Major Hazards and Their Management - IChemE

by Geoff L. Wells

This book describes how a company in the process industries anticipates a major hazard incident and makes plans for mitigation and emergency response. A major hazard incident is an accident with the potential to kill three or more people on site and cause injury to or need for evacuation of those off site. The book looks at the development of major hazard incidents and their features. Chapters are dedicated to source terms, gas dispersion, fires, explosions and toxic hazards. Process safety now extends the role of the engineer beyond basic Hazop studies into safety management systems. Any company involved in a process which can give rise to a major hazard incident must possess this expertise. Safety audits are also fundamental; they determine the loss control effectiveness of an organization's safety activities as measured against a set of international or national standards. The author examines a selection of major incidents from history (including Bhopal, Feyzin, Chernobyl, Herald of Free Enterprise and Piper Alpha), fits the sequence of events into a general incident scenario and proposes a keyword approach to root causes. IChemE, the Institution of Chemical Engineers, is the center for chemical, biochemical and process engineering professionals worldwide. We are the heart of the process community, promoting competence and a commitment to sustainable development, advancing the discipline for the benefit of society and supporting the professional development of members. Some of the areas we publish in -Safety in the process industries - the BP Process Safety series -Consultancy for chemical engineers -Project management in the process industries -Contract management in the process industries - International Forms Of Contract series -Communication skills for engineers

305 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1997