Process safety in engineering courses
November 30th, 2010
Petro and chemical engineers are compiling process safety aspects for university engineering courses, and professional workshops in 2011.
The Process Safety Forum is inviting process engineers and human resources officials to send delegates, or to send their petrochem and chemicals occupational health and safety skills and tertiary curriculum requirements, to the forum.
The PSF, via the Chemicals and Allied Industries Association, Caia, has contact with engineering departments at UCT, UNISA, Wits, UP and UNW, and will soon contact the other tertiary training providers.
The University of KZN is currently developing a Process Safety course in conjunction with Total. The University of the Witwatersrand is planning to introduce a master’s degree in process safety risk management by 2012, reports PSM member Dr Kevin Harding, a chemical engineering lecturer at Wits. (CV in postscript)
Caia will communicate process safety aspects identified by PS Forum members, as priorities to universities in 2011. Consultant Nigel Coni will assist the process via his chairmanship of the Engineering Council’s Professional Advisory Committee.
The profession is aiming to align process training with industry needs, at the level of under graduate process safety training.
Process safety short courses
Meanwhile Caia had appointed Clova Business and Mike Rose, based in KZN province, to develop process safety short course and professional development training material. Training will be offered as three separate courses:
* Basic PSM training; one day
* PSM for professionals; two days
* PSM auditors course; four days.
Clova had proposed a plan of work for developing training material, and requested the assistance of PSF members to evaluate and assess training material. Mike Rose is a member of the recently formed KZN Process Safety Forum, as reported on Sheqafrica.com.
Failures and inspections
Other topical themes in process safety management, include cCategorisation of ‘human failure’, and management of human elements. A UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspectors Toolkit will be used as reference for future discussions in the profession.
New Process Safety Forum members include Barry Little of Air Products, who is also an MHI Regulations amendment business representative on DOL ACOHS; Braam Raubenheimer, a Responsible Care Auditor; Jan de Raedt, a Responsible Care Auditor; Kevin Harding, a Wits University Lecturer; Roger Barnes, a Responsible Care Auditor; Doreen Gwanyuki of SAFIC; Keatlaretse Thlapane of NCP Chlorchem; Siyabonga Sithebe of Bayer.
Relevant academics, consultants, trainers and auditors are invited to attend Process Safety Forum meetings at Caia offices in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, or in Durban.
PSM courses 2011
* March 10 Process safety workshop, Durban venue, on human factors, management elements, new MHI Regulations, hosted by Responsible Care. Presenters are called to cover HAZOP implementation, MOC risk assessment, PHA, safety in process plant management, process safety tools, process safety incidents, permit to work pitfalls; rcare@mweb.co.za
* March 11 Process safety workshop, Johannesburg venue, on human factors, management elements, new MHI Regulations, hosted by Responsible Care. Presenters are called to cover HAZOP implementation, MOC risk assessment, PHA, safety in process plant management, process safety tools, process safety incidents, permit to work pitfalls; rcare@mweb.co.za
* May 9 -13 Process Safety course by ICHemE, second annual course, at Birchwood, Boksburg; rcare@mweb.co.za
PHOTO; Dr Kevin Harding.
==== CV; Dr Kevin Harding (BSc Chem Eng, PhD (UCT) MSAIChE AMIChemE), lecturer in Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at Wits University, kevin.harding@wits.ac.za
Research Interests; Biotechnology, Process Modelling, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Process Safety.
Dr Harding is a former consultant at Environmental Resources Management (ERM) working on process safety and quantified risk assessments, particularly Major Hazard Installation (MHI) assessments, for various industries, 2008 -2010.
His PhD, University of Cape Town thesis was on ‘A Generic Approach to Environmental Assessment of Microbial Bioprocesses through Life Cycle Assessment, 2009.
Publications
Harding, KG, 2010. Risk Assessments in Process Industries in South Africa, Chemical Technology, Aug. 2010
Harding, KG, von Blottnitz, H, Dennis, JS, Harrison, STL, 2007. Environmental analysis of plastic production processes: Comparing petroleum based polypropylene and polyethylene with biologically-based poly-b-hydroxybutyric acid using life cycle analysis, Journal of Biotechnology, 130(1), 57-66
Harding, KG, von Blottnitz, H, Dennis, JS, Harrison, STL, 2008. A life cycle comparison between inorganic and biological catalysis for the production of biodiesel, Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(13), 1368-1378
Sheridan, C, Nissing, C, Harding, K, van Hille, R, Ncanana, S, Harrison, STL, 2006. Energy in South Africa: The potential for bio-resources, Chemical Technology, Aug. 2006, 10-17
Patents
Harding, KG , Harrison, STL, 2008. Designing of Chemical Processes, Provisional Patent Application South Africa, 2008/10356
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