Search

The Journal of Chemical Education’s Special Issue on Chemical Safety Education: Methods, Culture, and Green Chemistry is a collection of 38 peer-reviewed papers on the topic of chemical safety educ...

Minimizing the effects of chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear (CBRN) incidents requires the simultaneous efforts of different specialists not only within one state, so recently international projects have been chosen for the purpose of developing and implementing not only national measures to minimize CBRN threats, but also coordination at the international level. The Aim of the Research. Substantiation of the relevance of a permanent international training center organization for the training of specialists in the field of CBRN security (direction — chemical security) for the needs of the power and special structures of Ukraine. Methods. Results of the instruction and trainings conducted within the framework of the project on the establishment of a network of training centers for minimizing the risks related to the CBRN threats in the countries of the region of Southeast and Eastern Europe, held on the basis of State Enterprise “Research Centre of Preventive Toxicology, Food and Chemical Safety named after L. I. Medved”, Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine” (Science Center) in July 2019. Results and Discussion. Project 57: Strengthening the crime scene forensics capabilities in investigating CBRN incidents in the South East and Eastern Europe Centers of Excellence Region (Ref: Europe Aid / IFS / 2016/374993) came into action in 2019. The objective of Project 57 is to introduce a system of trainings on the investigation of CBRN incidents and the gradual formation of relationships between forensic experts and organizations with experience in the field of CBRN materials at the national level. Successful fulfillment of the tasks of investigating CBRN incidents requires constant professional improvement of specialists in various fields and development of the system of communication and interaction at the interdisciplinary level. Project 57 from Ukraine involved Ukrainian experts instructed and trained in EU countries as national forensic trainers in crime scene investigations. These candidates, after conducting the relevant exercises, were involved in conducting trainings on raising the level of knowledge of law enforcement officers of Ukraine. In July 2019, a team-based training (July 5) and national exercises (July 22–25) were held under Project 57 at the Science Center. Law enforcement experts from Ukraine and Moldova participated in the team and staff training. Exercises were performed in groups, and the results of the work were demonstrated and discussed via Skype conference mode. National exercises were conducted in the form of practical exercises in a specially prepared territory of the Science Center. The participants of the training worked with imitation material evidence in protective suits using technical means in real-time situations. In addition to the acquisition of practical skills, there was an exchange of knowledge and experience between the various agencies involved in the field of chemical threat. The participants gained experience that will help to improve management skills and improve coordination and communication between the actors involved in the response to the CBRN incidents. Conclusions. The conducted trainings proved the necessity of introducing a system of continuous professional instruction and advanced training of the staff of special and security structures of Ukraine involved in the investigation of CBRN incidents. Key Words: chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear safety, continuous professional development.

To optimize the technical, economic, and social benefits of the chemical enterprise, the practice of chemistry must consider and address best safety practices from concept through research, develop...

Chemical safety education is a critical aspect of an integrated culture of safety in academic research settings. Showcasing best practices and sharing practical solutions for recognizing hazards an...

A serious academic laboratory accident occurred at Texas Tech University in January of 2010. As a result of internal assessment and subsequent investigations by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard ...

In 2018, the chemical safety team of the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Department at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) developed and implemented a comprehensive hydrofluoric acid (HF) safet...

Storage and inventory issues are not typically a part of chemistry coursework, yet they are something that a high school science teacher will have to handle immediately upon graduation. Using an au...

Virtual reality (VR) technologies are becoming more and more popular, not only as a gaming console, but also as a viable training tool. Especially for health and safety training programmes, VR can be very useful to train people in dangerous environments and situations without imposing real danger on them or others. Chemical laboratories are environments where risks of severe injury or even fatality are always present. For this, we developed a VR serious game, called VR LaboSafe Game, as a tool for laboratory safety training. However, designing a VR serious game is a challenging task. There are many factors to consider for an optimal game design. In this study, we discuss important design considerations and we present the game design of VR LaboSafe Game. Preliminary tests of an early version of the game show usability issues and minor discomforting symptoms for some participants. Nevertheless, participants do agree that VR LaboSafe Game is useful for learning laboratory safety; is more active and responsive in their learning process and makes safety training more engaging. ispartof: pages:23-33 ispartof: Games and Learning Alliance vol:1 pages:23-33 ispartof: 10th International Conference on Games and Learning Alliance location:Online date:1 Dec - 2 Dec 2021 status: published

