The Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), a technical directorate of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), will commemorate 40 years as a leader in chemical process safety with events scheduled for the 21st Global Congress on Process Safety, April 6–10 in Dallas, Texas. The Global Congress — presented in conjunction with the 2025 AIChE Spring Meeting — will mark the CCPS anniversary with sessions that illuminate the progress achieved in the chemical industry’s process safety field, while envisioning its future directions.
AIChE established the Center for Chemical Process Safety on March 25, 1985, in response to the 1984 gas leak incident in Bhopal, India.
Just after midnight on December 3, 1984, water contamination in a methyl isocyanate storage tank created a toxic gas release in Bhopal, causing more than 3,000 fatalities and over 100,000 injuries to nearby residents. In February of 1985, industry leaders asked the American Institute of Chemical Engineers to lead a collaborative effort to eliminate catastrophic process safety incidents. On March 25, AIChE formed the Center for Chemical Process Safety — which soon after completed its first book, “Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures.”
Since then, CCPS has published more than 100 books documenting the experiences and expertise of process and process safety engineers, and has shared their techniques and strategies with industries worldwide. Today, more than 280 organizations, including many of the world’s leading chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, mining, and related manufacturing companies, participate in CCPS’ work.
According to Shakeel Kadri, Executive Director and CEO of CCPS, the anniversary programming slated for the Global Congress will reflect the body of knowledge represented by CCPS’ member organizations. Kadri added, “This year, as we mark the fortieth anniversary of CCPS, we will pause to reflect on the progress we’ve made in process safety, and recommit ourselves to CCPS’ vision of ‘A World Without Process Safety Incidents.’”
Organized by CCPS, the annual Global Congress on Process Safety engages process safety engineers, plant managers, and process design experts in an exploration of technologies and strategies to ensure plant safety, manage risk, and strengthen process safety management (PSM) programs worldwide.
The Global Congress incorporates the programming of the 59th Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, the 40th CCPS International Conference, the 27th Process Plant Safety Symposium, and the 14th Process Safety Management Mentoring Symposium. The meeting’s international emphasis will be displayed at sessions offering “Perspectives on Process Safety from Around the World.” A session devoted to “Case Histories and Lessons Learned” will spotlight investigations from incidents worldwide.
The concurrent AIChE Spring Meeting is AIChE’s largest conference for practicing chemical engineers, showcasing the breadth of chemical engineering endeavors, including new and sustainable methods of manufacturing and energy production.
For a complete schedule of events and information about the 21st Global Congress on Process Safety and the 2025 AIChE Spring Meeting, visit www.aiche.org/spring or www.aiche.org/gcps.
About AIChE: AIChE is a professional society of more than 60,000 members in more than 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.