Faculty of Chemical

Engineering
Universiti Teknologi
MARA

Introduction to Process
Safety

Process Safety - CPE615

Synopsis
This course offers a detailed study of safety and

loss prevention covering concepts, methods and

application of techniques with emphasis on the
control of hazards using safety-engineering in
process industry.
The syllabus covers the national and international

safety and health regulatory provisions, and

principles

Process Safety - CPE615

Synopsis
and techniques for identifying, analyzing and

controlling hazards which are required on any

process plant to ensure the safe and efficient
operation.
The course also emphasizes on risk assessment,

occupational safety and health management

system, emergency planning and case studies.

Process Safety - CPE615

s Safety.???

Safety = the older strategy of accident prevention

through the use of personal protective equipment
PPEs (e.g. hard hats and safety shoes) and a variety
of rules and regulations.
The emphasis is on the worker safety.
Process Safety - CPE615

ety and Loss Prevention

Safety has been replaced by loss prevention
Loss prevention includes hazard identification,

technical evaluation, and the design of new

engineering features to prevent loss.

Safety/loss prevention = the

prevention of accidents through the
use of appropriate technologies to
identify hazards of a chemical plant
and eliminate them before accident
occurs.
Process Safety - CPE615

versus Risk
Hazard = a condition that has the
potential to cause human injury or fatality,
damage to property, damage to the
environment or some combination of these.
Risk = a measure of human injury,
environmental damage, or economic loss in
terms of both the incident likelihood and
the magnitude of the loss or injury.
In other words, risk = a chance of injury or
loss or bad consequences to happen.
Process Safety - CPE615

ories of Hazards
Category

Example

Chemical Hazards

acidity, alkalinity, corrosivity,

explosiveness, flammability,
toxicity, asphyxation.

Mechanical Hazards

moving equipment, tripping

hazards, impact and forces

Thermodynamics Hazards

high/low temperature, high

pressure, vacuum, heat transfer

Electrical and Electromagnetic

Hazards

high voltage, radiation, static

electricity, electrical current

Health Hazards

noise, pollution, vibration,

radioactivity,

External Threats

accidental damage by missiles and

vehicles, act of god and natural
causes

Process Safety - CPE615

ersus Health
Health = a state of physical and mental wellbeing including the absence of disease or
infirmity.
Safety = the absence of physical or
psychological injury or harm and often
extends to the absence of damage or property
Safety deals with acute effects of hazards
Health issue deals with chronic effects of
hazards
Chronic: persistent, prolonged and repeated
Acute: immediate, short term
Process Safety - CPE615

rs and Safety
A requirement for engineering curricular to
include safety as a subject matter.
Health and safety issues must be given great
emphasis starting from the design stage.
Non-compliance with safety standards can
severely affect a companys bottom line.
Penalties and fines
Worker compensation
Engineers who design the workplace and its
equipment or who manage and supervise
workers need to have an understanding of the
safety and health regulation.
Process Safety - CPE615

Major Process Industry Accidents:

Accidents
Fires
Explosions
Toxic Releases

Process Safety - CPE615

Consequences
Fatalities
Injuries
Environmental
Damage
Property Damage
Evacuations
Property Losses
Plant Closings
Fines, Lawsuit

Some Major Industrial Accidents in the

Past

Process Safety - CPE615

The Flixborough plant had been in operation since

the year 1967.

In March 1974 a vertical crack had appeared in
Reactor 5.
All eighteen persons in the control room died as a
result of the windows shattering and the collapse of
the roof

Process Safety - CPE615

84
Release of toxic gas
40 tons of Methyl Isocynate escaped from
Union Carbide Plant
3000 died (respiratory failure)
Thousands more died in weeks that followed
More than 500,000 suffered

Process Safety - CPE615

Piper Alpha, 1988

Worlds most famous oil rig disaster.
167 out of 229 people died
Initial explosion followed by a fierce fire
which, in turn, triggered off a further series of
explosions.
Flames could be seen 100 km away.

Process Safety - CPE615

In our backyards: Bright Sparklers, 1991

Fire ignited from product testing activities.
Fire and explosion destroyed the factory
completely.
23 people died and 103 others sustained
injuries.

Process Safety - CPE615

:
y Refinery

23 March 2005
Fire and Explosion
Killing 15 workers and injuring more than 170
others.

Process Safety - CPE615

Recently:
Water Horizon Platform

Gulf Coast of United States

Platform explosion and sinking, killed 11 workers
Leaking of hundreds of thousands of barrels of
oil into the Gulf of Mexico that is making it
probably the worst industrial environmental
disaster in US history.

Process Safety - CPE615

xt Tutorial Class
Prepare a simple presentation or a video in less
than 10 minutes to describe about one past
industrial accident.
Describe the root and immediate causes of the
accident
Explain the possible prevention action that could
be taken

Process Safety - CPE615