International legal acts that regulate organizing and carrying out various mass events in our country impose an obligation on the RF to provide safety, including sanitary-epidemiologic ones, for their guests and participants. Tight schedules and short time span are peculiarities related to such events and, when it comes to hygienic aspects, it determines short-term exposure of guests and participants to environmental factors. Nowadays in Russia substantial experience has been accumulated in providing hygienic safety for population during international mass events. Our research goal was to determine priority tasks in laboratory and information-analytical support for Rospotrebnadzor activities aimed at solving issues related hygienic safety of international mass events at various stages in preparation to them and during them depending on their scale and social significance. This paper focuses on determining a necessity to work out a model for laboratory support aimed at providing chemical safety during international mass events as regards assessing health risks for participants and guests attending such events; the model is to involve implementing laboratory control over biological markers. The authors determine basic principles of the state policy in the sphere of providing hygienic safety, reasons for threats and health risks occurrence during international mass events. The present research allowed to reveal it was advisory to implement a system for biological control over markers related to impacts exerted by various chemicals on personnel involved into preparation and organization of international mass events.

Spurred by the vision articulated in the National Academy of Sciences report Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century (2007) and the availability of advanced methods for biological profiling of chemicals, large volumes of data describing in vitro effects have been generated over the last 10 years for thousands of chemicals. Additional important drivers in transforming toxicity testing and safety evaluation include the National Academy of Sciences report Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations (2017) and the passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act to require development and implementation of tiered approaches for risk-based safety evaluations and for the Environmental Protection Agency to develop, evaluate, and use New Approach Methodologies. Considerable efforts are now being devoted to interpreting results, determining how these relate to potential health effects, and integrating bioactivity with predicted or measured human exposures for product safety evaluations. This article presents a number of my perspectives on the transformation that New Approach Methodologies are catalyzing in regulatory safety evaluations and product stewardship of commodity and consumer product chemicals.

Material industry in India contributes a considerable measure to the development of Indian economy and assumes a vital part in giving the work to the rustic and urban populace in India however it neglects to cultivate instruction and wellbeing as key segment of human advancement. There are distinctive risks looked by the laborers in material industry, for example, introduction to cotton dust, presentation to synthetic substances, commotion and ergonomics issues and so on. There are likewise a few variables, which are dependable to make the perils in the workplace I.e. work stressed, ill advised utilization of individual defensive hardware stretch, unfortunate workplace and poor working conditions and so on. The majority of the specialists are unskilled and dont have the foggiest idea about that what defensive measures ought to be embraced for their occupations. To keep the medical problems of specialists in ventures it is basic that the laborers know about the different word related risks in the business. It is additionally fundamental that the administration should find a way to shield specialists from potential dangerous circumstance. The wide utilization of synthetic concoctions in material generation is basic learning, while next to no has been done to unveil the possibly destructive mixes stowing away in our storage room. Ligori Aruldass. T | Arun Karthik. V. M "Chemical Safety in Textile Industry" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-3 | Issue-3 , April 2019, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd23135.pdf

Animal use for testing chemicals under REACH continues to increase, despite advances in non-animal safety science during the past 15 years. The application of modern science and technology, and the use of ‘next generation’ weight-of-evidence assessment approaches, are embedded in EU guidance for establishing the safety of cosmetics and foods – and of the ingredients used in these products. However, this is still not the case for the regulation of chemicals. Under the new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, thought leaders in human health and environmental protection are calling on the European Commission to quickly embrace the benefits of modern and innovative non-animal safety science, in place of outdated animal testing, if the EU is to be a leader in safe and sustainable innovation under the European Green Deal transformational change ambitions. The European Commission also needs to enable companies to meet their legal obligation to only conduct animal testing as a last resort, by providing a more flexible, science-based and consistent regulatory framework for assuring chemical safety, which supports the integration of data from different sources. We are at a tipping point for closing the gap between regulatory chemicals testing and modern safety science. It is time to join forces, across policy makers, scientists, regulators and lawyers, to lead the paradigm shift needed to deliver what EU citizens want – namely, chemicals and products that are safe and sustainable, without resorting to animal testing.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent, non-regulatory federal agency that investigates the root causes of major chemical incidents, has firstly analyzed safety culture as an important element to maintain process safety in the investigation report of “BP America Refinery Explosion” in 2007. On the same year, the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) published Risk Based Process Safety (RBPS) in which process safety culture was newly added as an element. The author found six CSB reports which analyzed the weaknesses of safety culture and related them to the essential features of process safety culture in RBPS. Discussions are made on the results of the relations.

