What to Expect | SafeGuard Projects Engagement Roadmap

Before You Sign Anything

Week 0–1: Scoping

You reach out. We get on a call — usually within one business day. We ask about your project: what you're building, what phase you're in, what process safety work has already been done, and what your timeline looks like.

Within a few days we send a scope of work and a fixed-fee or time-and-materials proposal depending on what makes sense for your project. We don't charge for scoping calls or proposals.

If we're not the right fit — wrong project type, timing conflict, scope outside our wheelhouse — we'll tell you that on the first call rather than waste your time.

What We Need to Scope Your Project

Project type (grassroots, expansion, retrofit) · Facility type and process chemistry · Current project phase · HHC chemicals and approximate inventories · Key PSM milestones and their target dates · Internal PSM resources (if any) · Who the decision-maker is and their timeline for engagement

Our Typical Engagement Sizes

Flat-fee assessments and reviews: $8,000–$30,000. HAZOP facilitation: $15,000–$60,000 depending on scope and node count. PSM program development: $20,000–$80,000. PSM On-Call retainers: from $3,500/month. Full project lifecycle support: scoped by phase.

The Engagement Itself

From kickoff to startup — what actually happens.

This is a representative timeline for a new facility capital project engagement beginning at FEED. Your engagement will be scoped specifically for your project phase and deliverables.

Week 1

Kickoff & Document Review

Project kickoff call with your engineering and project management team. We review available process documentation: PFDs, preliminary P&IDs, material and energy balances, equipment list, plot plan, FEED deliverable register. We identify gaps and align on the PSM scope and schedule.

Weeks 2–4

FEED Alignment & Safety Basis

We develop or review the process safety basis document: HHC identification, consequence screening, inherent safety options, SIS philosophy, and LOPA screening criteria. We attend FEED progress meetings as required. Open action items from the safety basis feed the detailed HAZOP scope.

Month 2–3

HAZOP Scheduling & Preparation

We work with your engineering team to define HAZOP nodes, confirm P&ID revision for the study, and develop the pre-reading package. We recommend the study team composition and facilitate any necessary briefings for client personnel participating in the HAZOP. HAZOP prep is not an afterthought — it determines whether the study is productive.

Month 3–5

HAZOP Facilitation & LOPA

HAZOP sessions run with your team — typically 3–5 days per major process unit. We maintain the action register in real time. Following HAZOP, we run LOPA on scenarios requiring quantified risk reduction and deliver SIL assignments for SIS design. Action items are formally issued within 2 weeks of study completion.

Detailed Design Phase

P&ID Review & SIS Support

As P&IDs mature we conduct safety-focused reviews for relief system adequacy, control philosophy, instrument ranging, and isolation gaps. We support SIS design with SRS review and SIL verification. HAZOP action item closure is tracked and verified against updated P&IDs.

Construction Phase

MOC Program & MI Baseline

We support your construction-phase MOC program — the most commonly skipped PSM step. Field deviations are documented, reviewed, and closed before PSSR. Mechanical integrity baseline inspection scope is developed for turnover to your operations team.

Pre-Startup

PSSR & Commissioning Support

We develop and lead the PSSR — field-verified, P&ID-traced, and tied to your commissioning punch list. We conduct commissioning hazard reviews by unit as hazardous material introduction approaches. Startup risk register developed and maintained through first introduction of process material.

Startup

Handoff to Operations

Final deliverable package: completed HAZOP with closed action items, LOPA worksheets, PSSR documentation, PSM program binder, and commissioning hazard review records. Operator training support as needed. Optional: ongoing PSM On-Call retainer during the first year of operations.

Common Questions

Things clients usually ask before engaging.

Do I need to have my P&IDs complete before starting?

No — and waiting until P&IDs are complete before engaging a process safety consultant is one of the most common and expensive mistakes on capital projects. We prefer to engage during FEED, before the major design decisions are locked in. The earlier we're involved, the more we can influence the design rather than audit it.

Who actually does the work?

Our principals. We don't maintain a bench of junior analysts who deliver work under a senior partner's name. The people who scope your engagement are the people who work it. This is a core operating principle, not a marketing claim.

How do you handle scope changes?

Capital projects change. When scope expands — more P&ID revisions, additional process units, a schedule extension — we discuss it, document the change, and adjust accordingly. We don't surprise clients with invoices. Changes are discussed before they're billed.

What if we're already deep into detailed design?

We'll meet you where you are. Late engagement means some of the highest-value work (FEED safety integration, early consequence screening) isn't available. But a rigorous HAZOP, LOPA, P&ID review, and PSSR can still significantly reduce startup risk — and in most cases, there's still time to influence safeguard design before construction is locked in.

Do you work internationally?

Yes. We've delivered capital project process safety work across North America, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe. International projects involve additional considerations around regulatory frameworks, workforce experience levels, and contractor cultures — all of which we factor into how we scope and deliver the engagement.

Here's exactly what working with us looks like.