • Discussion and feedback from facilitators.

3. Common Pitfalls & Best Practices (15 mins)

• Avoiding Overcomplication: Focus on critical hazards.

• Ensuring Actionable Recommendations: Move beyond generic safety measures.

• Effective Teamwork in HAZOP Studies: Strategies for efficient collaboration.

• Q&A Session: Addressing team-specific concerns.

Workshop Materials

• HAZOP Guideword Sheet

• Blank HAZOP Worksheet Template

• Example PFDs (Reactor & Separation Unit)

• Case Study Materials

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand the importance of HAZOP in process safety.

• Apply HAZOP methodology to their e-methanol plant design.

• Identify operational hazards and propose effective risk mitigation strategies.

• Collaborate effectively in a HAZOP study setting.

Blog by Sarah Grundy - Dr. Sarah Grundy is a education focussed Senior Lecturer of chemical engineering with The University of New South Wales, Australia. She is specialized in advanced materials, process engineering and design. Her research interests also include engineering education with a current focus on generative artificial intelligence, project-based learning and work-integrated learning. She is a member of The Australasian Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Education Centre (AAIEEC) leadership team and Senior Fellowship Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

Acknowledgements: Co-designers A/Professor Pierre Le Clech and Dr Yasemin Fadil