Safety risks have become an obstacle to the sustainability of the chemical industry in China since many chemical companies were forced to close down by China’s government in the past three years. This study investigates chemical safety in China in order to identify the causes of the major accidents and accompanying casualties, formulating the safety management needs to develop a sustainable chemical industry in China. First, we analyze the evolution and current status of China’s chemical industry to identify possible safety issues rooted in the industry. Second, a thorough accident investigation is conducted based on official statistics and collected chemical accidents in China in the period 2004–2019. Furtherly, the main laws, regulations, guidelines, standards and measures related to chemical safety are analyzed and compared with those in Europe. According to analyses related to the chemical industry, chemical accidents and safety legislation and measures in China and Europe, the current problems with respect to chemical safety in China are discussed systematically. Based on research findings, we propose recommendations for the improvement of chemical safety so as to promote the sustainable development of the chemical industry in China. This study also provides basic data and information for future studies on the safety and sustainability of the chemical industry and major accident prevention in other countries.

According to the most recent data from the federal Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, between 2001 and 2011, more than 120 university laboratory accidents have caused injuries (includi...

Chemical safety of treating chemical substances is key problems that unite the international community. Realization of the modern model of chemical safety provides the coordinated work of legal, economic, ecological-hygienic, prophylactic and educational components. A doctor of ХХІ century must have knowledge about modern approaches to classification of dangers and marking chemical substances, be able to ground toxicological properties and molecular mechanisms of the effect of toxicants, estimate risks as to using chemical substances of inorganic and organic nature, give medical care to persons, who suffered as a result of the influence of chemical compounds. The paper theoretically grounds methodical approaches to formation of knowledge about inorganic toxicants as a component of chemical safety in future doctors at studying bioorganic and biological chemistry. There is presented the analysis of the learning program on biological chemistry, and it was established, that formation of knowledge about inorganic toxicants as a component of chemical safety can be realized at studying such topics as enzymes, bases of bioenergetics, metabolism of amino acids, bases of molecular genetics, biochemistry of human nutrition, biochemistry of blood and liver. It was proved, that “Biochemistry of the liver” is a generalizing section as to problems of chemical safety in the course of bioorganic and biological chemistry. The structural-logic scheme of formation of knowledge about dangerous chemical substances is described. There was realized the purposeful pedagogical influence as formation of knowledge about organic and inorganic toxicants as components of chemical safety, in the course of “Bioorganic and biological chemistry” at studying the topic “Investigation of processes of biotransformation of xenobiotics and endogenous toxins. Microsomal oxidation by cytochrome Р-450”. There were developed two video-collections “Modern approaches to classification and marking of chemical substances”, “Biotransformation of xenobiotics and endogenous toxins” and cases “Toxicants in the context of chemical safety”. The developed materials were probated in the course of biological chemistry at training future doctors in the National medical university, named after O.O. Bogomolets

Every day unexpected incidents happen in the laboratory and each such incident provides experience that supports the learning process. The basic premise of the Chemical Safety Library (CSL) project, undertaken by the Pistoia Alliance, is that these learnings should be shared with the wider community so that everyone who works in a lab has an opportunity to learn from those unexpected reaction outcomes. In this paper, we will discuss the importance of community sharing to promote safety, the conceptualization and implementation of the CSL project, the results since the launch of the CSL service, next steps, and some thoughts on how this data collection could be leveraged in the future.

In the spring of 2017, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Divisions of Chemical Information (CINF) and Chemical Health and Safety (CHAS) partnered to conduct a survey of academic research chemists to understand their use of chemical safety information as they conduct risk assessments for laboratory work. This survey, funded by an ACS Innovative Project Grant, focused on three areas, addressing Information Practices, Risk Assessment Practices and Lessons Learned Practices. The survey received 238 responses and the reported demographics reflected the general ACS membership in terms of chemical fields. Half of the respondents have PhDs and half have worked in labs for 10 years or more. This article summarizes the results from this initial survey and identifies opportunities for improving support services from Environmental Health and Safety staff and Chemical Information specialists for conducting laboratory risk assessments.

