System safety approaches chemical industry

Another evolving approach to facility system safety is the HazOps effort being developed by the chemical industry. This effort is being promoted by individual chemical and petrochemical companies and by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 

The thrust of chemical process safety can be thought of as an extension of system safety as applied to the chemical process industry. But also important is that the safety risk-basis of the approach to achieve a less hazardous plant environment is applicable beyond chemical matters and into the facilities and operations of most industrial activities. 

While the chemical industry has embraced PSM and most companies vigorously follow PSM, there still continue to be failures by some companies to use PSM and these failures have resulted in major chemical incidents. PSM will continue to be an important tool in preventing catastrophic events in the future. PSM can and does save lives every day, and this safety systems approach will be an important part of anyone s job that entails large scale operations. 

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