Free Access API API-580 New Release

As indicated in API 580 Section 11.8:

"Reduction of some risks to a lower level may not be practical due to technology and cost constraints. An as low as reasonably practical (ALARP) approach to risk management may be necessary for these items."

Thus, technology limitations are explicitly cited as a reason why some risks cannot be feasibly reduced further.

Section 5.3.6 of API 580 states:

“Use of expert opinion will typically be included in most risk assessments regardless of type or level.”

This confirms that expert judgment is a fundamental component across all levels of RBI, whether qualitative, semi-quantitative, or quantitative.

API 580 clearly states under Section 13.6:

“Emergency depressurizing and/or de-inventory should be achieved within a few minutes to reduce the risk from an explosion/fire. This method reduces the amount and rate of release.”

While other methods (such as substitution or containment) reduce hazard or consequence, emergency depressuring directly targets the rate and quantity of material released.

According to Section 5.4 of API 580:

“Risk presented as a precise numeric value (as in a quantitative analysis) implies a greater level of accuracy… However, the implied linkage of precision and accuracy may not exist because of the element of uncertainty that is inherent with probabilities and consequences.”

This clearly supports that Option D is correct. While quantitative methods appear precise, their accuracy may be affected by model limitations, uncertainty, and data variability. Therefore, understanding this distinction helps practitioners avoid overconfidence in the output of RBI tools.