(144a) React Now to Reactive Hazards: Early identification is crucial for your safety concept

I've been a Process Engineer with Evonik for 3.5 years and this is my first job since graduating college in 2012. For 2 of my years here I have been working on a capital investment project that has posed quite a challenge in the area of process safety. The process begins with an extremely energetic exothermic reaction that produces an unstable intermediate. The temperature, pH, and ratios of raw materials and catalyst all have to be closely controlled in order to keep the reaction under control. The effects of various process upsets had to be studied to determine the severity of the outcome and what safety measures would be effective. In order to do this over 25 adiabatic calorimeter tests were performed as part of the basic engineering for the project. In several of the cases, venting with a pressure relief device was not feasible which resulted in many additional high integrity interlocks.  This highlighted how important it is to understand the safety risks involved in any given project, and it is imperative to dedicate resources to resolving safety risks early since they can result in major changes. The significant take away from this project for me is that in this industry no matter the financial or schedule impact, there will be no compromise when it comes to safety!