Process Safety Incident Prevention Project: An Initiative to Reduce Incidents across Dow Laboratories

摘要

The intrinsic nature of Research and Development(R&D) activities-the continuous use of new chemicals anddevelopment of cutting-edge, sustainable processes at a rapidpace-can increase the potential for Process Safety and ReactiveChemicals accidents. Industrial and academic laboratories haveexperienced several significant laboratory accidents and nearmisses. In an effort to decrease laboratory incidents, Dow, with alarge global R&D presence, reviewed internal Root CauseInvestigations which indicated that improvements were neededin chemical hazard recognition skills, chemical storage andhandling, and inventory management. This paper presents aDow initiative to address and combat such incidents through the charter of a multidisciplinary team composed of ReactiveChemicals, Process Safety, and Environment, Health, & Safety experts along with R&D researchers, who have collaborated todevelop and deliver training modules which focus on high-interest safety topics. Module topics were chosen based on recurrencemetrics and potential event severity. Modules provide laboratory personnel with basic topic knowledge, specific hazard awarenessregarding the topic, and guidance on how to implement appropriate safeguards. The long-term objective is reducing the number andseverity of incidents. Over two years, 10 modules have been delivered in various media; at least a quarter of global Dow R&Dpersonnel have independently engaged with this training content, in addition to those directed to it by leaders, peers, safety experts,or training requirements. In addition to the development of enhanced training delivered via multiple platforms, the team hasidentified and recommended improvements or additions to existing safety management systems designed to identify hazards andcontrol risk.