The dominance of Google as the default search engine (more than 80% of Internet searches) is not based on its ability to deliver technically useful information. Its search strategy, ranking criteria and business considerations, can mask useful chemical safety information from the safety professional, chemical users and the general public. Fortunately, alternative search engines are available to use to collect both raw health and safety data as well as technical information and policy statements to inform risk assessments. It is important for the health and safety professional to be aware of these alternatives to perform efficient searches and to be able to critically assess information collected from the Internet by the workers they serve. This article describes the challenges presented by Google’s strategy and an alternative strategy that allows for more strategic search for chemical safety information.

The Journal of Chemical Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming special issue on Chemical Safety Education: Methods, Culture, and Green Chemistry.

This commentary offers some perspectives on the future of in silico chemical safety assessment, grouped into four main themes: science, technology, regulation, and culture. The commentary is based on a talk given by Dr Andrew Worth at a Symposium entitled “Navigating In Silico Chemical Safety” held at the Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) in Erlangen, Germany on 11 October 2018.

Modern directions of activities are reported in the frame of international agreements in chemical safety-The Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the prior informed consent procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade, the Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants. Taking into account that at the national level, especially in small-size countries, the same bodies represent their countries in international conventions, in 2011 under UNEP, a BRS convention (unified secretariat) was set up to improve coordination of Conventions, to raise the level of their cooperation and at the same time to lower expenses of their activities by setting up common services such as administration support, joimt clearing house, planning and holding meetings of all levels, training, providing technical assistance etc. The three conventions deal with a great number of the same substances in accordance with their objectives and area of activities which requires a deep coordination in the frame of Conventions both at the international and national levels. All three Conventions preserve their full independence but conducting a policy of synenergy that means collaboration and deep coordination

Background Chemical hazard communication (e.g., label) is intended to alert users of the potential hazards of chemicals. Apart from the fact that hazard information needs to be understood, it is also important that it is recalled. Recall of hazard communication is critical when the written form of the information is not available at the time it is required. Methods A cross-sectional study investigating associations between the recall of chemical safety information on labels and safety data sheets among 402 participants including 315 workers (industry, transport and agriculture sectors) and 87 consumers in two provinces of South Africa was conducted. The recall of label information by participants was tested using two modules from a Hazard Communication Comprehensibility Testing (CT) Tool developed by the Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research at the University of Cape Town for the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Results Respondents were predominantly male (67.7%), the median age was 37 years (IQR: 30–46 years) and less than half of the participants completed high school (47.5%). The skull and crossbones symbol was the label element most recalled, both freely without prompting (79.6%) and recognition after prompting (94.8%). Whereas, the first aid and treatment measures were the least frequently freely recalled (least frequent item 6.0%; most frequent item 29.9%). Multivariate analysis identified the following positive associations with the recall of all the label elements listing the strongest association: call appropriate services and industrial vs. consumer sector (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2; 4.6); call appropriate services and transport vs. consumer sector (OR = 4.4; 95% CI: 1.2; 16.0); flammable symbol and male vs. female gender (OR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.0; 5.3); flammable symbol and home language English vs. African languages (OR = 6.6; 95% CI: 2.1; 21.2); any hazard statement and home language Afrikaans vs. African languages (OR = 14.0; 95% CI: 3.6; 54.2), any first aid statement and further education vs. none (OR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.3; 8.0), correct chemical name and industry blue collar workers vs. non-industry blue collar workers (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.1; 6.1), correct chemical name and non-industry white collar occupations vs. non-industry blue collar workers (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.0; 7.1). Conclusion The study found a number of potential positive associations that influence recall of label elements of which some (e.g., sector, gender, occupation) suggest further research. Relevant policies in South Africa should ensure that the safety information on chemical labels is clearly visible to read and understandable which aids recall and the reduction in harmful chemical exposures.

The oil and gas industry has been beset with several catastrophic accidents, most of which have been attributed to organisational and operational human factor errors. The current HFACS developed for the aviation industry, cannot be used to simultaneously analyse regulatory deficiencies and emerging violation issues, such as sabotage in the oil and gas industry. This paper presents an attempt to improve the existing HFACS investigation tool and proposes a novel HFACS named the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System for the Oil and Gas Industry (HFACS-OGI). Results found the HFACS-OGI system to be suitable for categorising accidents, following the analysis of 11 accident reports from the US Chemical Safety Board (US CSB). The HFACS-OGI system moreover revealed some significant relationships between the different categories. Furthermore, the results indicated that failures in national and international industry regulatory standards would automatically create the preconditions for accidents to occur.

