BowTie Pro provides several ways to create a BowTie. You can quickly generate a starting framework using our AI-powered models, import and industry example file or recreate information you may have from existing BowTies in an Excel or Visio file. Regardless of how you begin, it is important to remember that a BowTie is typically an evolution of your existing risk management information rather than something created entirely from scratch.
A BowTie analysis rarely starts with new data collection. Instead, it brings together information that already exists within an organisation into a single visual model of risk. The most effective BowTies are evidence-based, reflecting how work is actually performed and are validated by people with the appropriate knowledge and experience rather than being built on assumptions.
Common sources of data may include information you may already have eg
- Risk Register
- Risk assessments eg HAZOP or HAZID
- Policies, procedures, and work instructions
- Incident and near-miss reports
- Maintenance and inspection records
- Regulations, standards, and industry guidance
- Audit findings
- Applicable legislation, standards, and guidance
- Lessons learned from previous events or projects
These sources provide the evidence needed to identify hazards, threats, consequences and the controls that are already in place.
Developing the Risk Model
Experience has shown that the most effective way to develop a BowTie is through a facilitated workshop involving people who understand the activity or process being assessed. Bringing together individuals with different knowledge and responsibilities helps ensure the BowTie accurately represents how risks are managed in practice.
A collaborative approach offers several benefits:
- Creates a more complete understanding of the risk.
- Brings together knowledge from different parts of the organisation.
- Clarifies responsibilities for managing risk.
- Identifies gaps, overlaps, or opportunities to strengthen existing controls.
- Builds shared understanding and ownership of the completed BowTie.
The facilitator’s role is to guide the discussion and translate the group’s knowledge into a clear, consistent and easy-to-understand BowTie model.
A practical workflow
A typical BowTie development process follows these steps:
- Define the scope of the assessment and identify the hazard.
- Review existing information, including risk assessments, procedures, incident reports, and other relevant documentation.
- Identify the people who have the knowledge and experience needed to contribute.
- Conduct a facilitated workshop to identify:
- Threats
- The top event
- Consequences
- Preventive barriers
- Recovery or mitigation barriers
- Review and validate the completed BowTie to ensure it reflects current operations and available evidence.
- Assign ownership of critical barriers and establish appropriate monitoring or performance measures where required.
- Communicate the results and integrate the BowTie into the organisation’s wider risk management processes.
- Ongoing Reviews
No single document contains all the information required to build an effective BowTie. Combining existing documentation with the knowledge of subject matter experts through a structured workshop produces a more accurate, practical and valuable risk model.