Summary
In short
- A what if study is an assessment used in KnowSafe that a guided team discussion asking what could go wrong at each stage of a process. It is built against CCPS process hazard analysis and forms part of the Critical Control and Fatal Risk programme.
- Run for new processes or before a significant change. Led by a facilitator with operations and engineering.
- The template holds 34 fields across 4 sections, with scenarios repeating for each entry.
- Scoring is risk band per scenario, where high is bad.
- CCPS is center for Chemical Process Safety. Publishes process hazard analysis and process safety management practice.
- It connects to the rest of the library: feeds Risk Assessment, MOC.
What it is
What it is
What is a what if study?
A what if study is an assessment used in KnowSafe that a guided team discussion asking what could go wrong at each stage of a process. It is built against CCPS process hazard analysis and forms part of the Critical Control and Fatal Risk programme.
When is a what if study completed?
A what if study is completed when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Run for new processes or before a significant change.
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 WHATIF-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 risk assessment, moc
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
CCPSCenter for Chemical Process Safety
Publishes process hazard analysis and process safety management practice.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the what if study template based on?+
It is built against CCPS process hazard analysis. CCPS is center for Chemical Process Safety. Publishes process hazard analysis and process safety management practice.
What sections does the what if study contain?+
There are 4 sections: header, scenarios, related records, result. Together they hold 34 fields, 26 of which are required.
How often is a what if study 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 WHATIF-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the what if study 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 what if study scored?+
Scoring is risk band per scenario. High is bad. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the what if study 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 what if study 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
- CCPS — Center for Chemical Process Safety