Storage of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate (FGAN) is common worldwide. The material is stable when stored at ambient temperatures. However, ammonium nitrate is explosive when exposed to higher temperatures and/or a shock wave source. The presence of even 0.2% carbon adds to the blast potential. This paper summarizes the key finding of an ammonium nitrate explosion that occurred at a FGAN storage facility on 17 April 2013 in West, Texas, USA. 15 people were killed including12 emergency responders who were fighting a fire that occurred on the property before the explosion. Over 260 were injured. The key lessons learned are reviewed and recommendations are offered below.

Herein, we provide an overview of a research network that is aimed at fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between chemists and toxicologists with the goal of rationally designing safer commercial chemicals. The collaborative is the Molecular Design Research Network (MoDRN) that was created in 2013 with funding from the EPA-National Science Foundation Networks for Sustainable Molecular Design and Synthesis (NSMDS) program. MoDRN is led by 4 universities, Baylor University, University of Washington, The George Washington University, and Yale University. The overarching goal of the network is to enable and empower the design of safer chemicals based on the fourth Principle of Green Chemistry that states, "chemical products should be designed to preserve efficacy of function while minimizing toxicity."

Assessment of potential adverse effects on the immune system is an important component of the chemical safety evaluation process. As alternative testing methods are rapidly evolving, there is a progressing interest to determine their practical implementation for reducing or replacing existing in vivo studies without compromising chemical safety. There has been considerable progress in the development of alternative testing methods for dermal sensitization, however, the methods for evaluating respiratory sensitization and immunosuppression are still at various stages of development and validation. This review highlights the current status of alternative testing methods and practical considerations for implementation from a chemical industry perspective.

The presentation will discuss the difference between EU and US standards for the determination of explosion (flammability) limits and limiting oxygen concentration. Small differences observed in measured values can be traced back to the different test apparatuses and criteria. The discrepancies can be much greater in the case of limiting oxygen concentration because of the high amount of inert gases and the corresponding low laminar burning velocities. The paper describes some examples and the influence of the chosen criteria on the results. The European and US standards use the criteria of flame propagation in open test vessels and of pressure rise in closed ones. The examples discussed show that flame propagation is still possible at very small pressure rise values, as observed much below the pressure rise criterion of usual standards. However, flame propagation in a process plant can cause an accident or explosion and must be avoided. Therefore, the flame propagation criterion is recommended to be used in chemical safety engineering. The European safety database CHEMSAFE contains expert-evaluated safety data for cases where the determination method and criteria are known. Flammability characteristics based on the pressure rise criterion may suffice in certain cases, e.g. for explosion protection in closed vessels without any connecting pipes.

Since the publication of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) avian acute oral guideline, OECD 223, empirical data have become available to compare the performance of OECD 223 with statistical simulations used to validate this guideline and with empirical data for US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (USEPA OCSPP) guideline OCSPP 850.2100. Empirical studies comprised 244 for Northern bobwhite, of which 73 were dose-response tests and 171 were limit tests. Of the dose-response tests, 26 were conducted to OECD 223 (using 3-4 stages) and 33 to OCSPP 850.2100 (using the single 50-bird design). Data were collected from 5 avian testing laboratories from studies performed between 2006 and 2013. The success with which the LD50 and slope could be determined was 100% and 96% for OECD 223 (mean 26 birds per test) and 100% and 51% for OCSPP 850.2100 (mean 50 birds per test). This was consistent with the statistical simulations. Control mortality across all species and designs amounted to 0.26% (n = 2655) with only single mortalities occurring in any 1 study and

The American Chemical Society Office of Safety Programs is offering an online course on chemical safety that’s free to the public. The target audience is undergraduate chemistry students who have c...

Research aimed at more fully emulating human biology in vitro has rapidly progressed in recent years with advancements in 3D tissue engineering and microphysiological systems. The initial target of such systems has been directed towards drug and chemical safety assessment, with the goal of improving sensitivity and predictive capabilities. Here we discuss recent developments of in vitro organ culture systems, and their future applications in modeling human disease.

