Inherently safer chemical processes defined

What do we mean when we speak of an inherently safer chemical process Inherent has been defined as existing in something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute (American College Dictionary, 1967). A chemical manufacturing process is inherently safer if it reduces or eliminates the hazards associated with materials and operations used in the process, and this reduction or elimination is permanent and inseparable. To appreciate this definition fully, it is essential to understand the precise meaning of the word hazard. A hazard is defined as a physical or chemical characteristic that has the potential for causing harm to people, the environment, or property (adapted from CCPS, 1992). The key to this definition is that the hazard is intrinsic to the material, or to its conditions of storage or use. Some specific examples of hazards include ... 

The INSIDE (Inherent SHE In Design) Project is a European gov-ernment/industry project sponsored by the Commission of the European Community to encourage and promote inherently safer chemical processes and plants (INSIDE Project, 1997). One of the best-known measures for safety is risk, which is defined as (1) the potential for loss or the probability of a specific undesired event happening in a particular period of time and (2) the consequences of the undesired event ... 

Inherent is defined as existing in something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute (1). A chemical process can be described as inherently safer if it reduces or eliminates a hazard when compared to another process alternative. To understand this definition, it is necessary to understand what is meant... 

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