Applying Inherently Safer Technology and Safer Design Strategies to Reduce Societal Risk in the Chemical Supply Chain

Increasing the safety and security within the chemical supply chain has been a concern of the US government for several years. Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have active efforts to reduce societal risk of a toxic industrial chemical release. As part of this, inherently safer technology (IST) has been proffered as a potential solution for addressing a number of these safety and security shortfalls. Indeed, IST concepts have been used successfully and, when coupled with other safer design strategies, offers valid solutions in improving both safety and security and reducing societal risk. Before any solution (IST or other) can be employed, the underlying science must be fully understood and characterized. This presentation will focus on the efforts by DHS' Chemical Security Analysis Center to evaluate the underlying scientific groundwork so that IST and safer design strategies in general may be applied in a broader context to improve the security of the chemical supply chain.