This process safety presentation will discuss the overall strategy and outlines the tasks that are necessary to ensure the safety of a process, when they should be performed, and, critically, how the outcomes of the individual tasks should be integrated to maximize their benefit. The safety of a process is not purely the domain of chemical engineers. Chemists (in route selection and development) dictate the intrinsic hazards of the process.
The focus of the online seminar is on tools available for chemists to generate and evaluate data on reactivity and stability. The use of criticality classes to help chemists understand the level of intrinsic process hazard is exemplified. This concept is now facilitated within the iControl™ software for the RC1e through the iC Safety™ module. This automatically translates experimental data into practical, integrated information so that the chemist can readily assimilate the intrinsic hazard level of the process they are developing. Where the hazard level is significant, changes to the process or conditions can be implemented such that the process at the end of development is inherently safer.
Operating chemical processes at large scale without runaway reaction or decomposition is what all chemical companies strive to do. Ensuring the safety of a reaction does not involve a single reaction calorimetry test or doing a HAZOP or checking the thermal stability of the compounds involved or making sure the reactor has a vent. Process safety is the product of all many activities added together. Some companies are competent in certain of these areas, but deficient in others. This jeopardizes the overall safety of the process. Doing all areas well, and integrating the various outcomes, provides a holistic process safety strategy which is likely to be highly robust.
The key to developing safe processes is in having robust procedures which accompany a process from discovery to large-scale production. Critical safety decisions are made at every stage.
Guest Presenter: Dr. Stephen Rowe
Dr. Stephen Rowe (BSc, MRSC, AMIChemE, CChem, Ph.D.) graduated from Portsmouth University with a BSc First Class Honours Degree in Applied Chemistry. He undertook a project developing adiabatic Dewar calorimeter system in 1989 through 1990 within the ICI Hazards and Process Studies Group (Blackley, Mancester) before joining Chilworth Technology in 1991. Stephen successfully completed his Ph.D. in 1997 under the guidance of Prof. Philip Nolan at South Bank University (University of London). The project investigated the reaction inhibition techniques in the control of exothermic runaway reactions. Stephen is currently the General Manager at Chilworth Technology and regularly attends, and presents at, international conferences on process safety. His expertise encompasses all areas of chemical reaction hazards and flammability (dusts, vapors, and gases). Stephen has full responsibility for the management and technical development of the testing and consulting operations at Chilworth Technology's headquarters in South Hampton, United Kingdom.
Interactive
At the end of this online seminar, there will be an interactive Q&A session providing you with the opportunity to ask questions relevant to your particular application.