Preparing and Presenting a College Workshop on Process Hazard Analysis

In October 2011 the ABET college accreditation organization approved a Curriculum Statement requiring Chemical Engineering programs to teach certain aspects of Process Safety Management.  Engineering college professors are well qualified to teach the concepts of Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), but they may not have practical experience, creating an opportunity for safety professionals to improve preparation for the PHA responsibilities engineering students are likely to have in their careers.

The proposed paper will review a college workshop on PHA which was conducted at South Dakota Tech in 2012 and 2013.  The goal is to provide industry safety professionals and college professors with information that may be useful in presenting a workshop.  Topics will include what the college needs from the safety professional, how to approach the college and an outline of the workshop contents.  Emphasis will be placed on examples of the practical aspects of PHA that someone with facilitation experience can provide to the students.  The strategy for maximizing student participation using small teams and team advisors with industrial experience will be reviewed.  The paper will be a joint effort between a college professor and a person who has facilitated PHA’s in the chemical and refining industries.