Process safety engineering involves the use of fundamental engineering knowledge (e.g., thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and kinetics) to develop and apply measures to prevent, mitigate, and respond to catastrophic incidents. The objective of this discipline is to understand and address the complex and dynamic interactions between process design, material characteristics and behaviors, human-machine interfaces, and management systems. It is closely related to reliability engineering, organizational science, and equipment design and construction, as well as sustainable development.
In the November AIChE Journal Perspective article, “Trends and Challenges in Process Safety,” M. Sam Mannan and co-authors of Texas A&M Univ. discuss the complex nature of process safety incidents and the need for a systematic approach to address those incidents. Since the goal of process safety is to avoid harm due to loss of containment of hazardous substances, it is essential to predict potentially disastrous scenarios, the degree and extent of damage associated with each scenario, and the actions necessary to prevent them or to reduce the consequences if one were to occur. A fundamental understanding of the science behind the hazardous incidents — through proper application of engineering and scientific principles — is necessary to predict...
Would you like to access the complete CEP Article?
No problem. You just have to complete the following steps.
You have completed 0 of 2 steps.
-
Log in
You must be logged in to view this content. Log in now.
-
AIChE Membership
You must be an AIChE member to view this article. Join now.
Copyright Permissions
Would you like to reuse content from CEP Magazine? It’s easy to request permission to reuse content. Simply click here to connect instantly to licensing services, where you can choose from a list of options regarding how you would like to reuse the desired content and complete the transaction.