Over the course of my first year as Chairperson's of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), I have overseen the release of several incident investigations, deployed to a number of accident sites, increased the CSB's outreach initiatives and evaluated our organizational processes to more effectively and productively achieve our critical mission. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 35: 306–311, 2016

This article will focus on the fatal explosion and fire which occurred on April 17, 2013, at West Fertilizer in West, Texas, resulting in 15 fatalities, more than 260 injuries, and widespread community damage. The deadly fire and explosion occurred when about 30 tons of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate exploded after being heated by a fire at the storage and distribution facility. The US Chemical Safety Board deployed an investigative team to examine the incident and conducted a thorough root cause investigation of the massive fire and explosion. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 35: 312–316, 2016

Combustible dust explosions are among the most serious criticalities affecting a broad number of industries around the world. According to a Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board report, more than 50 accidents have occurred only in the U.S. between 2008 and 2012; this datum shows that such a problem requires a relevant attention from both researchers and authorities. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the currently available techniques able to estimate the severity of a combustible dust explosion. Moreover, the main criticalities arising from these methodologies are discussed, also providing some suggestions for future works.

Background: The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) investigated the 17 April 2013 explosion at the West Fertilizer Company (WFC) that resulted in 15 fatalities, more than 260 injuries, and damage to more than 150 buildings. Among these structures were four nearby school buildings cumulatively housing children in grades kindergarten–12, a nursing care facility, and an apartment complex. The incident occurred during the evening when school was not in session, which reduced the number of injuries. Objectives: The goal of this commentary is to illustrate the consequences of siting schools near facilities that store or use hazardous chemicals, and highlight the need for additional regulations to prevent future siting of schools near these facilities. Discussion: We summarize the findings of the CSB’s investigation related to the damaged school buildings and the lack of regulation surrounding the siting of schools near facilities that store hazardous chemicals. Conclusions: In light of the current lack of federal authority for oversight of land use near educational institutions, state and local governments should take a proactive role in promulgating state regulations that prohibit the siting of public receptors, such as buildings occupied by children, near facilities that store hazardous chemicals. Citation: Tinney VA, Denton JM, Sciallo-Tyler L, Paulson JA. 2016. School siting near industrial chemical facilities: findings from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s investigation of the West Fertilizer Explosion. Environ Health Perspect 124:1493–1496; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP132

Many incidents have helped to define and develop process safety. Each has provided valuable learning opportunities. However, it is even more important to identify insights that can be obtained from an analysis of a large set of incidents that represents those that typically occur. This larger picture illuminates trends and commonalities and provides learning opportunities that are even more important than the causes of any one individual incident. The Chemical Safety Board has published the results of over 60 investigations of process safety incidents. These data have been analyzed to identify commonalities and trends so that measures to help protect against future incidents can be developed. Recommendations are made to address key issues identified.

Many chemical accidents occur in the laboratories including fire, toxic chemical spills, hazardous materials leakage, fatalities and adverse health effects involving the use of hazardous materials. This research investigates the implementation of Chemical Health, Safety and Security Program within the health faculties laboratories at Universitas Indonesia. The method used in this study employed a Chemical Health, Safety and Security Checklist developed from several references including the: American Chemical Society Safety Audit/Inspection Manual, American Chemical Society Security Vulnerability Checklist for Academic and Small Chemical Laboratory Facilities, and Universitas Indonesia (UI) procedures for laboratory safety, health and security inspections. Inspections and observations are conducted in fifty one laboratories which use chemicals within the health faculties at UI. Result suggested that several laboratories have implemented a good University standard for a laboratory chemical safety, health and security programs, while others needs improvement in particular parameters.

On December 7, 2009, a 50-foot-tall high-pressure vessel ruptured in the Nihon Dempa Kogyo Crystal, Inc. facility in Belvidere, Illinois. Several projectiles rapidly traveled outward from the facility, killing a truck driver 650 feet away and injuring an employee in another building 435 feet away. This paper summarizes the lessons learned from this incident both on causal and consequential aspects. Stress corrosion cracking was identified as the failure mechanism by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. After analyzing the operating conditions and the aftermath, this incident has been identified as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) under a supercritical pressure. A consequence analysis of the incident is performed where overpressure and fragment distance are calculated, together with safety distance estimation. Additionally, other safety-related problems, such as safety culture, management inside the corporation, and communication between this facility and the government are discussed.

The nature of process accidents is discussed, and the relevant definition of Horst Rittel's social phenomenon, “wicked problems,” is examined. Existing accident models are reviewed for inclusion of social drivers thought to dominate process accidents. A suggested method, new to process safety and termed morphological analysis, is offered to uncover unacknowledged drivers. Give the purported fit of process safety as a wicked problem, an assessment of the US Chemical Safety Board's “Most Wanted” is made doubting its potential reduction in accidents. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2016