A BowTie Diagram is a method of risk assessment process to identify potential hazards that is used to analyse and demonstrate causal relationships in high risk scenarios. The BowTie Diagram is a visualisation of the path a hazard to cause a severe consequence and the combination of preventative and mitigative barriers. The Bowtie Diagram is a simple and effective tool for communicating risk assessment results to employees at all levels. This diagram clearly displays the links between the potential causes, preventative and mitigate controls and consequences of a major accident. It may be integrated with Layers of Protections Analysis (LOPA).
Reference Definition by Aiche: A Bow Tie Diagram is a diagram for visualizing the types of preventive and mitigative barriers which can be used to manage risk. These barriers are drawn with the threats on the left, the unwanted event at the centre, and the consequences on the right, representing the flow of the hazardous materials or energies through its barriers to its destination. The hazards or threats can be proactively addressed on the left with specific barriers (safeguards, layers of protection) to help prevent a hazardous event from occurring; barriers reacting to the event to help reduce the event’s consequences are shown on the right.
Related Definitions in the Project: The Risk Management; Project Management
