Chemical Engineering Safety Measures

written by Yiran Li

Chemical industry is a diverse industry and its products are omnipresent. The modern technology in developing these tailor made chemicals has been quite successful. As with any industry setting, safety is a major concern for the firm to run properly. The major hazards encountered in the operation of the plant in the chemical industries are toxic and corrosive chemicals release, fires, explosions, falls and faulty mechanised equipments. (NPTEL) Also, the design engineer must be aware of these hazards and must make every attempt to present a design which needs to be protective of the environment and of human health. Environmental issues must be considered not only within the context of chemical production but also during other stages of a chemical's life cycle, such as transportation, use by customers, recycling activities, and ultimate disposal.

Chemical engineers need to analysis potential hazards and take corrective measures to improve the safety of the process. The entire approach can be summarized as follows:

1.  Identify the hazards:“ what can possibly go wrong ”

2.  Evaluate the hazards:“ what are all the causes and how bad it can be ”

3.  Control the hazards:“ what should be done about it ”

Even though chemical industries take major precautions in ensuring the safety of their employees, the chemical processes that chemical engineers design and implement are not always safe. Occasionally, unexpected releases of toxic, reactive, and/or flammable liquids and gases ensue. A substantial amount of chemical engineering firms work together with the non-profit membership organization like CCPS, AIChE, or other private and government programs.

Reference 

http://www.exponent.com/chemical_engineering_process_safety/

http://www.truity.com/career-profile/chemical-engineer

http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/chemistry-careers/chemical-engineering.html