Enusuring Reasonably Practicable Risk Management
SFAIRP/SFARP (So Far as Reasonably Practicable) is a cornerstone principle in safety management. It is the final step in a safety assessment to determine if the risks associated with the process safety scenario are “so far as reasonably practicable” and follows the hazard identification and risk assessment stages. A SFAIRP assessment provides a structured documented process to demonstrate this.
The considerations include:
• Do we understand the risk, the controls and the scale of the event?
• Have we applied good practice and relevant codes and standards?
• Have learnings from previous incidents (internal/external) been incorporated?
• What additional controls could be considered – and do they add value?
• Is the cost of additional controls grossly disproportionate to the benefit?
A SFAIRP process helps organisations reduce their risks to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable. A SFAIRP review is conducted by a team of knowledgeable people familiar with the hazardous scenario.
Safety Solutions has been helping organisations across Australia and New Zealand apply SFAIRP to achieve robust, compliant, and cost-effective safety outcomes.
Why SFAIRP Matters
SFAIRP ensures that:
- Risks are reduced to the lowest reasonable level – without introducing unnecessary cost or complexity.
- Safety measures are proportionate – balancing risk reduction against effort, time, and resources.
- Compliance is maintained – aligning with regulatory expectations in New Zealand and internationally.
When SFAIRP is not applied, organisations risk:
- Overlooking critical hazards due to insufficient assessment.
- Misallocating resources to ineffective or disproportionate controls.
- Regulatory breaches and the legal, operational, and reputational damage that follows
Our Approach – Practical, Defensible Safety Decisions
We help organisations embed SFAIRP into their safety management systems through:
- Hazard identification and risk assessment – establishing a clear understanding of potential hazards and their likely impact.
- Evaluating control measures – ensuring chosen measures are both effective and reasonable.
- Documenting decisions – creating a defensible record for compliance and audit purposes.
- Continuous improvement – reviewing and refining controls as operations, technologies, and regulations change.
These reviews are conducted after the hazard identification and risk assessment steps in the safety assessment process to ensure decisions are defensible, practical, and compliant.
Demonstrating SFAIRP Training course
Our one-day course teaches a step-by-step approach to demonstrate that you are doing everything reasonably practicable to eliminate or minimise the risks of your major events associated with storage or processing of hazardous substances. This course overviews different approaches and techniques that lead to different outcomes with regulators.
Why Choose Safety Solutions
- Established expertise – operating since 1993 with a proven track record across high-risk industries.
- Customised training – tailored to the specific risks and regulatory context of your organisation.
- Comprehensive support – from facilitation and assessment to training and compliance documentation
CONTACT US for any of your SFAIRP needs, including facilitation, review, training, and compliance support.