Leaders of AIChE’s Safety and Health Division have voted to change the name of the long-established technical division to the Process Safety Division. The renaming of the AIChE entity reflects the increasing emphasis placed on process safety by the chemical industries, as well as the prominent role that process safety plays in the endeavors of modern chemical engineers and AIChE members. The name change was approved in August 2023, and the newly rebranded community will formally unveil its programs and activities at the next AIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety, Mar. 24–28, 2024, in New Orleans, LA.
In establishing a mission for the Process Safety Division, leaders took into account comments solicited from stakeholders — to identify how the Division can best serve members and to align the Division’s activities with those of other AIChE entities. Organizers say that the Process Safety Division — like the Safety and Health Division before it — remains steadfast in advancing AIChE’s objectives to provide expert guidance, resources, and knowledge exchange on process safety topics. Leaders anticipate that, with fresh perspectives from new participants and the Division’s renewed emphasis on process safety, members will gain even greater access to safety resources, networking opportunities, and expert insights.
Since 1979, AIChE’s Safety and Health Division has been at the forefront of safety education and programs that promote safety in chemical engineering practice. The Division preceded the establishment of the Institute’s Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), which formed in 1985. CCPS will continue to identify and address process safety needs in industry for member companies, while the Process Safety Division will identify and address individual engineers’ process safety needs and technical development.
AIChE members — including existing members of the Safety and Health Division — as well as new stakeholders are encouraged to join the Process Safety Division and to help continue the safety community’s progress. For more information about the AIChE Process Safety Division, its initiatives, and how to join, visit www.aiche.org/psd.