(80c) Pilot Plant Reactive Chemistry Incidents: Case Studies and Prevention

Reactive chemistry incidents in manufacturing plants have received a lot of attention from industry, government, and the public in recent years, following a number of serious incidents and a major study by the United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. But reactive chemistry incidents can also occur in the laboratory and in pilot plant facilities. Several reactive chemistry incidents which occurred in pilot plants will be reviewed. In these examples, the chemical reaction which occurred was not anticipated by the people managing and operating the pilot plant. But, the reactions were not unknown, and they could have been anticipated with the aid of readily available process safety tools. Reactivity hazard awareness and recognition was a major contributor to these incidents, and education of process development and pilot plant operating personnel on these hazards can reduce their likelihood of occurrence. It is also essential to recognize these hazards as early in process development as possible so that the appropriate hazard management systems can be developed for the commercial process and plant. Tools, checklists, and resources for recognizing and managing reactive chemical hazards, applicable at all scales of operation, will be reviewed.