Summary
In short
- A bowtie analysis is an assessment used in KnowSafe that maps a major hazard from its causes through to its consequences, and shows which barriers sit in between. It is built against ICMM, energy industry practice and forms part of the Critical Control and Fatal Risk programme.
- Built for each fatal risk and reviewed yearly. Carried out by a facilitated team.
- The template holds 43 fields across 5 sections, with threats and preventive barriers, consequences and mitigating barriers repeating for each entry.
- Scoring is barrier health, where high is good.
- ICMM is international Council on Mining and Metals. Publishes critical control management, widely borrowed outside mining for fatal risk control.
- It connects to the rest of the library: feeds Critical Control Register.
What it is
What it is
What is a bowtie analysis?
A bowtie analysis is an assessment used in KnowSafe that maps a major hazard from its causes through to its consequences, and shows which barriers sit in between. It is built against ICMM, energy industry practice and forms part of the Critical Control and Fatal Risk programme.
When is a bowtie analysis completed?
A bowtie analysis is completed when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Built for each fatal risk and reviewed yearly.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This assessment is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this assessment covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form BOWTIE-2026-000
- You are running the Critical Control and Fatal Risk programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: feeds critical control register
Not for
- Job Safety Analysis, which breaks a job into steps, finds the hazards in each and sets the controls.
- Pre-Task Risk Assessment, which a short check done by the crew right before work starts, covering what has changed today.
- Task Risk Assessment, which a fuller assessment of a task, its hazards and its controls, using the shared risk method.
- Anything outside KnowSafe, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
ICMMInternational Council on Mining and Metals
Publishes critical control management, widely borrowed outside mining for fatal risk control.
energy industry practiceEnergy industry practice
Isolation and process safety practice developed in the energy sector.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the bowtie analysis template based on?+
It is built against ICMM, energy industry practice. ICMM is international Council on Mining and Metals. Publishes critical control management, widely borrowed outside mining for fatal risk control. energy industry practice is energy industry practice. Isolation and process safety practice developed in the energy sector.
What sections does the bowtie analysis contain?+
There are 5 sections: header, the top event, threats and preventive barriers, consequences and mitigating barriers, result. Together they hold 43 fields, 32 of which are required.
How often is a bowtie analysis raised?+
A new record is raised when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Each one is given an ID in the form BOWTIE-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the bowtie analysis belong to?+
It is part of Critical Control and Fatal Risk. Named fatal risks with owned critical controls and a verification schedule that is actually run.
How is a bowtie analysis scored?+
Scoring is barrier health. High is good. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the bowtie analysis template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the bowtie analysis library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Sources
Sources
- ICMM — International Council on Mining and Metals
- energy industry practice — Energy industry practice